Little more than 12 months after making history as OVA's first female president, Fiona O'Keefe's sudden decision to step down was announced by the club last week.
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Shortly after being voted in for the second year of her tenure, O'Keefe said she began to reevaluate her position within the committee over the holidays.
"I was reelected and it was just before Christmas where I had a really long think about the next year and what was going to happen," O'Keefe said.
"We're going to have a third baby, and with my study commitments it was just too much."
O'Keefe and her husband, Mitchell, are currently expecting their third child, and she is about to enter the final year of a teaching degree through UNE, all of which she balances with working as a teacher.
Combined with her husband's appointment to the role of regional manager for Northern Inland Football - "I just didn't want to have a conflict of interest" - this made stepping down a sensible option.
But it was by no means an easy choice.
"It was really hard, actually," O'Keefe said.
"It was one that I discussed with Mitchell and he fully backed me. But it was tough, because I really enjoyed it, I really enjoyed getting involved."
It will not, however, be the end of her association with the club, O'Keefe said. She and Mitchell both intend to play again in 2023, and she will "still be around the club and still be involved in the committee".
When she revealed her decision to the OVA committee, they were "a little bit sad but also really understanding", O'Keefe said.
They quickly got together to find a replacement and begin a restructure, which ended with Mick Bridge becoming the new president.
"He is for sure [the right man for the job], and he's got such a great committee behind him," O'Keefe said.
"I think he's got a really strong committee behind him, which will really help in his first year."
While O'Keefe was "pretty sad" to call her time as president to an early close, she and her family are nothing but eager to welcome their latest addition.
This is especially the case for her sons, Nicholas (7) and Harvey (3), who she said were "super-excited" to meet their expected sibling.
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