Sophia Berlyn's earliest memory is of a lip-gloss present on her third birthday.
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While when Genevieve Coote peers back through the mist of time, her earliest memory centres on her nappy being changed on a car bonnet.
Raised in different parts of the country, the two young women came into each other's orbit this year at the Tamworth Swans.
And at No. 1 Oval, after the Swans were beaten by the Saints, the AFL rookies formed an engaging double act as they detailed their lives and revealed elements of their personalities.
Berlyn, 26, returned to her hometown of Tamworth last year after attending the University of Newcastle and then working as an environmental consultant for some three years in Sydney.
She brought back her partner, Redbacks and Pirates signing Devon Hamley, who told the Leader this year that Berlyn took him to Tamworth in 2023 to meet her parents.
"We were like, 'Oh, maybe we should move here [jokingly],'" said Hamley, who lived on a farm outside Durban before his family settled in Queensland when he was aged 13.
Berlyn - a willowy blonde who said her legs were probably her greatest asset (she said she was "fast") - met Hamley through work in Sydney and now works remotely.
He is also an environmental consultant, but is employed by a different company.
"I just wanted to get out of Sydney, really," said Berlyn, a Calrossy alum, adding: "I'd done my time there - decided it was time to move."
Coote, 24, who hails from the Central Coast, also has a relationship story behind her move to Tamworth: she arrived in the city this year to be with her partner, fellow Swan Mitch Small.
The couple met while studying occupational therapy at Charles Sturt University at Port Macquarie, with both of them now working in the profession in Tamworth.
Coote regards her ability to "apologise for everything" as her greatest asset. "It's a strength for me, but not for everyone else," she said.
Berlyn then chimed in, saying Coote "never offends anyone" - and even said "sorry" to opponents she had just tackled.
"She's just lovely," Berlyn said.
Mark Bode
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
