ISSY IS A BULLDOG
WRFL junior Isabella Grant is poised to follow in her father’s footsteps and pull on the Western Bulldogs jumper.
The Bulldogs today announced the Spotswood young gun will join the club as a father-daughter selection in the upcoming 2019 NAB AFLW Draft.
The draft number used to select Grant will be confirmed at the Draft, when she is formally selected.
Grant said she was thrilled when Bulldogs’ list manager Mick Sandry broke the news to her.
“It was crazy, I did not know how to react,” she told the Western Bulldogs website.
“Mick (Sandry) gave me a call, and I was just sitting there doing my homework.
“He rang up… (and said) I’d just like to inform you that you’re officially a Bulldog. I was just like, ‘oh my god’.
“It had been a long build up – I got to train with them a few times with the academy and then finding out that I could actually be a part of that culture and that team, it was amazing.”
Grant began playing with Spotswood in 2016 in the then combined WRFL/EDFL Under 15 Girls combination.
In her four years with the Wolves, she has played in four grand finals, winning three premierships, including back-to-back Werribee Football Club Under 18 Girls titles and has won a league Best and Fairest medal.
Grant has also played for the Western Jets and represented Vic Metro at the NAB AFLW Under 18 Championships for the past two years.
It was there she earned a reputation as a player who has strong marking ability and good forward craft.
Chris, who has coached Issy for the past four years at Spotswood, played 341 games for the Bulldogs, said it was a proud moment for his family.
“I’ve enjoyed it as much as I’m sure Issy has, because it’s a great opportunity to have your children play the game that you love,” Chris told the Western Bulldogs.
“The last four years have been a steep learning curve for her, but she’s absolutely loved it, and whilst there is still a lot of work in front of her in regard to her football development, both Mel and I couldn’t be more proud of the way she has combined her football with all other aspects of her life.”
