“It was the saddest week, then it turned into the best week of my life,” Olivia Flanagan says of the days leading up to Hawthorn’s 2018 VFLW premiership win.
Flanagan was close to a heartbreaking end to the season when she injured her hamstring in Round 14 against the NT Thunder in Darwin.
“We came back from Darwin and then I redid it two weeks later at training.
“That meant I had just over a week to get back before the Grand Final, so we had a meeting with everyone and I was in tears because I thought I wasn’t going to play.”
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The Grand Final was on the Sunday and on the Saturday she got the call she’d been hoping for.
“Paddy rang and said he was just gonna put me in and we were just gonna risk it.
“Mum was standing at my bedroom door waiting for me to get off the phone and she was over the moon because I think she was almost more stressed than I was.
“I ended up getting through the whole game and it was the best day ever.”
The 20-year-old came across to football having played basketball locally and for the representative team, Knox Raiders.
“When I was younger I did Auskick, but then I played basketball for about ten years, so I didn’t think about football until high school.”
She played football for her inter-school team and then made the move to local club, Chirnside Park.
Her next step was playing for Eastern Ranges and whilst playing at the Ranges, she got picked to play with Vic Metro, before coming to Hawthorn.
“Paddy had come to one of the Eastern Ranges games and asked me to come down to the Hawks.
“I was only here for two weeks before I got picked to play in Round 1.”
Flanagan then made history, kicking the first goal for Hawthorn women’s side in the VFLW.
This was just the start of what has been an impressive three years at the Hawks for the small forward.
In the last two years, her name has come up as a potential draftee to the AFLW. She is still yet to be drafted, but hopes that 2019 will be the year.
“We thought maybe getting drafted would be a possibility for me in the last couple of years, but it didn’t end up happening so this year, that will be my goal.”
In her third year at the Hawks, she is already proving her strength within the side being named in the best in the last two games.
“I started off a bit slow, but now I’ve started to improve and I hope it stays that way.”
Averaging 15.5 disposals and 5.5 tackles, Flanagan has been explosive around stoppages and is a hard attack at the footy.
Not only is Flanagan memorable for her talent on the field, but her attitude to the game off the field is quite like any other.
She has a demeanour that is refreshing, almost always laughing or smiling, she is humble about her achievements and doesn’t overthink or worry about the little things.
“I don't stress about football, I have a laugh, then play the game, come off and have another laugh.
“I just enjoy the game and love being with my friends.”
When asked what her reason was to have stayed at the Hawks for the three years, her answer was simple.
“I love the people, I love Paddy and even though the people have changed quite a bit over the three years, I still love every bit of it.”
Flanagan and the Hawks will be coming back from their week off on Saturday to face Essendon at Windy Hill at 11:30am.
