2024 Chemist Warehouse AFLW Community Ambassador announced

Lina Freyer from the Batemans Bay Seahawks is the 2024 Chemist Warehouse AFLW Community Ambassador.

Lina has been involved in the club since her son started Auskick almost a decade ago, but her work with the club’s U16 youth girls team has earned her this accolade.

Batemans Bay nominated its first ever U16 girls team in 2023 to play in the AFL Sapphire Coast competition. The team had some willing players, but initially could not muster a full team. Her long association with the club meant Lina was an obvious choice as head recruiter and, eventually, coach.

“I work at a high school so it was easy for me to get the girls to come into a training session to try the game out,” Lina said. “Girls are a bit scared off by what they see of AFL on TV but you have to be real about it and say it’s nothing like what you see on TV. It’s a lot slower and it’s not as tough and rough.

“When they come in for training and have a few games, they fall in love with the game. Once I get a few girls, then it’s one after another. And now we have about 25 girls.

“When I had the team together, they all just said I’m the coach. So I’m the coach.”

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Crazy karaoke in the car

Born and raised in Samoa, Lina acknowledges she continues to learn but alongside her team she is improving. The easy beats in 2023, this season the team was knocking on the door of finals.

But it’s all about community involvement and fun at Batemans Bay. Sometimes matches for her team are more than two hours drive away so Lina will play chauffeur as well as coach to ease the burden on local families.

“Whoever needs a ride, I am happy to do it,” she said. “To get the kids out and to get them active, I am all for it.

“It’s one of the car rides you want to be in. We get into some crazy karaoke. We leave at about 5:30am sometimes but once the sun is up, so are the voices and music. It’s lots of fun.”

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Building a culture

Lina has three children aged 14, 12 and eight who all play for Batemans Bay. Her husband is the club’s juniors coordinator and with her U16 coaching duties, it’s a busy footy house.

However, she doesn’t see herself as anything special, lauding the culture of the club and the people who do whatever it takes to give their kids a good experience. Whether taking on official roles or driving carloads of players to various locations throughout the south coast of NSW and into Canberra (where the seniors play), nothing is ever too hard.

“I think we’re very lucky to have the club that we have and it’s just getting bigger and bigger. The community we have is just awesome,” she said.

Lina Freyer says it’s not only her and her family doing their part for the club and the community, but as the 2024 Chemist Warehouse AFLW Community Ambassador, it’s clear she is going above and beyond to get girls involved in football and make it a fun and rewarding experience.

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Reward for Lina and the Batemans Bay Seahawks

Each Chemist Warehouse AFLW Community Ambassador across the county receives a $1,000 grant from the Women’s Football Fund to donate to the club of their choice and the opportunity to be involved in the 2024 NAB AFLW Finals Series.

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Previous NSW/ACT AFLW Community Ambassadors

– Season Five (2021) – Yvette Andrews (Inner West Magpies)

– Season Six (2022) – Katie Kennedy (Bathurst Giants)

– Season Seven (2022) – Kristie Whittard (Manly Bombers, Manly Warringah Wolves, Sydney Swans Academy) 

– Season Eight (2024) – Nadene McBride, posthumous (Singleton Roosters)

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