From Jade Ellenger's earliest memories of impulsive dives into swimming pools to her balancing act as an AFLW player and health professional, one constant has been the unwavering support of her mother, Julie. She’s more than just a number 1 fan, though – Julie has been a lifelong observer of Jade's all-or-nothing approach to life.
‘All or nothing’ approach to life
“From the moment Jade could move, she’s had two speeds: full on, or she’s asleep.” So says Jade Ellenger’s Mum, Julie, who’s also her number 1 fan. Sharing one of her earliest memories of the family’s move to Australia from the UK when she was very young, Jade remembers running and jumping off a diving board on a visit to Bendigo, before she could even swim.
“I don’t know how old I was, but all I remember was running off the diving board and just yelling,” Jade laughs.
“She just jumped off the diving board in her usual all-or-nothing mode,” confirms Julie. “My husband and I were both in the pool, looked at each other and said, ‘can she swim?!’. We plucked her back out again, round she went again, and jumped straight back in. That’s typical Jade – all or nothing!” Julie smiles.
Julie’s memories of Jade provide insights into her daughter’s energy and competitiveness. “She would never walk, she’d run if she could,” says Julie. “Competitive in everything she did. She wanted to be first, highest, the tallest, the longest in the swimming pool, or the quickest in running, whatever it may be.”
Julie adds that this competitiveness extended to Jade’s academic career, too. “She wanted to have the most in her math test or the red stars on her book when she was little, and have the most books taken home for reading. She was a full-on child who wanted to be involved in everything,” Julie adds.
“That's my fear of missing out – it was FOMO,” says Jade. “Absolutely. And that's not changed at all!”
Athleticism showed early on in basketball achievements
Now 25 years old, Jade’s full-throttle approach to life hasn’t changed one bit. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Paramedic Science, she recently completed her Master of Nursing. This, while balancing her demanding AFLW career with the Brisbane Lions, which saw her debut in Round 6, 2019 against Carlton, where she kicked two goals.
“I’m very proud of her,” says Julie. “The way she's managed to juggle everything, especially with football over the years. The last four years in particular have actually progressed from being what was very part-time to much more of a full-time, five days a week sort of involvement.
“And then she wraps studies around that and also the placement side of things with nursing and paramedics. She did do a lot of placement stuff, which was quite hairy,” she adds.
Unlike other AFLW stars, Jade didn’t grow up watching AFL or supporting a particular team, even though her aunt and her family are strong Western Bulldogs supporters. “AFL wasn’t a thing in the UK, I didn’t understand it,” says Julie. “We knew it was a thing here, but we were very focused on so many other sports before AFL even came into the picture.”
“We didn’t really even watch AFL growing up,” confirms Jade. “I was busy playing basketball and didn’t watch too many sports, besides soccer, to be honest, or the Olympics.”
Before she found AFL, Jade’s natural athleticism shone through basketball in her teenage years, where she made the state championships with Logan City.
A day off school lit the passion for AFL
Jade’s first exposure to AFL came at age 15, when a schoolteacher offered her the day off school to play in a local competition.
“At school, she had a sports teacher who encouraged her when she did every single sport you could do. Mr. Exelby was one of her first encouragers and mentors into sports, saying there's more sport you could do outside of school if you wanted to get involved. He was one of the most instrumental people to get her going,” says Julie.
“Well, to get me playing football, he said I can have the day off school. So, I was like, ‘perfect, this is brilliant. That's it. Of course I'll come,’” Jade laughs.
“We were at an AFL school, which we didn't really get involved in in the early years. It was something that the boys did. I don't think we even realised there were many girls playing at all at that stage.”
“She did a lot of basketball prior to that,” says Julie, “which is really a non-contact sport in essence. Whereas AFL is completely the opposite. But she loved it.”
“I would've been 15,” Jade confirms. “Me and my best friend Tyler got asked to play in the nine-a-side comp. I was tiny. We played with the seniors, and I was like the best part of 50 kilos at this point in time. So, I was like, ‘oh, this is going to be fun.’”
Turning point in Jade’s sporting career
This day off school to play AFL marked a turning point in Jade’s sporting career. It sparked her passion for the sport and prompted her full switch from basketball to football when she was 18. She went on to play for Coorparoo in the Queensland Australian Football League Women's (QAFLW), representing them 14 times in the 2018 season, including the Grand Final.
It was here that Jade experienced the influence of Emma Zielke (Zilks) and Sally Young, a dynamic duo who shaped the women’s programme at the club and encouraged many younger players.
“Sally was my first coach,” explains Jade. “And then, when I went from juniors into seniors, she was the captain – she was the queen of Coorparoo. Every kid looked up to her, and Zilks was the same.”
Brisbane Lions supported sporting and academic success
Jade is also very grateful to the Brisbane Lions for how they’ve supported her while she’s continued with her studies. “I’m really lucky how the club have allowed me to do both,” she says. “They trusted me that I would do the work as well as my study. So it wasn't like I was compromising on both. It was more like I just needed to train at alternative times.
“And the coaches were incredible. I had one-on-one sessions with them; I'd train with them in the morning and then go to the hospital for a shift. They were so great, and the university helped as well in allowing me to do split placement blocks and trying not to do it in finals.”
Julie agrees with Jade: “The club were very good. If you couldn't get to the club to do the gym session, they said, ‘well, you can do it at a local gym to save that extra journey.’”
Moved back home for Mum’s support
Through the intensity of football and her studies, Julie was there to support Jade. “The last two years of studying were probably the most full-on,” says Jade. “Footy went to full-time, and study went to full-time. I wouldn't recommend trying to juggle both with full-time placement hours, but I got it done. That's probably why I ended up moving back home, so Mum could look after me.
“Sometimes I'd come home from a 12-hour shift plus training and Mum and Dad waited up to see me before I go to bed. My eyes are hanging out of my head, and Mum’s asking me 21 questions about my shift and training and everything. I'm just sitting there – I'm like, ‘Mum, please, I need to sleep!’” Jade laughs.
Thinking about what makes Jade a star in her eyes, Julie says it’s her commitment and loyalty to the team that stand out. She says to Jade, “In the early days of your AFL career, after you got drafted, you played two games that year, and then the following year, you didn’t play any games. That was probably the hardest time, watch you commit, try your best, listen to the coaches, do everything they asked of you, and you just didn't make the cut.”
She adds that Jade stayed fully supportive of the team and the loudest cheerer, while in her heart, she was so disappointed she didn’t make the team. “You aspire to be even better at what you do. That's what we love. And I think your teammates love you for it as well.”
Julie says that she and the rest of Jade’s family were “proud as punch” when she first got drafted with the Brisbane Lions. “Because we were so new to the AFL scene, I don't think we really comprehended what that meant,” she adds. “Looking back, we're thinking, wow, how special it was.
“You've had a couple of moments I think on the pitch that as a parent, Mum, number one fan, you've made me cry and goose pimply and stuff. And I think one of those was in the first grand final.
“We won the grand final, and at the end of the game, the siren goes off, and everyone goes absolutely mad. But Jade was on the bench at that time, at the end of the game. So was your captain, who was injured. And rather than Jade tearing onto the pitch with the rest of the team, she says, ‘no, no, no, our captain has to come too’.
“And you took that moment to grab Zilks and half carry her onto the pitch, as she was injured. I remember thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, how good is that?’ I'm so proud as a mother, as a fan. And I think, yeah, that's my girl!” Julie says proudly.
