Orange athlete Charli Hunter has big AFLW dreams

The multi-talented athlete is set to have a very busy few weeks as she competes against some of the best up-and-coming juniors in the country.

For which sport will the 15-year-old competing, you may ask? Take your pick.

First up, she will be taking part in the U16s AFL National Championships as part of the Woomeras team on the Gold Coast, before she backs it up a week later at the The Nations of Origin state rugby league tournament in Penrith.

"I really do like supporting and representing my culture because there was not a lot of opportunities for Indigenous girls early on," the proud Wiradjuri girl said.

"The leadership pathway for the Indigenous Woomeras has made it a lot easier for me to get around and see the other Indigenous girls and take part in these tournaments."

Having played Australian rules from as early as she can remember, the Orange Tiger said it was always going to be the case of her taking up the sport.

"My dad played, my mum played for a bit, my siblings play," she said.

"My dad was always going to put all of us kids into AFL, whether we liked it or not. I'm a very big AFL supporter and I go for the Western Bulldogs. I was just brought up with AFL and I love the sport."

On top of that, her grandfather Alan Hunter played 15 games for the Footscray Bulldogs between 1964 and 1967 in the Victorian Football League.

Earlier in 2023, the teenager got the chance to show off her skills as part of a junior GWS Giants academy program.

With yet another chance to show out against the best juniors in the country, the Orange Anglican Grammar School student is keen to make the opportunity count.

"It's very different compared to playing against my local league. They have the same abilities and skills as you. It's a more complex game," she said of playing against those high-quality players.

"I definitely want to try and pursue the AFLW, but I just have to try my hardest and see where Nationals leads me."

As for the rugby league, she plays for Orange Vipers during their summer competition and felt "very lucky" to have the chance to travel down to Penrith.

If that wasn't enough, she also had to knock back the chance to take part in the flagship Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Rugby Union 7s tournament in Parramatta, because it clashed with the AFL competition.

"I feel very appreciative and lucky that my parents are supporting me through this," she added.

"My family up in Queensland want to come watch my game when I'm up in Gold Coast. I'm very grateful to get this opportunity because not a lot of people do."

Reading this on mobile web? Download our news app. It's faster, easier to read and we'll send you alerts for breaking news as it happens.

Download in the Apple Store or Google Play.