Laura Ewington knew that her father struggled to relate to her decorated netball career because he had never played the sport, but she now basks in his glow as he proudly watches her play AFL.
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It is a sport he knows very well.
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The 19-year-old Gunnedah High graduate has gone from kicking the footy with her father, Bulldogs veteran Mark Ewington, to pulling on a Dogs jersey following the formation of the club's first-ever women's side this season.
It is the fulfilment of a long-held desire. And it is a feelgood story made even more special by the fact that her 53-year-old mother, Nerieda, is a teammate.
Ewington - who is doing an online TAFE course in animal studies - played her first AFL game when the Bulldogs beat the Swans in a trial this month. She started at rover, then moved to the wing.
This Saturday she will make her AFL North West debut, when the two sides meet in a season-opener at Wolseley Oval.
Nerieda Ewington coached her daughter in Gunnedah representative netball teams. In Bulldogs land, she is a valued motivator, her daughter said.
"She's one of those people that just encourages everyone," Ewington said. "No matter what she's doing, she just wants to be involved."
The teen described AFL as a "very different" experience for her.
Watching from the sidelines, she found AFL to be "interesting". But playing the sport has given her a different perspective on it, and the experience has exceeded her expectations.
"The only sport I've ever played is netball. So when we played AFL, it was like a whole different experience.
"I enjoyed it much more [than netball]. And I think it's a better team environment. Like, we're all out there to help each other out."
Ewington will wear the No 5 jersey this season - the same number her father wears when playing in the forward pocket.
She was given another number to wear for the trial against the Swans, but her dad "kicked up a fuss about it" and she was given No 5.
"He's really happy that I'm involved [in AFL]."
It was "so good" to have a father with vast AFL knowledge.
"I learnt how to kick from him. And then that kind of got better throughout training, but it all stemmed from him."
Ewington said the Bulldogs were "so excited to see how far they can go, and how far we can improve".
Like her daughter, Nerieda has not featured in an official AFL match. She played a quarter of the Swans trial - her only AFL action other than playing in a fundraiser years ago.
She had initially planned to offer her husband and daughter support from the sidelines, but decided to play because the team initially did not have enough players (that is no longer an issue).
"So I thought I'd just jump in there and help," she said, adding that she would pull on a jersey if the side were short of players.
Mark Ewington believes that his daughter "has improved out of sight".
"I'm very proud," he said.