WOMEN’S team forward Sabrina Frederick-Traub says she was pleased she could provide a go-kicking presence for Melbourne in Sunday’s AFL Women’s Exhibition Match.
The West Australian played an important role in her AFL debut, kicking three goals as Melbourne held on to defeat the Western Bulldogs by four points.
“I’ve been training really, really hard and I was hoping I’d get those goals that in the last game they may not have gotten and got that one up on the last game,” Frederick-Traub told melbournefc.com.au.
“So I’m glad I managed to get three of them, I’m very happy.”
With Frederick-Traub’s first major also Melbourne’s opening goal for the game, the forward said converting the early set-shot was important for her team’s confidence.
“I feel like it kind of just set the game for us, it relaxed us,” she said.
“We just got the ball moving and got the ball rolling so I’m glad that first one came through.”
Frederick-Traub was well-supported up forward, with Chelsea Randall and Tayla Harris both chipping in with goals.
“All three of us have played with each other over the last two days of training … and we know each others’ strengths and weaknesses,” she said.
“So the fact that we all got up there and used our strength and our height was really, really well done.”
Melbourne skipper Daisy Pearce set up Frederick-Traub’s first goal and linked up well with the forward early in the match.
Frederick-Traub said the unity of Melbourne’s playing group helped give her confidence in her own game.
“Melbourne are just a very united team – I felt involved straight away from the very beginning and I felt like I was part of the team,” she said.
“Even though I [had] just joined in, it felt like I had been there for all of the other games.
“So it was easy to know that [Daisy] was going to kick it to me and she believed in me and I’m glad that she rewarded my efforts and my leads.”
With the game the first to be televised on Channel 7, Frederick-Traub said the broadcast was an exciting moment for women’s football.
“It’s great, I kind of forgot about the cameras when I was out there because we had to do a job,” she said.
“But the fact that it’s being televised now, it’s like ‘woah, that game has just been seen by so many people’.
“It’s just a great step for women’s football, so I’m excited.”