Georgia Tibbs on Alice Mitchell's positive impact on her

Tibbs had just starred for the Gunnedah Poochettes in an impressive win over the Tamworth Swans at No. 1 Oval - the type of performance that fuels premiership triumphs.

Her teammates, who presented her with birthday cake, hooted and hollered as she posed for photographs in the middle of the erstwhile ground. Despite their best efforts, they failed to infiltrate the midfielder's composure.

Somewhere else - perhaps in her hometown of Sydney - Alice Mitchell was busy living her exciting life. Tibbs's emergence as a promising AFL player is a direct result of Mitchell's influence.

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For it was the Sydney Swan's arrival at Gunnedah in 2020, in the early days of the pandemic, that ignited her friend's interest in AFL.

At the time, Mitchell was in a relationship with Tibbs's brother, Will. The couple had moved to Gunnedah after losing their jobs in Sydney because of the pandemic, and they lived at the Tibbs family home.

The Gunnedah Bulldogs were the unlikely wellspring of the revival of the 21-year-old's AFLW dream, with the Swans drafting her ahead of the 2022 AFLW season.

She is back living in Sydney. But her lingering impact on Tibbs and the Poochettes, whom she led to premiership glory in their 2020 foundation year, remain in effect.

"She [Mitchell] was always good to me, taking me out on the field and teaching me how to kick and pass and everything," said Tibbs, who recently caught up with Mitchell in Sydney and hopes to see her play when the 2023 AFLW season commences in September.

"When I first started, she was determined to make me play AFL and teach me all the skills," added Tibbs, a second-year player.

While no longer together, Mitchell and Will remained "great mates", said Tibbs, a business support officer at Gunnedah Shire Council. Mitchell "loved" living in Gunnedah, she added.

"But, obviously, because of making the Swans she's moved back [to Sydney]," Tibbs said. "I think she enjoys it, but she definitely misses Gunnedah."

Mitchell is no doubt proud of the progress her mate - a former gymnast - has made as a footballer. Tibbs certainly is.

"I think I've progressed pretty well," she said, "when you consider that at the start of last year I had no idea about any rules about AFL. And I got players' player in the last grand final [2022]. It was a big thing for me."

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