Gabby Collingwood is a 13 year old who has been selected to play for the Under 17 Brisbane Flames at the Under 17 Youth Girls State Championships starting this Friday 26 October through to Sunday 28 October in Cairns. Gabby…
Gabby Collingwood is a 13 year old who has been selected to play for the Under 17 Brisbane Flames at the Under 17 Youth Girls State Championships starting this Friday 26 October through to Sunday 28 October in Cairns. Gabby was a member of the Sunfire Academy last year with AFL Qld and also came fourth in the Best & Fairest of the Under 12 Division 1 vote count for 2012.
Gabby was diagnosed 4 years ago with a brain tumour and has made an amazing recovery from this setback to be selected at such a young age for the Brisbane team. Read on for an insight into this remarkable teenager….
INTERVIEW WITH GABBY COLLINGWOOD
How and where did you first start playing football?
I started playing football in May last year.(I had to wait for clearance from the neurosurgeon). My first Club was the Forest Lake Dragons.
What club are you currently with?
I played with the Jindalee Jags boys under 12’s div 1. this year.
What do you like about football?
I like being part of a team and having fun. Also you get to meet new friends. I also like beating the boys.
What AFL team do you support and why?
Brisbane Lions. I like to support my home town team. Also Hawthorne is good. Strangely I don’t follow Collingwood that much.
Who is your favourite player?
Jonathan Brown. He came and visited me and my family about a week before my operation. It was great, we talked about football and he signed some footballs and hats. I also like Daniel Rich and Buddy Franklin, and Gav Grose from Mt Gravatt.
When did you first realise you had a brain tumour?
Just after I turned 9. I was just about to go to my cousin’s house for a swim when I collapsed on the floor and had a seizure. I was taken to the hospital by ambulance and they done some tests and a MRI. Mum, Dad and I were told I had a brain tumour about the size of a egg on the front right side of my brain. I was operated on a few weeks later. I lost half my hair from the operation. The tumour was called DNET and was Grade 1.
Can you talk us through the treatment and recovery process?
I was in hospital for about a week and had about a month off school. I was lucky I didn’t need any other treatment just anti seizure medication (I stopped taking it about 2 years ago). I have to have a MRI and see the neurosurgeon every 6 months. Unfortunately about 18 months ago they said there is still a little bit of tumour still there, so I will have to have a second operation at some time.
Has this changed your attitude towards life, school, family, sport?
Not really, I was a bit too young to fully understand what was going on
You are the youngest player in the Brisbane team. What are your expectations for the trip?
To have fun, make new friends, play football and hopefully make the Queensland side.
Do you have any role models in Under 18 or Women’s Football & why?
I like Katie Brennan. I also look up to the girls in the Flames side who have played for the Queensland side. I hope to learn from their experiences.
What are your sporting aspirations?
Hopefully one day play for the womens Queensland side. (the Sunfire)
The Brisbane Flames will be taking on QANTASLINK Crusaders (Cape York), Civil Unlimited Southern Stars (Darling Downs, Gold Coast & Northern Rivers), Central Coast Cobras (Mackay, Capricornia & Wide Bay), Suncoast Storm (Sunshine Coast and Brisbane North) and North Qld Lions (Cairns & Townsville) in a round robin format this weekend.
To follow results follow Girls & Women’s Footy on twitter @aflqfemalefooty or on the female footy facebook page.
