Former Black Fern Grace Brooker makes history with Essendon in AFLW

Former Black Ferns centre Grace Brooker has made history with Essendon ahead of this year’s AFLW season, with the code-hopper signing on as the club’s first-ever rookie signing for the women’s team.

After a four-Test international career and some time with Matatu in Super Rugby Aupiki, Brooker is embarking on an ambitious and unique sporting journey. Brooker will wear the famed red sash of Essendon Football Club after filling the AFLW team’s 30^th and final list spot.

Brooker also played for Canterbury and enjoyed a stint with Yokohama TKM in Japan, but the 25-year-old’s decision to sign with the Bombers is literally an all-new ball game. The Kiwi was raised in a rugby-dominated household and is now looking to learn a new sport at the elite level.

In rugby, Brooker has showcased a strong frame and athletic versatility in the backline, with the Bombers eager to see what their newest signing can achieve in the Aussie Rules. Pre-season is set to get underway in May before the round-robin kicks off in August.

“My first conversation was with [coach Natalie Wood] and I was amazed by her car. She was so passionate about helping me understand the landscape of AFLW, which I really appreciated,” Brooker said in a statement.

“When my interest was expressed, [list and recruiting manager] Georgia Harvey and ‘Woody’ would call me up every month or so. It was very clear from the beginning that the management team were focused on taking care of me as a person, before anything else.”

Brooker was among a group of trailblazers in women’s rugby, with the midfielder part of the first Black Ferns squad who were paid as professionals. Now, after signing with the Bombers, the athlete will look to inspire more and continue to make an impact in a growing competition.

As the Bombers revealed this week, the club was impressed with Brooker’s “power, strength and explosiveness” during her first-ever group skills session. Brooker was officially unveiled as the club’s latest signing earlier this week, and all involved seem excited for the future.

“When I received the list spot, my dad was super excited for me. We are both keen to show how the change from rugby to AFLW challenges me,” Brooker reflected.

 

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“Mum always supports me in any decision I make. I can guarantee she will be over on the sideline of Windy Hill in a heartbeat.

“I’ve met quite a few of the players already, their kindness and the overall energy of the group was extraordinary. I’m ready to put everything into getting cleaner with my skills, knowledge of the game and my fitness, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Former All Blacks Sevens captain Sam Dickson is another rugby player who has tried Aussie Rules, with the eventual Olympian representing New Zealand at the International Cup in Australia, which is the World Cup equivalent for the sport.

As Dickson told RugbyPass in 2023, “There was a few small glimpses of hope” about a pro deal in the AFL with the New Zealander holding “a little bit of talks” with Victorian club St Kilda before eventually returning to rugby union.