The chance to play Australian football again was the light at the end of a tough 16-week lockdown for Victoria Metro's masters team.
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There was trepidation about fitness, form and short notice on their return to the AFL Masters Carnival in Canberra, having lost their winter season due to the coronavirus outbreak.
But none of that mattered when they finally took the field at Alan Ray Oval on Saturday.
"Coming from a restrictive lockdown, it was the light for all of us to even have a plan," Metro's Charlie Hetherington said.
"It was just this buzz of excitement about a whole lot of women who haven't played sports for the whole winter really, because we weren't allowed more than five kilometres away from our house.
"It was just that trepidation of not being fit... some of the girls are very experienced footballers but we've also got a few who are one or two years in, but none of that mattered. It was about coming together.
"Get your bag, get your kit, we're going on a road trip."
Hetherington had four weeks to bring the team together after ACT's Pam Andrew, the national women's director, got the green light to organise the tournament.
There were 105 players registered across the five interstate teams, which included a Koori side and the ACT for the first time.
Each team played three matches and the ACT met Victoria Metro in the fourth game, beating them 40-0.
"There's talent in the ACT, there just hasn't been an opportunity to field an entire side in a national carnival until now," Hetherington said.
"Looking at how they just smashed us, I'm confident the ACT will have a super competitive side next year. No doubt about it."
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Andrew was pleased to see the event come together and said it set a foundation for the ACT team to build from ahead of Perth 2021.
"This is my dream come true. This is what happens if you dare to dream," Andrew said.
"It's been a fantastic day. The weather has been beautiful, it's a nice and mild summer day to kick the footy around.
"The spirit of the game is beautiful, I'm so impressed. There's not a lot of physicality but enough to make us hungry for the ball. Everyone is having a great time.
"I'd just like to thank the Ainslie Football Club for the incredible support they've given us for today. We wouldn't have been able to get this up and running within a month without them."