Shannon Campbell's AFL odyssey has taken her from footy novice in a new team to a premiership-winning senior member of a new team.
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That occurred over four years, her move from the Kangaroos - a side she helped form in 2017 - to the Bulldogs this year the result of a stint with Gunnedah's nines side, COVID and a welcoming text.
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When the pandemic resulted the Kangaroos women folding due to a lack of numbers, Campbell received a text message from Bulldogs men's coach Doug Meagher.
She had met him when her and Roos teammate Erin Skewes played in Gunnedah's mixed-sexes nines side in the off-season.
"And as soon as the post went up saying the Roos didn't have a team, he messaged us straight away, saying you're more than welcome to come over and be a part of our club," she said.
"We didn't get that from anyone else ... it was nice to be welcomed into the club, to be told that we are welcome there."
Skewes joined Campbell at the Bulldogs, who are in the midst of a dream debut season.
On Saturday at No 1 Oval, the ladder-leading side stretched their winning sequence to five matches, with a 6.5 (41) to 5.2 (32) defeat of the second-placed Swans.
The Bulldogs avenged an opening round loss to the Swans - their only defeat.
Skewes was named Gunnedah's second-best player behind Christie Chapman.
Campbell and Skewes would be faced with a potential dilemma if the Roos women reform next year. Campbell - the Roos captain for their entire existence - said such a scenario would be "tough".
Bulldogs co-coach Sam Proudfoot said Campbell's absorption of the club's culture had been "exceptional". One the field, she exhibited "great hands", had a "great voice" and was "tactically excellent", he said.
