Training is just one of many responsibilities of an AFLW player. Image: Jordan Bianchini.

EVER wondered what a week in the life of an AFLW footballer looks like?

It’s a constant juggling act between training, work, travel, media, recovery and spending time with family and friends. Port Adelaide defender and dental assistant, Cheyenne Hammond, shares the details from her week in Round 5.

Monday 19 September

Mondays are usually pretty laidback for me. I have Mondays off from work so that usually means I catch up on washing and other household chores from the previous week and then do my meal prep for the week to come. This morning, I got a nice sleep-in, which is quite rare for me these days. I went to the shops to do my weekly food shopping, then cooked my meals and had a cheeky nap. I then put my recovery boots on (Normatecs) and went for a walk with a friend. I then drove to the club to complete gym. After gym, we had a signing day for all players, so I had to sign a couple of hundred guernseys and footballs for donations, giveaways, club partners and auction items. I live in McLaren Vale so I then do the hour drive back home and eat some dinner, have a shower and then go to bed ready for a big day tomorrow.

Gym is an integral part of an AFLW players' routine. Image: Jess Green.

Tuesday 20 September

Tuesdays are usually really big days for me, probably one of my busiest days actually. I start the day off by waking up at 6am, have some brekky, get dressed and ready for work, then leave for work at about 6:50am. I then drive to Victor Harbor as that’s where I work. I get there at about 7:35am, which is when I sign in and start setting up. I work in a dental surgery so I set up all my dentist and hygienist rooms for them so they are all ready to go. My first patient is at 9am. Tuesdays I work short days and finish at 2pm as I have training. I get to the club roughly around 3:30pm, so it takes me one-and-a-half hours to drive from work to training. I pack lots of snacks and water for the road trip as it helps me get the right food intake I need but also helps me stay awake. Once I get to the club, I usually have a quick 20-minute nap in my car and then I head into the club and get ready for training.

Cheyenne gets to work at training. Image: Brooke Bowering.

Today I had to do some media for the club at 3:30pm so I didn’t get my usual nap! I had to do a photo for The Advertiser with the other four former Gold Coast players as we are playing Gold Coast this weekend. After that, I had a meeting at 4pm with my IDP coach, Clayton Lamb, and watched some vision from the game on the weekend. And then I started getting ready for training. I strap my ankle and then foam roll for five or 10 minutes. I then head outside and do some kicking and skills before training starts. We have a quick team meeting before training and then we head out on the track together.

After training tonight, I used the ice bath and then I usually shower at the club as it’s easier for me than doing it once I get home. I then eat some dinner at the club and then make the hour trip back home. I usually leave the club around 8pm-ish and get home around about 9-9:30pm. Once I get home, I put my dirty clothes in the wash and then go straight to bed!

Cheyenne hits the track for an evening training session. Image: Jordan Bianchini.

Wednesday 21 September

Wednesdays are a bit more relaxed for me. I work a full day which usually goes from 7:45am to 5:15pm. I then get the option to do gym locally, so after work I head straight to do my gym program and then use to the sauna for 40 minutes for recovery. After gym, I head home and have some dinner and then head to my partner’s house for the night.

Thursday 22 September

On Thursdays, I usually have work and training but as it was the public holiday for the Queen’s passing, I had work and training off. So, I went for a nice walk and spent the day with my partner Mitch. We don’t usually get a lot of time together so it was nice to spend the day together.

With football and work it’s sometimes hard to prioritise things. I see Mitch two or three times a week as we don’t live together yet. We are both at our respective parents’ houses saving to buy our own home. The weekends when we travel to play, I see him once a week, which is usually the night I get home from the game.

Cheyenne with partner, Mitch. Image: Instagram/@cheyenne.hammo

Friday 23 September

On Fridays I have work off, which makes life easier especially when you are travelling that weekend. It gives me a day to pack my suitcase and do my washing ready to head off.

To start the day off I got to have a bit of a sleep-in, and then headed out to brunch with Gemma Houghton. After brunch, I headed back home to pack for the weekend. I then started to get ready for training. I leave my house around 2:45pm to get to training at 3:45pm. We had some line meetings to prepare for the game. I do my usual pre-training prep and then head out on the track for a big night of training. After training finished, I hopped in the ice bath for five minutes. We eat at the club Friday nights but I try not to stay for too long as I have to be up early to leave for the airport tomorrow morning. I drove home listening to some tunes and headed straight to bed.

Cheyenne and Gemma Houghton with teammates at the beach, accompanied by some furry friends. Image: Instagram/@cheyenne.hammo

Saturday 24 September

Travel day! So much fun! It’s usually a bit of a big day, travel day, but I always get excited. Gemma and I usually car pool when we have to head to the airport. I woke up at 7:15am and got my suitcase and football bag sorted, making sure I have my player accreditation and boots. I had some brekky and then prepped my hair and brushed my teeth. I got to Gemma’s around about 8:45am and then had a quick coffee break on the way to the airport. Report time was 9:30 so we got there right on time. Once we check our bags in, we make our way to the Virgin Lounge. Being in the Virgin Lounge makes me feel really special and important haha! We get free food and coffee, which is such a treat. We boarded the plane at 10:40am and landed on the Gold Coast around 2pm-ish. We landed at the airport and then caught the bus to our hotel. It was AFL Grand Final day also so once we checked into the hotel we watched the game as a team. I then had some snacks and went for a walk.

It was really nice to be back on the Gold Coast and have some warm weather again. Gold Coast feels like my second home after living there for three years, before I joined Port Adelaide.

Cheyenne played in Queensland three years before moving to South Australia, with Round 5 her first opportunity to return to her 'second home'. Image: Cheyenne Hammond.

After the Grand Final, we went for a team walk and did some light touch (handballing, kicking etc.) as a team and then went to the beach for a quick swim. We had team meetings once we got back to the hotel and then had some dinner. After dinner, some girls usually get a massage and we usually all hang out with each other until we feel like heading to our rooms to settle down for the night. I try to get eight hours of sleep before a game and no more, otherwise I feel like I oversleep. I went to bed around 10:30pm and woke up at 6:45am. So roughly around eight hours. I make sure to drink plenty of water and Hydralyte to be hydrated for the game.

Sunday 25 September

GAME DAY! The best day of the week! For game day, I have a small routine I like to follow. When we travel, we have to go for a walk to flush the legs before a game. So I headed down with Liv (Olivia Levicki) and went for a 15-minute walk along the beach. After our walk I went to breakfast and had three pancakes with berries and maple syrup and then headed back up to my room and had some Hydralyte as I knew it was going to be a hot day. I shower and do my hair, and pop my hair ribbons in. Then I get dressed into our Port Adelaide kit and have some Berocca. I packed my bags and headed down to reception to get into the bus at 10:40am. On the bus I usually like to listen to music to get my pumped for the game.

Cheyenne takes a morning stroll with teammate Liv Levicki to freshen up the legs. Image: Cheyenne Hammond.

When we get to the ground, I get dressed into our warm-up gear, and then get my ankle strapped. I strap some of my fingers too as I broke them a few years ago. I like to go out onto the ground before warm-up and to have a look at the ground and have a bit of a kick with someone and then try to kick a few goals. We usually have some line meetings before warmup and then we are ready to go.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get the win against Gold Coast. After the game, I said hello to some of the Gold Coast girls as they are my previous teammates. We had a team meeting after the game and then we usually shower and eat some food. This week it was Zambrero! We headed off an hour later and had a long bus ride to Brisbane airport. We headed into the Virgin Lounge for a bit and then boarded the plane. We landed in Adelaide around 10:15pm and I got home around 11:15pm. For recovery after a game, I usually like to go for a walk the following day for about 30 minutes, use my Normatecs and have a bath with some Epsom salts. And make sure to eat well. If I get enough time, I’ll use the sauna at my local gym. Recovery is so important, especially when you have a short turnaround.

Cheyenne in action on game day against her former team, the Suns. Image: AFL Photos.

On Mondays or Tuesdays, we normally review the game. Now, we are already looking ahead to the Showdown on Friday night! I absolutely can’t wait.