Being selected in the AFLW draft would mean everything for the Western Jets’ Alex McBride-Loane.
Having fallen in love with football after she started playing it at school, McBride-Loane has done everything she could to be selected on 15 December in the AFLW draft.
“I’ve been trying not to think about it too much, but then someone will ask me, ‘oh, how far away is it?’” she said.
“I’ve wanted to do it since it was created, 10-11 years ago.
“It was basically my first year playing for a girls team and I was like 100 per cent that’s something that I want to get into.
“Obviously with the past few years having it actually become something that could happen. I’m excited, but I’m nervous.
“It would mean everything.”
McBride-Loane started her football with Moonee Valley before joining Maribyrnong Park as the Fog didn’t have a girls side.
It was a move so she could continue to the sport she loved.
A big stepping stone in her football journey was going to Maribyrnong Sports Academy on a football scholarship.
“That definitely helped me,” she said. “I went there from year 7-12 through the footy academy which was cool.
“We started doing gym from year 7 so physically wise that helped a lot and it was kind of how I got into the Jets so early.”
With a crossover between coaching staff at the Jets and the Sports Academy, McBride-Loane got invited to the Jets when she was 13 or 14.
It was an environment that she’s loved since.
“I think that the environment and the people at that school are a big reason on how I am, where I am at the moment,” she said.
“It was definitely a bit intimidating, I knew some people who were in there like Sierra Grieves and Charlotte Baskaran because I went to school with them.
“It was definitely a higher intensity training to what I was used to. I guess I would say an eye opener and was like OK well this is what I’ve got to get used to.”
McBride-Loane had to wait for her chance to play for the Jets due to her age though.
Former coach Robbie Chancellor said he would have picked her earlier on during their premiership season in 2022 if he could have.
McBride-Loane said her final year with the Jets was really exciting.
“I feel like I developed a lot not just in terms of my football but also off the field and a little bit of the leadership side.
“With a new coach there was a new perspective on training and training standards like that. I feel like that’s what helped that a lot.”
McBride-Loane played four games for Vic Metro at the national under-18 championships showing her flexibility as she played two different roles.
She was really happy with her season and saw her selected for the AFLW draft state combine.
“I was just happy to have at least gotten one of them,” she said. ”I didn’t really care if it was the national or state as long as I got an invite to one of them.
“I’ve learnt not to put heaps of pressure on it, like realistically, you’re just having a chat with them.
“I’ve enjoyed talking to different people.”
McBride-Loane said finishing school last year had been massive for her so she could focus more on her football this year.
“I’m going out there to just play footy, which is what I love to do,” she said.
McBride-Loane said she was trying to keep herself busy ahead of the draft and not change things too much.
She’s been training with the Jets to keep her fitness up while also training with Maribyrnong Park while she waits to find out her footballing future.
