Kaitlyn Ashmore has described her disappointment at the announcement of her departure from the Brisbane Lions, but thanked the club for giving her a start in the AFLW.
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Ashmore has recently signed with the league’s new expansion club North Melbourne, where she will play in season 2019.
The 26-year-old said she was driving home to Ballarat to tell family about her move when she discovered the Lions had released the news, even though the transfer hadn’t been formalised.
“I think it was pretty disappointing that they did release it before I even had time to get home. I think that was what upset me the most. I gave them two seasons and everything I had and then they did that. It was just kind of out of spite,” Ashmore said.
“It's gone down now and everything is good, but just that little bit was a little bit hard to take in.”
Ashmore said she loved her time at the Brisbane Lions, which included two losing grand final appearances.
“I gave it everything for the two seasons. I moved my life up there every six months and then back again every six months. It wasn’t an easy thing for me,” Ashmore told The Courier.
Ashmore said the lure of being close to family in Ballarat and being able to play with Melbourne University’s affiliate in the AFLW were motivations behind the move from Brisbane. Ashmore is a player at Melbourne University, which competes in the VFLW.
Ashmore said it was a hard decision to leave Brisbane.
“It has been a couple of weeks now and I have actually had people congratulate me, which makes me feel even better about it,” Ashmore said.
Ashmore has been lured to the Kangaroos alongside a number of her Brisbane teammates and said she plans to play out her career at the elite level with the club.
North Melbourne’s AFLW list manager Rhys Harwood told the club’s website that Ashmore was an exciting player who would have a big impact on the side.
