An obscure challenge and a new club has helped North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos recruit, Moana Hope, rediscover her passion for football.
Having featured in Channel 10’s Survivor, Hope says it was the process of almost being at breaking point that redefined her.
“It was a game changer for me. I wanted to challenge myself, I wanted to put myself into a position I didn’t know I could handle and I did it and I loved it," she told The Mercury.
“It was good to come back and have that reset being out of Melbourne, being away from reality and just catch my thoughts, find myself again and remind myself why I started playing football, because that was something I had lost.
“When I talk about the mental side of the game, where I was mentally and going through a little bit of depression, Survivor breaks you and then it makes you.
“When you play AFL, you get caught up in what you think people want you to do and people telling you how to do things and not doing it, and playing like that rather than just because you love it — refinding that love, which is what I found.”
Coming off a challenging year in the AFLW's second season, Hope said she is as fit as she’s ever been, both mentally and physically.
“The past two seasons I’ve gone in injured and just gone through some stuff I couldn’t control,” Hope said.
“This year I’ve gone to a new club and the club is amazing. It is a player-first club and pre-season has been amazing, it has been the best pre-season I’ve had.
“It is the best I’ve felt physically and mentally heading into any AFL season.
“Absolutely, I don’t think I’ve ever been this ready physically.”
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North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos v Carlton
Sunday, February 3 - 1.05pm
North Hobart Oval
