It’s a moment Hawthorn fans will never forget.

In front of over 12,000 fans at Marvel Stadium, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house as 21-year-old forward Sophie Locke kicked the Hawks’ first ever AFLW goal, just two weeks after her mother Sarah passed away following a long battle with breast cancer.

Nearly six months on from the magical moment, Locke still remembers it as if it was yesterday.

“It was absolutely surreal,” she told SEN Breakfast.

“It was a very long day because the game was at 7pm. I had the whole day to think about it.

“We were sitting in the car and Dad’s like anything can happen, if I can just get one kick, I’ll be happy and it just happened that the first kick was a goal.”

The weeks leading up to the game were tough for Locke.

Not only was she preparing for her first AFLW season, she was also driving to and from her hometown of Seymour, all while trying to spend as much time as she could with her Mum.

Despite going through the toughest battle of her life, it was Locke’s Mum who helped her daughter manage her priorities.

“I had a practice match and Mum was just like, it’s okay, just go and play, go to training, go to footy camp and I was always hesitant to stay home,” Locke said.

“I just knew that it was her club, she’s the original Hawthorn supporter and she was the reason I went for Hawthorn growing up.”

When Sarah’s battle ended, Locke did her very best to carry on her Mum’s legacy, as she bravely turned up to Hawthorn’s Burra’s Yama (captain’s run) the day after losing her.

Upon arrival, she was met with a touching gesture ahead of her team’s first practice game.

“I actually went to training the day after Mum passed and the men’s team and the club said that they wanted to wear armbands for my Mum,” Locke said.

“I just thought that is so surreal that the team she supported are going to be supporting her.”

Looking back on the moment she was selected for Round 1, Locke remembered some sound advice from her Dad.

“Leading up to that second training session before Round 1, we hadn’t been told who was playing yet and my Dad said: ‘I’m driving you down because if you don’t get picked, I don’t want you driving alone and if you do get picked, well, similar situation,’” she recalled.

Locke’s story began well before her debut AFLW season though, as she fell in love with the game at a young age.

Although there weren’t many opportunities to progress her career in the sport, Locke never gave up trying.

“I’ve always grown up around footy and in particular, the Seymour footy/netball club,” she said.

“I’d always loved the game but I was always playing netball or tennis, anything but football because there wasn’t really a women’s team unless you played with the junior boys.

“I always kicked with the boys at half-time and I think that’s where I got noticed in Euroa.

“We started up a women’s team and Dad tried to get me to sign up but Mum always said that she didn’t want me getting injured or to play netball because the team’s struggling.’

“But at the end of the season, one of the scouts said to my Dad that you have to get your daughter to play.

“He said: ‘I know she can kick a footy, you don’t need to convince me, you need to convince my wife!’”

Eventually, Sarah came around to the idea and before she knew it, she was Sophie’s number one fan.

In fact, whatever team Locke played in, her teammates always recalled her Mum as being the loudest voice in the stands.

Locke said her Mum’s support helped her get through some tough times.

“She’s my rock, she’s always helped me, especially with my mental game,” she said.

“Dad was always my fitness, Mum was always my mentality.

“When I had late-night trainings where I’d be getting home around 10.30pm, she’d be lying on the couch on the phone, talking to me on the way home, getting me through the nights and the training sessions because she knew that was the reason I was staying at home, because I wanted to be around her as much as possible.

“She was definitely the head of my support crew.”