It was less than two years ago that Locke played her first game of competitive football.
And as of last week, the Seymour local was named in Vic Country’s initial 29-member squad for the 2019 NAB AFL Women’s Under-18 Championships to be held next month.
‘‘When [the Murray Bushranger] talent manager called me to tell me I’d made it in, I was like ‘wow’, it was very surprising but exciting. I had to keep it quiet until it was announced,’’ Locke said.
Initially from a netball background, the prospect of playing football was first introduced when Locke was scouted kicking a football with a friend in late 2017. The man was soon encouraging Sophie’s father Stuart Locke to get her into the game.
Locke joins three teammates from her representative side Murray Bushrangers in making the Vic Country squad with Teagan Brett, Millie Brown and Olivia Barber also featuring.
The Under-18 Championships, which begins when Vic Country and Metro face off on Saturday, June 22, at Avalon Airport Oval, could see Locke travel to the Gold Coast for three more games against Queensland, Western Australia and the Eastern Allies (NSW/Tasmania) between July 8 and 12.
This year’s Vic Country team will also be coached by AFLW premiership player and current Geelong Cats ruck Aasta O’Connor.
‘‘I’d be so bloody happy to be selected. I feel like I’d probably bring a different view to the game than others. They’ve played from young age, I’m just excited,’’ Locke said.
Joining the Murray Bushrangers last year, Locke played four games in 2018 before being one of six players to line up in all nine rounds this season. She was also named joint vice-captain of the squad.
‘‘It was a great experience, it’s definitely boosted my football skills,’’ Locke said.
‘‘At school it was just kicking, marking and handball, not the game skill or how to best improve.
‘‘And the talks on nutrition and mental health, it’s improved how I think about footy and changed how I prepare for sport.’’
Locke played the majority of the NAB League season in the backline, though she admitted to being initially a little in the dark to the role before her tenure down back.
‘‘In round 2, I was told to go to half back and I asked, ‘how do I play that’,’’ Locke said. ‘‘They said ‘righto, tackle and get the ball away from your opponent’, so I went crazy and just tackled.
‘‘Physically, coming from netball, I love that I don’t have to hold back. It’s ‘go hard or go home’.’’
For Locke, who turned 18 last month, it seems she is equal parts hopeful and pragmatic in her desire to reach the highest level after her recent selections at state level.
‘‘I would love to make it to [AFLW] level. I see more people ahead of me, but it is a wish,’’ she said.
With the championships now on the back-burner until final teams are announced ahead of the June 22 match, Locke will focus her attention to captaining the Seymour Lions youth girls’ team.
It is the Lions’ first year fielding a youth girls’ team, which means this Saturday’s game against Benalla will be Locke’s first time playing in Seymour colours after Bushranger commitments excluded her from earlier rounds.
And it is these games that will prove instrumental in Locke’s continual development this year.
‘‘I just want to play as many games of possible to develop my footy mind. One of the best ways to improve is just more footy experience,’’ Locke said.
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