EMERGING midfield star Kaitlyn Ashmore is one of the first AFL Women’s footballers to secure a player endorsement deal.
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Ballarat’s Ashmore and high-profile Collingwood forward Moana Hope have this week signed as ambassadors for Gameday Mouthguards. This comes less than a fortnight after the AFL and AFL Players Association reached a agreement, after months of negotiation, to lift the league’s initial pay for the first two AFLW season.
Ashmore was secured by Brisbane Lions as a priority pick, which under the new pay deal offers a minimum wage of $12,000 for the inaugural season, plus a range of extras for all players including travel, gear and insurance.
Like most AFLW players, Ashmore has been rapt at the chance to play in an AFL-endorsed league, let alone be paid to play – or individual endorsements.
“It’s really cool to think about, even just doing (Gameday) with Mo, who is also such a close friend,” Ashmore said. “To see how fast the women’s game is growing is incredible.”
Ashmore played school football with Mount Clear College and joined the now-defunct North Ballarat Eagles senior women’s team for fun before transferring to premier league action with Melbourne University. She played for Melbourne Demons in the first AFL-sanctioned women’s match in 2013 before being re-drafted to Western Bulldogs.
Her growing profile in the game has allowed Ashmore a chance to encourage girls across the Ballarat region to get involved in play. Ashmore hoped, as a mouthguard product ambassador, to greater promote health and safety aspects for girls and women in football.
“This product is an affordable way to do it, and hopefully some more girls in our team will also start wearing mouthguards more too,” Ashmore said.
Gameday makes custom-fit mouthguard kits for people to fit at home, without the need to go to a dentist.
Ashmore relocated to Brisbane with teammate and fellow Ballarat export Nicole Hildebrand two weeks ago to acclimatise to warmer training conditions. The Lions officially started team training on Monday night, alongside the AFL squad.
AFLW players have nine contact hours per week with the club in an eight-week pre-season. The Lions unveiled this week Ashmore will wear the number 10.
