The Carlton AFLW team has no shortage of talented sportswomen making up its squad.
Natalie Plane is another player in Carlton’s AFLW squad that has managed to play two sports at an elite level.
Plane has spent this summer playing for the Melbourne Renegades in the Women’s Big Bash League, while also training alongside her teammates at Carlton.
Playing for the Renegades was not Plane’s first experience in a professional sporting environment - she was picked up by the Stars in the inaugural WBBL season on a rookie contract.
The time she has already spent in these environments will no doubt be invaluable to Plane when the siren first sounds at Olympic Park Oval on February 3.
“I think a lot of the girls will be nervous going into the first game,” Plane said.
“I kind of know what’s coming, I’ve played in front of 24,000 people at the MCG, so I think I’ll be able to stay pretty composed. That was pretty big and I think that will help me this season.”
Although Plane has excelled on the cricketing field, it was football that came first. After watching her brothers play, she decided she wanted to take up the game up as well.
Like many other girls she was forced to give it up when she reached the cut-off age of 15. She played soccer during cricket’s off-season, but returned to footy last year. She played for Seaford, and it was her then coach Brett Alexander who encouraged her to nominate herself for the draft.
“I wasn’t going to enter myself into the draft, I didn't think I was going to get drafted at all!” Plane said.
“So I was pretty shocked, I really only did it because my coach at my club told me to do it. So lucky I did.”
Plane was picked up in the draft by Carlton at pick 83. Coach Damien Keeping has previously described Plane as an “exciting prospect.” Her explosive pace and ability to carry the ball out of congestion will make her a real asset to Carlton.
Plane also understands the significance of being an Indigenous sportswoman. She has made history playing in the first-ever Indigenous Australian Women’s team that travelled to India for matches against Yuvraj Singh Cricket Academy, and the Dehli and Mumbai Cricket Association’s women’s teams.
She has dedicated herself to improving the future and creating pathways for indigenous girls and boys inside and out of sport.
Plane has signed on as an ambassador for the #ourbrothersoursisters campaign started by fellow indigenous cricketer Benjamin Abbatangelo.
“Ben works a lot for AIME, and so for every run I score or wicket I take in the WBBL, money is donated towards AIME and towards indigenous education,” Plane said.
“Doing that for #ourbrothersoursisters is something that’s really important to me.”
Plane hopes that in the future initiatives such as the Indigenous Round and Cultural Round can be integrated into the AFLW. For now she hopes the inaugural AFLW season will mean a premiership win for Carlton.
When asked what she hopes to achieve from the upcoming season, her response was simple: “I want to play well and I want the team to bring home the cup”.
