Kate Gillespie-Jones comes to Carlton after years spent working up the ranks of women’s football in Victoria.
Picked up by the Blues at pick No.14 in the draft, the versatile 25-year-old is set to have an impact no matter where she plays on the field.
Gillespie-Jones took up footy at a young age but was forced to give it up when she was told she couldn't play with the boys anymore. At that time, Gillespie-Jones was unable to find a way to continue playing and she didn't return to the game until she was 20.
“I just needed to get back into sport. When I was young I was really athletic and I wanted to get fit and get back into that environment,” Gillespie-Jones said.
“At first it was a social thing, then I got increasingly motivated to get fit and strong. Seeing the skills of the girls at the top of the competition really motivated me to get better.”
Her motivation helped her move quickly up the ranks in the VWFL. She won back-to-back best-and-fairests with the Seaford Tigerettes in 2014 and 2015, before playing an important role in the club’s defining 2016 VWFL season.
Gillespie-Jones’ dedication to the game also saw her represent Melbourne in two exhibition games last year, but she was keen on Carlton from the moment she met with the club.
“I wanted to come here from the start,” she said.
“Having an interview leading up to the draft, Damien (coach Damien Keeping) sold it really well. Carlton were really good and seemed really genuine.”
Kate Gillespie-Jones hits the track ahead of the Blues' inaugural AFLW season. (Photo: Carlton Media)
Aside from becoming an all-round great footballer, Gillespie-Jones has also spent her time working hard at her studies. She is currently in the process of completing her PhD at Monash, her research: sensory changes in the brain after traumatic brain injury.
Some of her research involves looking at changes that can occur after injuries on the sporting field - an irony that is not lost on her.
“My supervisors laugh at me sometimes and say, ‘You’re gonna get a concussion so we’ll stick an electrode on you’,’” she said.
“I’m not worried though, there’s risks with everything you do. Getting in a car is just as dangerous I think.”
As one of the Blues’ tallest AFLW players at 179cm, Gillespie-Jones is looking to impose herself on the contests.
“Everyone thinks I’m just a big friendly giant,” she said.
“I want to make sure I’m really tough at the contest and putting heaps of pressure on the opposition. I think that’s really important.”
Gillespie-Jones will line up alongside her teammates for the Blues’ NAB AFL Women’s season opener against Collingwood at Ikon Park on Friday night.
Entry is free for the historic game.
