FOR someone who "wasn't a massive AFL girl" when she first laced up her boots for an AFL Central West game, Tori Whitla has certainly grown into one passionate Bathurst Lady Bushranger.
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She was there when the Lady Bushrangers won the inaugural women's premiership in 2015 and on Saturday Whitla notched up her 50th game for the club.
While she wasn't able to mark the occasion with a win - the Bathurst Giants posting a 10-9-69 to 4-2-26 victory - Whitla did kick a major in her second game back from injury this season.
She also still relished the chance to wear Bushrangers colours.
"It took me awhile, but I got there in the end. They're such a great club to play for, so it was really good to finally join the 50 club with a couple of other original girls," she said.
"We didn't win, but we still got around each other after ... it was really good to share it with all the boys too. I love the club culture, it's one thing we really pride ourselves on because we all get along and feel really supported by everyone."
Whitla played on the wing for game 50, laughing "I don't think I've ever run so far in my entire life", while she is also co-coach of the current crop of Lady Bushrangers alongside Kelsey Richards.
A leadership role is nothing new to Whitla, as she captained the Lady Bushrangers to their third consecutive premiership in 2017.
That moment ranks as her highlight, but she's been just as proud to see the way the women's league has grown in popularity since it was first established.
"I got into it because a couple of my friends were playing and they convinced me to come and have a kick around. I was like 'Righto, I'll give it a crack' and here we are 50 games later," she said.
"It was pretty good to get those three [premierships] in together, but the one I captained was my favourite.
"I'm so excited it has developed like it has, I wasn't sure how it would go and I wasn't a massive AFL girl to start with, but it was awesome to see it take off.
"Even getting two teams in Bathurst, it's pretty unreal when you know other places in New South Wales that are more established in AFL don't have that."
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