It has been far from a conventional journey, but gun Essendon forward Federica Frew is finally living out her childhood dream of starring at AFLW level.

After struggling to find avenues into women’s football as a youngster in suburban New South Wales, the now-26-year-old Frew took up soccer in her youth, a path that would lead her into a scholarship playing NCAA collegiate sport in America.

Despite her true passion lying with the oval ball, Frew told The Bonnie T & Maddy P Podcast midweek her experience with soccer overseas from 2015-2019 held her sporting career in good stead.

“I went over mostly for the experience. I loved soccer but it was never my passion, my biggest goal with it was to play overseas and going to college was the perfect solution,” Frew said, speaking on The Bonnie T and Maddy P Podcast.

“[American college sport] is kind of like what you see in the movies, they’re just obsessed and it’s awesome. As an international student you don’t know anyone, you can get swallowed up. I’m big on the family vibes and going to a smaller school allowed me to feel a bit more at home, so I really loved it”.

After nearly four years away from Australian soil, it was a recommendation from a friend that managed to sway Frew back into a chance at reaching the highest levels of footy.

With Essendon’s VFLW program hosting trials for list spots in early 2019, and Frew still needing to return to the States to complete her communications degree, her reluctant agreement to try out paid dividends.

“I’ve got to pinch myself all the time about where I am now. I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to go, I thought I’d just be playing local footy for the year and seeing how it went after that,” Frew said.

“I loved it, it was so cool just coming to The Hangar – driving in and seeing the building, getting the tour, you’re like ‘Woah. As if I’m here’? [VFLW coach] Brendan Major called me and said he’d love to have me back, and I guess the rest is history from there”.

After impressing for the Bombers in the back half of 2019, the COVID-affected 2020 saw the VFLW season cancelled in a major halt to Frew’s trajectory.

An injury-riddled 2021 compounded the issue for the emerging star, but her determination never wavered; a rejuvenated Frew dobbed a league-high 35 goals in 2022 en route to her first premiership, the team going undefeated for the season in the process.

“In 2021 I was so stoked to be back after being so upset with footy missing, but unfortunately, I got injured and missed the second half of the year. For 2022 to be my first full year of footy, going undefeated, winning the premiership… I had an amazing year,”
Frew said.

Securing a list position and debuting in Essendon’s inaugural AFLW team just weeks later, it still feels like the best is yet to come for Frew after enduring a difficult two years to get there.

Reflecting on her journey, Frew’s ability to overcome adversity has always been apparent. Even from the moment she was forced as a child to move away from footy, it was clear the game still had a role to play in her future.

“Kicking the ball in the backyard and playing Auskick was the dream. Because girls couldn’t play footy then, that was just the best time ever,” Frew said.

“I was always knew I was gonna do it one day. ‘Obviously, I’ll play in the AFLW even though it doesn’t exist’. I’ve been thinking about little ‘Fede’ a lot lately… she’d be smiling from ear to ear, I reckon”.

You can listen to Federica’s full chat on the podcast here.