Since first finding her place on the paddock back in 2018, Alicia Earsman felt she could achieve just about anything in life with footy in her corner.
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A cross-code gun from Canowindra, Earsman's been involved in rugby league, rugby union and league tag respectively.
Selected for her third campaign with the Western Rams, she found herself reflecting on how tackle footy has shaped her as the countdown to the NSW Women's Country Championships begins.
"Chicks who play footy are just different, they're awesome and they've got different mindsets when it comes to having your back," Earsman said.
"It doesn't really matter how long or little you've known a person for, everyone's just so welcoming and open to helping each other out."
A self-described tomboy from the get-go, the 26 year old said her days growing up with two older brothers were filled with all kinds of full-contact shenanigans.
Kids who were "always outside" either playing, fishing or camping, Earsman got a kick out of crashing and bashing around with her siblings playing backyard footy.
For times outside of the above, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) re-enactments would take over from there.
Chicks who play footy are just different, they're awesome.
- Women's footy player and physiotherapist in the Central West, Alicia Earsman.
"I always wanted to play proper footy like my brothers did, but mum wouldn't let me," she said.
"She said I could play netball, soccer or hockey, so I played netball, but when I was older and had my first game with Woodbridge in 2018, I thought 'this is my game'.
"I was absolutely s--tting myself and terrible for the first few rounds, but I think from that second season onwards, I really found myself."
Which she did, in more ways than one.
Earsman discovered a place of courage within which she hadn't tapped into before, to a point this gusto even helped her conquer the Kokoda trail in 2023.
She'd found an internal spot of faith in believing she could achieve great things.
"For me, playing footy gives me this overwhelming sense of confidence and not just on the field, but confidence in my own abilities throughout life off the field and in general," she said.
"I know I'll be able to handle a tough situation and that I can do really hard things outside of footy, too.
"It is so empowering."
Playing footy gives me this overwhelming sense of confidence, and not just on the field.
- Alicia Earsman on how women's football has shaped her as a person.
Which is why her heart sank taking a year off recently, but it was a well-needed break after travelling to and from Sydney each weekend to play league with the Glebe Dirty Reds club.
After a "mid life crisis" feeling set in, Earsman channelled any of her leftover energy back into rest and self-care.
"I didn't like footy at all there for a period and after the big Sydney trips and so much pressure and focus on the performance side of things, it just wasn't fun anymore," she said.
"It was really sad, but I still wanted to do something really challenging and I always need something to train for, which was when I put my hand up for Kokoda.
"It was honestly a life-changing point in my life and with work being pretty stressful at the time as well, going to [Papua New Guinea] just made me realise that you really can't sweat the small things."
Earsman returned to both the footy and work world feeling refreshed after the downtime.
Going to [Papua New Guinea] just made me realise that you really can't sweat the small things.
- Alicia Earsman on trekking the Kokoda Trail during her off-season from footy.
Going full steam ahead, she got back to feeling passionate about country-based health care as a rural generalist physiotherapist.
How she views the world in her career is also something she links back to her love of footy and what it's given her.
"It's that community aspect and how you feel connected within those tight-knit communities, with people from your hometown who care about you," she said.
"Living in a small town and being part of a solid footy club have similar feelings, and people who've never experienced it wouldn't even know it exists.
"Still to this day, my favourite thing since playing footy is that it's about the people you meet along the way."
After completing her physiotherapy studies at Orange's Charles Sturt University, she went on to work with Cowra Health Service for the past two years.
But Earsman will soon return to her hometown Canowindra for a new job opportunity, saying she's pumped to rejoin the Canowindra Tigers ranks for the upcoming league tag season.
While she'll play in the forwards for Rams this year, the lock-loving league lady will slot in at fly-half elsewhere in the coming months.
Her second crack at rugby union for another season with the Cowra Eagles, Earsman looks forward to donning the number 10 jersey for 2024.