Where Are They Now – Mandy McSherry

Mandy McSherry grew up loving the Swan Districts Football Club so to now be such a pioneer in the growth of the women’s program at the black-and-whites is going to be one of the great highlights of her life.

McSherry’s legacy with Swan Districts is cemented with the WAFL Women’s fairest and best awarded named in her honour after a career that saw her win it three times before it was even adorned by her name.

She was also the foundation captain of the Swans, a two-time reserves premiership coach and represent Western Australia while playing at the club.

She will rightfully always be recognised as one of the great pioneers in making Swan Districts perhaps the leading light in getting female football up and running in WA, and wherever life has taken her since, she’ll forever have a piece of her heart back at Steel Blue Oval.

Given her lifelong connection to Swan Districts, McSherry got to live out her dreams in so many ways at the club and to have her legacy cemented with the McSherry Medal is a tremendous source of pride.

“I remember sitting on the hill watching the men play as a kid and never for a second did I think I would play for Swans myself let alone have a medal named after me,” McSherry said.

“I’m extremely proud to have this honour and to see the names that have won it just blows me away. I’m always keeping an eye on who may wear the medal at the end of each season, with hope I can present it to the worthy winner.”

Reflecting on time at Swan Districts

There’s a lot for McSherry to be proud of with what she was able to accomplish as a groundbreaking player and coach with Swan Districts, but that’s not what is going to stick out in her mind.

What she will look back on most fondly is that she was there at the start to see the beginnings of what female football is growing into, and more importantly the connections she made with some people she’ll have lifelong bonds with.

“My time at Swans was memorable in so many ways,” McSherry said.

“In the beginning it was about learning to build relationships within the club that was ready to take on the female program and ensure we had some solid foundations to make it work.

“There were many people involved like Nicole Graves, Helen Wheeler, Donna Nowotny, Charlene Hedland, Kristen Teale and Chelsea Stevenson to make this happen, and for Swans to be the first WAFL club to do so, brings an overwhelming sense of pride.”

Captaining and coaching at Swans

As for what McSherry was part of herself, being the first ever Swan Districts captain is an honour that can never be taken away from her and moving into coaching was just a natural fit for her once she did stop playing.

“Captaining Swans for me was an honour that truly bought out my passion for the game. I loved the environment, my team and riding the highs and lows each week with a game that was growing at such quick pace was exciting,” McSherry said.

“I really enjoyed leading Swans on field so for me it seemed like a natural progression to jump into coaching. I had some great coaches at Swans and wanted to take a little from each of them but Nicole Graves is the one I learnt most from.

“My most memorable day with Nic was the 2017 GF day where Swans won three flags (League/Reserves and Rogers).

“Not sure if this will ever be repeated as there is no longer a reserves competition but will go down in history as the first ever club in WA to do so and my favourite day as a coach.”

Growth so far with work to do

If you look at what has grown over the last decade with the AFLW competition on a national stage and with the WAFLW at a state league level. With female football beneath that, it’s come an enormously long way.

There is now a genuine pathway for any young girl to grow up now and play the game with a realistic dream of making a professional career out of that, and while McSherry is glad to see how far female football has come, she knows there’s still plenty to do just yet.

“It sure has come a long way!! I remember playing my first game 26 years ago in a four team competition and to see where the game is today at a national level is amazing. There are moments in that time that will stick with me forever and I will share with you now,” McSherry said.

“I can’t remember the year but Swans had a home game at Bassendean. A very young Chelsea Randall was the last out of the changerooms to run on the field that day and I remember standing just outside the rooms watching and cheering the girls out.

“My memory of her was that of absolute excitement, nerves and anticipation and her talking to herself saying the words ‘Footy Footy Footy’ as she ran down the race.

“That day she was best on ground and took one of her trademark grabs. played on and kicked a memorable goal. To see where Chelsea is today and everything she has achieved not only on field but off field also is something very special.

“Another moment was sitting at IKON Park in 2017 for the first AFLW game Carlton vs Collingwood and watching the place fill up very quickly… at half-time we got word it was a lockout and I had to pinch myself thinking is this actually happening?

“We have come a long way and there is still plenty to do but its clubs like Swans that took the steps back then to get female programs into WAFL clubs.”

What life is like today

Work life has taken McSherry all over to different parts of Western Australia since her time at Swan Districts but she’s stayed involved football as much as she can wherever she’s been.

When she was living in the north of the state that included breaking down new barriers as the inaugural coach at Towns in the West Kimberley along with being a player-coach prior to that with the Cable Beach Greenbacks.

Life has taken her to the south west of WA at present but football will always be a big part of her life even if the time out on the field running around herself is getting rarer and rarer.

“I have spent the last seven years in the Kimberley region and to watch how quickly things there have grown has been amazing,” McSherry said.

“The raw talent that is on show needs to be seen to be believed. I’m looking forward to watching the girls when they travel down for the Country Championships later on in the year.

“I am now living in the little town of Cowaramup in the South West and footy for me these days is watching my two boys play each Saturday.

“I did train with the Busselton Magpies Masters side for a session which was so much fun…. until I tried to walk the next day! I might go back one day but I am currently doing a traineeship offshore which means I’m not home a lot and the chances of injury are much higher.”