Geelong signing Caitie Tipping says a chance meeting with a staff member from a rival club has led the former Australian volleyball representative down the AFLW path.
The 24-year-old was working at a sports store in Canberra when approached in February by a Hawthorn employee who was interested in whether the 191cm Tipping played sport.
“I just worked on the weekends at Adidas and just happened to help a customer who happened to be part of the Hawthorn Football Club,” Tipping said.
“They were part of the men’s side and not even part of the women’s side.
“But, yeah, the conversation just started from there, and I had like eight weeks to muster up some sort of skills to show them when I was back down in Melbourne to visit my family.”
Tipping, who played in the US college system with South Alabama and professionally in Sweden, is grateful for the interest Hawthorn showed.
However, Geelong won out after Tipping visited with five clubs, signing her to a three-year deal.
“All the clubs, in their own way, were absolutely brilliant; It’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before,” she said.
“There was just something that I connected to at Geelong which made me feel drawn to them, and perhaps it was just the culture and the people, and it was just an easy pick in the end, I think.”
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Tipping says a meeting with coach Dan Lowther and list manager Ben Waller reaffirmed her commitment to Geelong.
“I had my partner with me, and it was probably the funniest conversation I’ve ever had,” she said.
“It felt like I wasn’t talking to a head coach or a list manager; It didn’t make me feel nervous at all.
“So that definitely helps in terms of getting to know everyone pretty easy.
“They had the opening of the new change rooms for the women’s (team), and they said that that was specifically for me… little jokes like that.
“That just made it feel… super comfortable.”
Tipping is on a steep learning curve, having never played a game of Australian Rules football.
She admits that testing her skills, which she developed over an eight-week period under the watchful eye of partner Jayden Sawyer, in front of recruiters was initially daunting.
“Coming into a new sport where I know pretty much nothing and having to learn a skill from scratch, it’s pretty nerve-wracking to then be put under that sort of spotlight and test,” she said.
“But the more I did it, obviously, the more comfortable I got with it.”
At 191cm, Tipping instantly becomes the tallest player on Geelong’s list.
She is 11cm taller than veteran Kate Darby, who shouldered most of Geelong’s ruck load during the 2024 season after the departure of Olivia Fuller, Erin Hoare’s retirement, and a season-ending injury to replacement signing Lilly Pearce.
Tipping seems a logical fit for the ruck role, but she is happy to play anywhere if that means being part of the Cats’ best 21.
“The goal for any athlete is to actually play,” Tipping said. “That’s why we do sport.
“But I have to do all the training before that, so I’m not even thinking about playing yet; (I’m) just thinking about training tomorrow.”
Tipping will wear the No.4 jumper vacated by Sydney-bound former midfielder Darcy Moloney – it’s the same number she wore when representing Australia.
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