Not many footballers get to play for the club they have barracked for all their life, but Hannah Burchell is about to fulfil a childhood dream.
The 24-year-old Ocean Grover was picked up by Richmond’s AFLW side last week as a delisted free agent.
Hannah has barracked for the Tigers all her life and when she donned the yellow and black at a photo shoot at Punt Road last with the club’s seven other early signings, she could scarcely believe it.
“It’s absolutely amazing. Now I get to really live out my dream of playing for Richmond,” Hannah told the Voice.
“It really only hit me at the time (the photo shoot). I thought ‘gee whiz this is incredible’.”
Hannah had been an integral part of Geelong’s VFWL side for the past two seasons and played one AFLW game for the Cats at the end of last year before injury intervened.
Hannah said she was disappointed at being delisted, but understood the reasons why.
“There has to be a certain amount of delistings and although I was surprised and disappointed, Geelong were pretty good and supported the move to Richmond,” she said.
After studying a Bachelor of Paramedicine, Hannah is working as a school nurse at Albert Park College and said being able to play football in Melbourne is a huge bonus.
Hannah will wear number 9 for the Tigers, the same number as Trent Cochin.
“Hopefully I get to meet him soon,” Hannah said.
Hannah said the pathway for young women to play football was improving all the time.
“I didn’t even think I would play past Under 12s,” she said.
“The opportunity is there now and there are so many pathways.
“I’m grateful. So many before me just weren’t able to do it.”
Hannah said playing in front of the Tiger army would be both thrilling and daunting.
“I think they’ll struggle to fit the crowds in at Punt Road,” she said.
For now, Hannah, who has been back in full training for two weeks after an injury lay off, will play for Richmond’s VFLW side before the club embarks on its inaugural season in the AFLW.
