13 hours ago
Tara Harrington grew up in a golf shop, now she's one of the rising AFLW Suns
Gold Coast draftee Tara Harrington 'grew up in a golf shop', but football is the true love of the fast-rising dual sport athlete.
Harrington, 19, was both the only AFLW player and first-year player among the league's top 50 golfers as she climbed into 24th spot.
This would not surprise anyone familiar with the teenage sporting prodigy – her parents are former professional golfers Peter and Lee Harrington, who run coaching and retail business The Golf School in Carrarra.
'I played competitive golf until I was about 11 or 12, and then moved across to footy,' Harrington said.
'I think originally, my parents wanted me to go into golf, but eventually they were like, 'choose your own path', and I was enjoying football more so I went down that route.
'It's definitely the team environment – golf is a very individual sport, and I'd much rather be
around teammates than be by myself or with a caddie on the golf course.'
When Harrington was selected with pick 47 in the first open national AFLW draft last year, she joined a list well-stocked with Suns she had already trained and played with while coming through the Gold Coast academy.
No. 2 pick Havana Harris, Heidi Talbot, Mia Salisbury and Nyalli Milne were all academy graduates like Harrington who the Suns were able to elevate through the draft.
'I think a lot of people have noticed the shift in energy (at the club), especially with the new coach (Rhyce Shaw) but also with the younger squad,' she said.
'The integration from the academy into the women's program is great – we've all trained with them, so it's given us a lot of confidence we can come in and make the jump.'
Harrington will continue to work twice a week for the family business, coaching some juniors but spending most of her time out on the course assisting people with disabilities.
'I think it's so good having my parents as my bosses. It's very flexible – it allows me to do what I need to do,' she joked.
