With her roots stemming firmly within her club and county, Lauren Magee has risen to be one of the top players in the country. Her tenacity and aggression are finely balanced with her skill and talent and came within a whisker of being a part of a historic 5 in a row with her native Dublin. Now, another export to the AFLW with Melbourne, it all began in Kilmacud for her where the Magee is etched within the club's history. This week we went ClubSpotting with Lauren Magee to the famous Purple and Yellow of Kilmacud Crokes.
What are your first memories of your club Kilmacud Crokes, and what makes it special to you?
First memories of Kilmacud Crokes would be going to the nursery every Saturday morning and playing with girls that I either still play with now or am still friends with outside of football.
Crokes has been a big part of my life ever since I was born, with my Nanny being involved in setting up the ladies section to my Grandad making sure the pitches were cut and marked out perfectly and that the Senior lads had beautiful smelling jerseys for each match. My family always had a love and passion for Crokes and I think having such a big family connection to the club makes it very special to me.
Who were your sporting idols growing up?
I would have to say my Dad and Uncle (as soppy as it seems) but I literally grew up going to all of their Dublin and Crokes games and was football mad because of them.
What has been the proudest moment of your playing career?
I would definitely have to say winning the All Ireland final in 2017 and running over to my family after. Just knowing how much the win not only meant to me but to my whole family just made that moment 100 times more special.
Toughest opponent you have faced?
I have definitely had the pleasure of playing against some of the best players in the game but someone who stands out to me over the years is Fiona McHale.
Best player you have played with?
This is definitely a very tough one to answer because I have had the privilege to play alongside the most amazing bunch of players but if I have to pick 1 it would have to be Sinead Aherne. She is an incredible player and leader on the pitch that you’d always be happy to go into battle with.
Any pre-game rituals or superstitions?
I don’t necessarily have any specifics but if at the start of the year I tied my hair a certain way for a match or I had a meal the night or day before I would tend to try to do the same thing for the rest of the year.
How have you found adapting to the AFLW?
I have found some parts very hard to adapt to such as kicking/marking and understanding all the different rules and then other parts of the game like tackling and ground balls easier to grasp. Last year I only arrived a week before the first round of the AFLW 2021 season and it was my first time ever playing AFLW and although I did as well as I could in such a short period of time, I am hoping that with a full pre-season behind me I can give it an even better crack this time around.
What are your hopes and ambitions for 2021?
For the remainder of 2021, I am determined to become a better AFLW player and put myself in a good position for the season starting in January 2022.
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For more information or to arrange a product demonstration for your club, contact us at info@clubspot.app.
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