Former Nuriootpa girl, Nadia von Bertouch has been drafted to St. Kilda Football Club in the AFL Women’s League.
Once the SANFLW season was finished, she put together a highlights video and sent it to the current AFLW clubs.
Nadia was approached by a few different clubs in other states, but was ‘lucky enough’ to get taken in by the Saints as a free agent.
She described the moment she found out as ‘all very surreal’.
“After working towards this for the last couple of years, it was pretty exciting to see my dream become a reality,” said Nadia.
“There’s definitely some nerves, as it will be a big step up in terms of training and the standard of games, but I’m more excited than anything!”
Nadia added that being an AFLW player is something she never thought she’d be able to experience, and definitely considers it as a ‘life changing’ opportunity.
Being a Port Power supporter, who don’t currently have a AFLW team, Nadia admits she was happy to be drafted anywhere.
“Since getting the chance to go over and visit the club and meet the staff and players, I feel very fortunate to be picked up by St. Kilda. Being an inaugural player for the club is also something special,” she said.
Nadia played her first season of football for Nuriootpa Tigers in the U11’s boy’s team.
Being one of only two girls in the team, she admits it wasn’t a very enjoyable experience for her.
When she moved to Adelaide for University in 2015, Nadia found the Adelaide Football Women’s League.
She played her first season at the age of 20 for Port Adelaide until joining the SANFL Women’s League in it’s second year for North Adelaide Football Club.
Nadia will make the move to Melbourne in the next couple of weeks in preperation for pre-season which is set to begin at the end of the month.
She’ll be working part time outside of her football, but hopes to combine her journalism degree and love of football into a career.
“Working as a sports journalist is something I’m aiming for, and hopefully being an AFLW player will help get my foot in the door,” said Nadia.
“I love the competitiveness and intensity of the football game – it’s like no other sport I’ve played. The satisfaction and enjoyment you get from working alongside your teammates makes it so rewarding.”
