Zoe inspires GIANT win

By Alison Zell

But with GWS Giants defensive line coach Alan McConnell as her stepfather, the Channel 7 star has one of the best teachers in the game.

Speaking at the Giants’ inaugural Ladies Lunch at Doltone House, Tuckwell-Smith said she is quickly developing a love for the game, and a love for the league’s newest team.

“Through Al (McConnell) and hearing his conversations, it just made me interested,” she said.

“I care about my stepdad and I care about what he’s doing so it made me curious and curiosity leads to learning I suppose.”

Tuckwell-Smith admits she initially didn’t know a lot about the sport, but with a partner who is a mad Adelaide Crows fan, she was always going to be converted.

But rather than choose a team in her home town of Melbourne, she’s adopted the Giants and has been inspired by their development as a club.

“I feel like I’ve been on the journey with Al as the boys have been recruited,” she said.

“Just some of the stories of how the boys got involved, their background and where they’ve come from, it’s just so new to them and they’re all babies.

“I don’t feel like I’m jumping on board a team that’s already really well established and so well-known so I feel like it’s all new for them and for me too.”

Tuckwell-Smith names the Giants’ first win against the Gold Coast Suns as the highlight of the season so far but was just as excited when they came close to beating Richmond just a few weeks later.

“I was so excited when they beat the Suns,” she said. “And I got really excited in the game against Richmond when the Giants got really close to actually, potentially winning and I was like, ‘Oh my god, they’re amazing!’

“It must be disheartening to lose every week, no offence to them, but I think that in itself is courageous.

“I mean getting up each week, going to training and then going and getting slammed by some gnarly, rough team who’ve been doing it for years and who you’ve probably idolised growing up, that takes guts.”

The NIDA graduate will be decked out in orange for her first trip to Skoda Stadium, and she is confident this will be the week the Giants secure their second win of the season.

“Port Adelaide are not doing so great this year so I’d love to see the Giants give Port a bit of a nudge.”

When not cheering on the Giants, Tuckwell-Smith has finished filming the second series of ‘Winners and Losers’ which began a few weeks ago on Channel 7 and said both she and her cast-mates have grown since their hugely-popular first season.

“We’re a lot more relaxed,” she said. “I’ve seen a few episodes and we all look like we’ve settled in to it a bit more and we’re not so nervous which is good.

“It’s aired really well so far and people seem to be really glad it’s back on air.”