She once dreamt of a professional swimming or athletics career but GIANTS draftee Indigo Linde is now firmly set on becoming the best AFLW player she can be.
Taken with pick 40 in last year’s AFLW draft, and recently signing a one-year contract extension until the end of the 2025 season, Linde joined the GIANTS following a major role in the Eastern Ranges’ runner-up finish in the Coates Talent League last year.
Cam Bernasconi shares the news with the playing group 🧡 pic.twitter.com/cNs7XauhJM
— GWS GIANTS (@GWSGIANTS) August 8, 2024
A multiple-time national-level runner specialising in the 800m and 1500m - and an avid swimmer - Linde says she feels at home at the GIANTS despite it not being the path she once envisioned.
“Just being at the club, it just feels like this is where I should be,” the 19-year-old said.
“It feels like we are a part of something really special. The environment is great and the girls are great. It’s just an unreal environment to be a part of.”
Switching her focus from athletics to footy at the age of 16, Linde says she has no regrets in her decision to chase her AFLW dreams.
“I’ve found it absolutely unreal,” she said.
“All I want to do with my footy is push myself and grow and I think the GIANTS is the best environment that I can do that in.
“The GIANTS obviously saw something in me, so I go in with the mindset that I owe it to them to give my all and put in my best and kind of pay them back for picking me.”
Uprooting her life in Victoria for a move to Sydney earlier this year, the young midfielder says a host of teammates have been vital in helping her adjust to her new surroundings.
“So many girls have been amazing and I’ve been able to learn so much from everyone in so many different ways,” she said.
“Nic Barr has really taken me under her wing. Alyce Parker as well. Then ‘Smitty’ [Katherine Smith] and ‘Peasey’ [Emily Pease] have been great. There has been so many, they have all been great.”
A strong midfielder capable of playing inside or outside, Linde missed the club’s recent VFLW campaign with a calf injury but is now fit and firing and will line up in GIANTS colours for the first time in an on Saturday in the club’s simulation match with the Swans in Blacktown.
“I’m pretty nervous but I’m super excited as well,” she said ahead of Saturday’s pre-season showdown with the Swans.
“Obviously I didn’t get to play in the VFLW games so I’m keen to get out there and play a proper game against different girls.
“I have talked about it with a few of the girls at the club and I just want to go in and play the best I can. As a player I can get quite caught up in the structure and trying to play my role, but I think on the weekend I just need to trust my abilities and go in and play off instinct.
“To be able to say I’m playing AFLW and playing against the Swans on Saturday, that’s just something I still can’t get my head around.”
The talented teenager added that she is eager to see what the team can produce this season.
“I’m just excited to see what the girl can do as we’ve all trained so well and the energy is so high so I’m just excited for the season to get started,” she said.
“If I’m part of the team then that’ll be amazing, but my goal is to just get a debut at some stage this year and if that’s round one then amazing, but we’ll wait and see.”
The GIANTS will kick-start their 2024 campaign with a huge round one clash with the Bulldogs in Canberra on Saturday, August 31.
Click here to join the Orange Army and become an AFLW member which gives you entry to all 11 GIANTS game (both home and away) this upcoming AFLW season.
