Peter Howe
When you think about it for a moment, Sierra Grieves had no choice about her sporting journey.
Her late grandfather Robert Grieves played under-19 and reserves footy for Footscray.
Her father, Neil Grieves played football locally for Kingsville-Yarraville and is a life member of the club having coached and been president.
Sierra’s brother Darcy is currently captain of the club. Her mother Maria is related to former Bulldogs and Williamstown player, Danny Del-Re.
“I tried netball, dancing and competed in little athletics,” Sierra said. “I did gymnastics where I was invited to train for then nationals, but there was nothing like playing footy in the back yard with my brother every day.
“I still remember at the age of five going to training with my brother. My dad was coaching and I was participating in their training sessions. I always had a footy in my hand. I started to play football and basketball for local and representative teams. I would attend footy training, on the same night and then go and train for representative basketball. I played basketball and football for a few years until 2021.
“Then I decided to focus on football only.”
Grieves started playing for the Eagles under-nines boys team as a seven-year-old and trained with her older brother in the under-14s.
She would later cross to playing girls footy in under-12s.
“I loved playing against the boys, it was really challenging.”
In 2018, Grieves received a scholarship to Maribyrnong Sports Academy for football and basketball, while she was scouted by the Western Jets as a 12-year-old.
“I started training with their under-18 team when I was 13,” she said. “The frustration was I couldn’t play with them until I turned 15.
“Two years of elite training certainly prepared me for the under-18 program. I loved the challenges that were continuously thrown at me.”
Grieves always played in higher grades than her age. She strongly believes that playing against bigger, stronger and faster players enhanced her growth as a player.
Grieves remembers two memorable years in footy as she prepares for the this year’s AFLW draft.
The first was 2022.
“Western Jets won the NAB League grand final,” she said. “YSE won the under-18 premiership in the WFL [Western Football League] and Maribyrnong Sports Academy won their grand final.
“Rarely have three teams gelled like these teams. We had each other’s backs.
“Similarly, 2024 had some amazing outcomes. While the Western Jets didn’t have a successful year, I played for the Vic Metro team who won the National Championships after being badly beaten in 2023.”
Grieves was named the player of the national championships this year, while also winning the Vic Metro most valuable player award.
She is also a member of the AFLW National Academy and she won the Jets best and fairest award and was selected in the Coates team of the year for a second straight year.
It doesn’t just happen overnight.
“In 2022 when the Jets won the grand final I played forward and only played midfield when [Charlotte] Baskaran and [Montana] Ham needed a rest,” she said.
“I wasn’t fit enough and I wanted to be better. In the off season, I ran three times a week with my brother, I was in the gym with him getting stronger, I trained with my Uncle Daniel in boxing and I was at Maribyrnong Sports Academy doing everything I could with them.”
In season, Grieves has a gruelling schedule that includes game review, touch sessions and game sense and gym sessions and then another night of personal training that is coordinated with MSA so there is no burnout factor.
Grieves attended the recent draft combine however a sinus infection only allowed her to do the interviews and media.
“I am getting better with my media work and I found all of the club interviews to be fantastic.”
As for life after school, she’s looking to take a gap year and would love to be involved in the fitness industry.
“I am hoping to be drafted, even if it means going interstate,”she said. “I just love the challenge of playing the best game in the world to the best of my ability.”
The Don Deeble Sports Star Award is sponsored by the Yarraville Club Cricket Club, Strathmore Community Bank, the Deer Park Club, Ascot Vale Sports and Trophies and Star Weekly Newspapers.
If you would like to nominate someone or attend the monthly dinner, contact swrsportsclub@gmail.com or sms 0408 556 631.
