Giants netball captain Kimberlee Green is the perfect example of how the AFL's youngest club has grown from a western Sydney start-up to one of only two three-way juggernauts in the country contesting two sporting codes.
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Before leading the Giants out against her old team in the Suncorp Super netball season opener on February 18, the retired international and ex-NSW Swift has this weekend's inaugural round of the AFL Women's season to prepare for, following Monday night's season launch of all three teams at the club.
Green is the player development manager for the GWS women's AFL team, which kicks off its season on Saturday against the Crows at Thebarton Oval in Adelaide, and just one example of how football and netball are teaming up out west this season.
Collingwood is the only other club in Australia to boast a men's and women's AFL team as well as representation in the new netball league.
"It's absolutely amazing. With the Swifts we've worked with the Swans before, but actually being a part of the family and wearing the Giants name tag, we all have a sense of ownership with each other," Green said.
"We've done an AFL session with the women's team. The women took us through a little session for pre-season, which was cool. I can't say any of us are going to be AFL players any time soon.
"I feel like they're my team as well, in a sense. I know the girls are really excited to make sure we get around both teams, the men's and the women's AFL, and support it as much as we can.
"We know that we're one big family and it is a start of something completely fresh."
Green is one of two Giants who made the switch in the offseason from the Swifts, the other being Susan Pettitt. Both have spoken highly of their relationship with inaugural Giants coach Julie Fitzgerald as a reason for changing teams.
Fitzgerald's influence led to Green pursuing netball after a junior Little Athletics career up against superstar hurdler Sally Pearson. Green returned to her roots on the weekend to run a training session at Preston Little Athletics Centre, deep in Sydney's west, and said she couldn't wait to play for Fitzgerald again.
"I've always loved Jules and I've always loved that she was very honest with me as a coach, as a mentor of life, but she's also very kind in the way she does it as well," Green said.
"She's a very thoughtful person and you can see she brings the best out of players and culture in the team. You can see that from last year with the [Waikato Bay Of Plenty] Magic. They had so many injuries – I think they had five injuries with their starting seven players – and they still make finals.
"I felt like first day of school. My first training session, which was really cool, I just never thought that I'd feel nervous going to training – and obviously that just meant I was so far in my comfort zone back at the Swifts. I needed a new challenge just to spark things up again and I've definitely done that."
