Michaela Achilles finds latest passion with Tamworth Kangaroos

The 30-year-old described her journey as "a sabbatical", one which she took after the company for which she worked as a marketing specialist, WeWork, underwent a restructure and her role was made redundant.

"I was like 'Oh well, I have the time now so I might as well not look for another job yet and go to Australia," Achilles said.

"I always wanted to go when I had a bit more time to explore, because I knew I didn't want to come here for just two or three weeks."

Her plans for a six-month traversal of Australia's east coast were thwarted by the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdowns in March of that year.

Instead, after a brief stint as a nanny in Evans Head, she began working on various farms around the Moree region, which she "absolutely loved".

This then opened the door for Achilles to discover her newest passion: Aussie Rules.

"A friend of mine who was also from Europe, she started playing AFL in Moree and told me there was a really fun group of girls," she said.

She began training with the Moree Suns until she "couldn't do it anymore because of farmwork".

But upon relocating to Tamworth in late 2021, Achilles was referred to the Tamworth Kangaroos by her old coach and hasn't looked back since.

"Everyone is just really welcoming and accepting of the different levels that everyone is at," she said.

"Last year's coaches, Shannon [Campbell] and Stu [Goldfinch], were really good at breaking down the basics, and that was really good for all the new girls."

With Goldfinch to take the reins as head coach this season, Achilles is eager to see what the turnout at the club's upcoming Come and Try Day is like this Thursday.

"We're just going to do a little session and then a barbecue," she said.

"We're hoping to get some more people to join and try it ... So far, we're only in the third week of pre-season and the turnout has been really good."

Now into her second year as both a player and a member of the Kangaroos committee, Achilles never foresaw herself becoming so involved in AFL.

In fact, when she first arrived in Australia, she found the sporting landscape intimidating.

"I was a bit overwhelmed by how many different types of sports you guys have," Achilles said.

"In Germany, it's mainly handball, soccer, maybe some people play basketball, and then a lot of running and swimming."

Ever since she was roughly five years old, Achilles has been an ardent runner. She competed until her late teens, when injuries began to pile up, but made a return in her 20s by running marathons and half marathons.

Last year was, however, her first taste of any ball or team-based sport.

And given how much she enjoyed the game, the team, and the club, it certainly won't be her last.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: