AFLW Player #11: Alana Barba - Will not be offered an AFLW contract for 2024 - 14/12

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Contract Status: Out of contract 2022
My Girl Draft 2022

 

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Alana Barba (left) with Courtney Ugle.

New article interviewing Alana Barba. She's only 19, and wants to be an AFLW Bomber

“The culture is probably the best that I’ve ever been a part of. You can just tell how much the girls care and have so much support and love for each other,” Barba said.

“We all admire each other so much and I think the balance of connection, work-life and friendship is really there.”

“I think you can tell how well we jelled and that showed through our football that we had a connection off the field,” she said.

“We are really trying to back ourselves and take the game on and just support each other on and off the field because if you haven’t got the off-field connection, then you’re not going to have it on the field.”

One teammate who contributed to the welcoming and nourishing environment was Courtney Ugle, with the vice-captain setting an example for her fellow teammates.

“I think ‘Ugez’ (Courtney Ugle) has that whole team connection and you can really see the way all the girls look up to her, especially me. I admire her so much,” Barba said.

“She’s such a great leader and she’s always including people and everyone always feels a part of the team when she’s around. I think that’s really important to have in a leader, just to make you feel welcomed and to make you feel at home.”

Over the recent lockdown, Barba and Ugle trained together to ensure they were ready to go when the competition resumed.

“I trained with Courtney and having her by my side through that, for both of us, was a bit of motivation just to get out of bed and actually go out into the cold weather and train,” Barba said.

“I think that really helped us going back into training and if I hadn’t have done that, I probably would have come back a bit sluggish and not performed great.”

Despite the recent month-long pause in the VFLW season, Barba said the break allowed the team to reset and recharge ahead of their final two games of the home and away season.

“We had a good refresher and we had a recap on our season so far. I think it will be really good that we’ve come off a bit of a break, mentally as well, just so everyone can get their head back into the game,” she said.

“But I think on the back end of the season, we just need to push ourselves a little bit harder and show the competition that we are ready to make finals and that we’re more than capable of doing so.”

“In terms of myself, obviously getting drafted would be a dream, but at the moment I’m pretty content. I just love this club so much and the girls,” she said.

“My dream was to play AFLW, but my dream now is to play AFLW for the Bombers. If the opportunity does come along, then I just have to grab it with both hands and prove that I’m capable of being there.”

Bomber bond: Barba's love for Essendon grows

Young star Alana Barba says a strong culture is allowing her and her VFLW teammates to thrive this season.

www.essendonfc.com.au

 

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Barba earns AFLW chance with Suns

By Celie Hay - 7 hrs ago

Star midfielder Alana Barba becomes the seventh Bomber to join an AFLW list ahead of next season.

Another Essendon VFLW star will join the AFLW with Alana Barba today signing with the Gold Coast Suns.

Following the success of July's draft, Barba is the seventh player to go through the Bombers’ women’s football program and on to an AFLW list.

Barba first joined the Bombers for four games in 2019 as a top-age player from Calder Cannons and signed with the club ahead of the 2020 season.

Due to COVID-19, she had to wait an extra year for a full season in the red and black but quickly solidified her spot in the Bombers’ midfield and impressed the Suns’ coaching staff.

For Barba, it feels surreal that she has made her way on to an AFLW list and was in shock when she received the call from Gold Coast head coach Cameron Joyce.

“It hasn't really set in yet. I think once I know it's really official and I get up there that's when it will probably sink in a bit more but it’s pretty surreal at the moment,” Barba said.

“I received a call from Cam and he basically just said that there’s a position available and that it was mine to fill so when I found I was kind of shaky and it was all a bit of a blur in the moment.”

It was Barba’s work ethic through the midfield and her determination at contests that stood out to the Suns.

Alana Barba celebrates a goal with Nat MacDonald this season. (Photo: AFL Photos)

Barba was a key part of the Bombers’ engine room this season with the 19-year-old averaging 16.4 disposals and 7.5 tackles per game.

Showing her versatility, Barba was also dangerous up forward where she scored 10 goals, including Essendon’s first major in the elimination final against Casey which sparked the Bombers’ come-from-behind victory.

“They liked that I was a hard ball-winner in the middle and that I cover the ground very well,” Barba said.

“But what stood out to me was the way they went about things. They were very honest with me from the get-go and they had a very warm feeling about them. I felt pretty comfortable instantly with them."

Although Barba believes her time at VFLW level has prepared her for the physical side of AFLW, it was the Bombers’ women’s program that has equipped her for the move to the top level.

“Coming up against the bigger bodies in the VFLW has definitely helped me prepare a little bit more,” she said.

“But just the elite environment that Essendon has provided for me has really set me up for when I do move to AFLW level.”

A key part of the Bombers’ program is head coach Brendan Major, who saw potential in Barba from when she was at Calder Cannons and instilled belief in the midfielder that she could perform at AFLW level.

“Brendan Major, he is the one coach throughout my whole football journey who has really wholeheartedly supported me and believed in me to go the next level,” Barba said.

“He took a chance on me when signing me as a VFLW player and I’m very grateful for him doing that because he is one of the only coaches who have believed that I could play at AFLW level.”

Alana Barba says she owes a lot to Essendon's VFLW head coach Brendan Major. (Photo: AFL Photos)

As Barba prepares to take the next step into the AFLW, she is embracing the opportunity to develop as a player and a person when she moves up north from her home state of Victoria.

“It's just a new experience and chance to up my game at the next level. When you’re playing against quality players, you’re only going to improve for the better so that’s what I’m excited about," she said.

“I think a new experience for me will be good. I’ll grow as a person and a player and I think that’s exactly what I need, a bit of a change.”

When Barba moves to the Sunshine State, she will be greeted by a familiar face at the Suns.

Fellow Bomber and reigning Gold Coast club champion Lauren Ahrens joined the Suns two years ago and played a role in Barba's decision to sign with the Suns.

“She definitely has had her input to try and persuade me but she is a great person and I’m excited to be teammates and run out with her again,” Barba said.

“Having Lauren at the Suns definitely eases my nerves a bit. It’s always nice to have a familiar face when you go into a new environment, let alone moving interstate, so I’m grateful I know at least one person.”

When Barba runs out as a Sun in the next AFLW season, there will be some familiar faces lining up against her, something she believes will feel strange to begin with but is looking forward to the challenge.

“Definitely Georgie Prespakis and Zali (Friswell), they were both drafted to Geelong so they will be tough to come up against," she said.

“But also Georgia Patrikios from St Kilda, she’s one of my best friends so I think there will be a bit of banter on the field with her.”

Barba joins Georgie Prespakis, Zali Friswell, Emelia Yassir, Tara Slender, Elizabeth Snell and Tahlia Gillard as VFLW Bombers drafted to the AFLW this year.

Barba earns AFLW chance with Suns

Star midfielder Alana Barba becomes the seventh Bomber to join an AFLW list ahead of next season.

www.essendonfc.com.au

Congrats to Alana, so exciting! But at this rate we won't have any good ones left.

 

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3rd in the BnF:


And to round out her Essendon career, the most valuable young player award!

 

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Playing for our VFLW team today

Does she come back

 

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Oooh and she played last week too according to the write up (I missed last week's game )

Must be back on the list!

 

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Delisted by Gold Coast. I think they basically had to anyway as she was an injury replacement rookie or something, but it could also indicate that she might be able to join our AFLW team instead.

GOLD Coast has made a further two changes to its list, delisting Dee Heslop and Alana Barba.

Midfielder/defender Heslop is an inaugural Sun, playing 23 of a possible 26 games over her three seasons at the club.

Victorian Barba earned her opportunity as a top-up player this season, the midfielder playing two games for the Suns after plying her trade with Essendon’s VFLW team.

The Suns came into the season with four top-up players, so needed to make changes in order to get its numbers from 34 to a maximum of 27 before the draft.

They have also lost five players to Port Adelaide and two to Hawthorn, while Jade Pregelj will be unavailable for Season Seven due to a torn ACL.

AFLW Latest News - AFL.com.au/aflw

Latest breaking AFLW news from the official website of the Australian Football League.

www.womens.afl

 

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I hereby declare this thread the Barbashop.

 

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Another interview that was done last week and hasn’t yet made it onto the club’s “dons on radio” podcast:



Just a getting to know you kind of thing but it’s interesting to hear her talk about the VFLW program and how that culture that they built there has translated into the AFLW.

Also talks a bit about her time on the Gold Coast when she went up there as an injury replacement player, and how coming back to the Bombers where she has otherwise been for four years now feels like home.

Even though she’s a young one she got pushed out of footy for a few years and then came back to it when she was 15, which is kind of interesting — means that most of her serious footy has been at Essendon.

 

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Trying to imagine J-Lo or Jennifer Aniston trying to play professional footy and I just

 

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Was wondering where Barbie girl got to... a wretched syndesmosis injury.

Listed as 6-7 weeks away, so must've only just done it. Sadness.

AFLW injury news: Bannister's season over

Forward Daria Bannister to miss season.

www.essendonfc.com.au

 

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Delisted

 

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Another one to hope hangs around the club. Featured a bit on the social media, seems like a character and the kind of person that's good for club culture.