Recruit Kate Surman was lost for words when she met one of her idols in her first day at Geelong. And the new Cat is ready to get emotional for the hoops.
Traded in to Geelong from Port Adelaide after last season as the Cats continued to pursue classy forward-half players, Surman is reliving the passion that made her a “massive” fan of the hoops growing up.
Kate Surman celebrates a goal playing for the Suns. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images
On one of her first days inside GMHBA Stadium, she ran into Tom Hawkins and the bubbly Surman was in a rare position of being lost for words.
“Literally in my head I was like ‘please don’t introduce me because I am not ready’,” she said.
Surman played 10 games with the Power after 26 with Gold Coast but she is expecting a whole new emotion when she plays her first game for the Cats.
“It sounds lame, but I will probably cry. I will have a little tear,” she said.
“There is a massive connection to this club, because being a pretty hearty supporter, that heartiness has definitely come back.
“Being a big supporter you are quite attached to the club and now … I have even extra heartiness if that makes sense.”
Surman was relieved on Thursday night as she and her teammates went along to see Geelong defeat Melbourne.
The recruit had been to a few male games since joining the club, but they had all been losses so she thought she was becoming bad luck.
Surman wanted a change of scenery after playing with Port. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images
Surman was caught commuting between Queensland and Adelaide last year and when the Ballarat native decided it was time to return to Victoria, there was only one club on her mind.
“I thought, ‘I wonder if I can go play for Geelong?’,” she said.
“I was lucky that I went to Geelong and I think it is all fate because they are actually missing somebody like me in that forward half, so it is not just that I want to come here but they needed me as well.”
Surman will take over the No.7 jumper next season, with Irish recruits Anna-Rose Kennedy and Aishling Moloney to wear 18 and 45 respectively, while Erin Hoare will return to her old No.46.
Surman should be set to play in round 1 despite breaking her hand while attempting a smother at training recently.
A physio by trade, Surman quickly had surgery and is due to start running again on Monday.