She's an integral element of one of the most successful sports teams in the region.
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And last Saturday, Breeana Ward and her Gunnedah Poochettes bathed in glory at a sun-drenched No 1 Oval - as spring came early to light up this marauding outfit with a taste for victory like few others.
The side's 36-point win over Inverell in the major semi-final advanced them to the grand final, to be held at the same ground on September 10.
It was their 38th consecutive undefeated match - 37 wins and the one draw, which occurred against the Saints in round 10 at Inverell this season.
Their only defeat in the past three seasons was a 36-point loss to the Swans at Gunnedah in round one in 2020. It was the side's first-ever match.
In the grand final that year, Alice Mitchell - now signed by the Sydney Swans - starred as the Bulldogs beat the Swans.
Gunnedah went 15 matches undefeated the following season, to be crowned minor premiers again, before the competition was aborted ahead of the finals due to COVID.
Ward, 16, is in her first season of football. She has played eight games, chiefly as a half-back, and has been named best on ground three times including for her two-goal effort in the major semi.
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"It was really good. It was pretty intense," she said of her first finals experience.
Ward and her best friend, Amelia Woolaston, had planned to play in the inaugural youth girls competition this year, under Woolaston's father, Bulldogs great John Woolaston, but the comp did not materialise.
The teens are in year 11 at St Mary's College in Gunnedah. Woolaston did not play in the major semi-final, but cheered on her teammates.
When Ward envisages her future, she sees herself working as a primary school teacher somewhere other than her hometown - at least initially.
"I'll go have a look around," she said. "There's always the opportunity to come back here [to Gunnedah]."
Gunnedah coach Jakob Vearing said Ward, "as an underage player, is just so exciting".
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