“Hi, my name is Tara Bohanna, and this is my story.”

Growing up in Melbourne, Bohanna’s love for football blossomed at an early age.

"From the moment I first kicked a footy at five, I was hooked," Bohanna said.

However, as she got older, the transition to playing football as a young girl wasn't as straightforward.

"It wasn't that footy wasn't available, but it wasn't very well known for girls. I played one year with the boys in grade six, but after that, it was like, 'you can't do this anymore.'"

Bohanna’s junior football journey was cut short, so she shifted her attention to basketball, where she excelled until the AFLW competition was introduced, which sparked her interest in pursuing a career in footy.

"When the AFLW got announced, I was super keen to get involved," she shared.

"Having grown up kicking a footy, I thought, ‘I reckon I can give this a crack.’ You always think you're probably good enough."

Despite her enthusiasm, the road to the AFLW was challenging.

"As a kid, I wanted to be an AFL player, but the reality was, there weren’t many options for girls. I went to a rookie day, where anyone from other sports could try out. It was amazing to see girls from all different sports wanting to be part of something that had only been for males."

Her determination was fuelled by this sense of solidarity as she became aware of the amazing potential that football offers women.

Initially, the SUNS Captain faced disappointment when she wasn’t selected during her first attempts.

"A couple of clubs had some rookie picks, but it didn't happen for me. I ended up joining a local team, the Eastern Devils, which opened my eyes to football and the culture they’d been building for years that I didn’t know about."

Her journey then led her to the Southern Saints, at the time an affiliate of St Kilda and VFL outfit Sandringham, in the VFLW where she experienced the challenges of breaking into a male-dominated environment.

"You could feel that they weren't really used to us being in their space, and it took some time to find our feet and advocate for the resources we needed."

The expansion of the AFLW to 14 teams in 2020 felt like a golden opportunity, but once again, she faced heartbreak when she wasn’t selected for St Kilda's inaugural AFLW squad.

"That was a really challenging period. I felt like I had the skills and wanted to be involved in this amazing sport, but I just didn’t get the opportunity."

However, Bohanna’s perseverance paid off.

"In 2021, I had my best season and ended up winning the Best and Fairest for our team.”

That season proved to be the catalyst, opening the door for her to join the Gold Coast SUNS as an injury replacement player under new newly appointed Head Coach Cameron Joyce.

“When I got the call from Joycey, I was still in disbelief. I remember asking, ‘Is this actually happening? Are we really having this conversation?’ The excitement was overwhelming after five or six years of trying and facing rejection.”

Entering her fourth AFLW season, Tara is a model of consistency, having missed just one game while kicking at least eight goals in each of her previous three seasons. The potent goalkicker, who can score from both the air and the ground, is most frequently seen leading out of the goal square. Tara has become a vital member of the SUNS AFLW with 31 AFLW games played, and 36 goals scored.

Her journey even took a new turn in 2022 when she became the fourth AFLW captain of the club.

"That was a shock," she admits. "I had a bit of imposter syndrome after everything I had been through. It’s surreal to go from not getting picked to leading a team."

"Football is great because it brings together people from so many different walks of life, and their experiences make the club what it is."

In addition to her several honours, Bohanna was selected by her teammates as the "best kick for goal with the game on the line" and has twice won the SUNS Goalkicking award. Bohanna’s path is an example of self-belief and resiliency.

"If you want something, keep trying. You just never know where you might end up. I definitely didn’t think I’d be on the Gold Coast, let alone captain of an AFLW club. But here we are.”