Grace White has been volunteering at the Ruahine Animal Rescue since it opened in

2024.

So the rescues can be anything from cyclones, natural disasters, to elderly unfortunately that can't look after them anymore, and also for renters, sometimes with landlords they need to change a new one and they can't come in, they come to us and we help them find their forever home.

The animal rescue is funded by donations from the community and entirely run by volunteers who say it's about so much more than just

animals.

I started off being, you know, inability to walk properly and through work here I'm now without a walker.

You know, it just gets better and better.

We see and we meet people from all walks of life as well.

How many of those players have you actually played a lot of footy with before coming up to VFLW level?

Yeah, I think there was about... seven North Hobart girls which is my local club so a lot of us play together so we have a lot of connections so Angelica Clark and then Mackenzie Banks, Maddie Lynn, Gemma Blair, Georgia Nicholas and Matilda Elbourne so we're all from the same local club so we had a few games before the VFLW season started so we know where each other's going to be which works really well and A lot of us are in the forward line, so that makes it a lot easier.

Is that something that you have an eye on or are you just playing your footy and enjoying your footy and you're happy where you are?

Yeah, it'd definitely be something to be striving for.

It'd be a great opportunity, but I think at the moment I'm very focused on just playing my part in this team and being part of this inaugural VFLW team.

And yeah, if that happens, it happens.

It'd be a massive step up and I'd have to keep working really hard to get that opportunity, but I would love it and take it with open arms.

And yeah, but I'm really enjoying this challenge at the moment and want to do my best with this team and yeah, before looking towards anything else.