Very few people have deeper connections to a football club than Dakota Durrant has to the Gunnedah Bulldogs.
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The 21-year-old is the daughter of Matt, who spent most of his playing years donning the red, blue, and white jersey. So too did her brothers, with whom she grew up playing backyard footy.
And yet, despite her longstanding ties to the club, Durrant is in just her second year of league tag.
"My two best friends have played it ever since they were old enough," she said.
"I was like 'Should I? Shouldn't I?' And I just decided to in 2022 and enjoyed it."
But just as family inspired Durrant to sign up, it was for family that she stepped away in 2023.
The Gunnedah product felt that her three-year-old son, Laikan, was too young for her to commit to training and playing every week.
Once on the sidelines, however, she "got a bit of FOMO [fear of missing out]" and couldn't wait to return this year.
"He's a bit older now, so it's a lot easier," Durrant said.
"The girls are wonderful, they're like family and they've just taken him in. Laikan comes to training just to see the girls."
Once she takes the field though, he is her biggest fan.
"When I run out, I can hear him shouting 'Go Mum!'" she said.
Laikan was once again present and cheering for his mum on Saturday, when Durrant starred for the Bulldogs in their 18-0 victory over the Boggabri Kangaroos at Jubilee Oval.
She scored a try, almost produced another, and made some superb carries which left no doubt in coach Jacqui Jones' mind about who the Players' Player was.
"Dakota, our winger, she scored a try and almost scored again," Jones said.
"Then Boggy made a brilliant kick and Dakota caught it. She's not a super-confident player, but today she played with confidence."
Ever since her return at the start of the year, Durrant feels her self-assurance growing with every game.
This she credits in part to Jones, who she said was an excellent coach and "very patient" with the newer girls in the team. But she also attributed her ever-improving self-belief to her father's stern but loving approach to the game.
"He's not hard on me, but he believes 'Self-praise is no praise'," Durrant said.
"So as quick as he is to tell me I did good, he's also quick to tell me when I did something wrong. It's really good to have him there."
