Ocean Grove raised Hannah Burchell had plenty of home town support prior to her Geelong AFLW debut on 15 March including a special note from her former Auskick coach.
Hannah, 24, was in Canberra to play her first AFLW game against Greater Western Sydney under lights when she received a message from her junior football mentor Darren Moroney before the game.
Moroney, an Ocean Grove Football Netball Club committee member, was Hannah’s inaugural junior football coach at the Ocean Grove Collendina Cobras 18 years ago.
The popular local junior football club was renamed Ocean Grove Cobras at an historic annual general meeting last year.
“It was pretty special actually – I was getting on a bus in Canberra and I got a message from my first Auskick coach Darren Moroney,” an excited Hannah told the Voice.
“I got a message just congratulating me on making my debut and wishing me all the best.
“It was a weird moment, I thought bloody hell I can’t believe I even got to play Auskick and now here I am Iiving out what was just a dream.
“I have still got the backing of Darren who always had my back and always wanted me to keep going with footy and I felt that from the whole Ocean Grove Cobras football community.
“Mum got a few personal messages to wish me well from a few of the locals and family friends.
“I have always held the Cobras in high regard.”
Parents Deb and Graeme Burchell and her partner Tom all travelled to Canberra to watch Hannah’s debut, while older brother Nick was unable to attend.
“The three of them came up so that was nice,” said Hannah, who resides in Carlton after she completed a Bachelor of Paramedicine in 2018.
Deb and Graeme were invited to a special jumper presentation in the Cats’ rooms before the match.
Hannah began the match on the interchange before she came on to play as an outside midfielder and finished the match with eight possessions and took two marks.
