Corinne Saunders from Wyndham Vale Football Club has won this year’s Victorian Army Challenge Player Award. 71775 Picture: NICOLE SULTANA
By Alesha Capone
YOU could say teenager Corinne Saunders has dedicated her life to football.
The Hoppers Crossing resident not only works in the AFL shop at Werribee Plaza, but she also plays with the Wyndham Vale Football Club Youth Girls team, in the Western Youth Girls Interleague and at a state level.
The talented 18-year-old recently returned from playing for Victoria at the AFL National Youth Girls Championships.
On top of her other achievements, Corinne has just won this year’s Victorian Army Challenge Player Award.
The contest, run by the Australian Defence Force, requires entrants to display on-field courage, initiative and teamwork and accumulate the most points across the season.
“I didn’t even know I was in the running to be in the competition, my club entered me in it,” Corinne said.
“The lady who called to tell me I’d won, from the way she talked, I thought she was a telemarketer so I hung up on her about three times but then she persisted so I answered.”
Corinne said she was “pretty embarrassed” to find out her football club entered her in the awards.
She began playing football after her friend – now a coach at the Wyndham Vale club – started.
“I was playing netball at the time and I wanted a change, so I started playing football,” Corinne said. A talent for football seems to run in Corinne’s family, with
her mother, aunt and father all skilled players. Her dad is former Collingwood player Darren Saunders, who was proud his daughter had won the Victorian Army Challenge Player Award.
Corinne’s prize consists of an ‘Army Weekend’ in Canberra and Wagga Wagga for her and a friend, a medallion and AFL jersey and a formal presentation dinner which includes a meet and greet with North Melbourne legend Glenn Archer.
Corinne, a Kangaroos supporter, said Mr Archer would present her award.
“I never imagined in all my life I’d be able to meet Glenn Archer, so it’s pretty exciting,” she said.
See www.defencejobs.gov.au/armyaward for more information.
