PORT ADELAIDE draftee Jasmin Stewart is cool in an unintentional way, funny in an endearing way, and deeply thoughtful, in a somewhat unexpected way. 

As a two-time AFLW draftee (2018 draft and 2023 supplementary draft), both times taken at number one in her respective state, she is also no stranger to a high-performance environment.  

Until her teenage years however, she had little connection with her background, her extended family and her mob. 

It’s fitting that she sat down to discuss her past during NAIDOC Week, when much of her last few years of life have been defined by strengthening her relationship with her First Nations roots. 

Jasmin’s family history is compelling – her maternal great grandmother Daisy Howard, a Jaru woman, was forcibly removed from her mother when she was two. Daisy, who is still alive today and resides in Broome, was a member of the Stolen Generation. 

“My great grandmother was born in Hall's Creek and she was stolen when she was two and put in a mission at Moola Bulla and then later taken to Beagle Bay,” Jasmin said. 

“She’s amazing. She's also so healthy and so lively. She's in her 80s now. She had 11 kids, one of them being my mum's dad.” 

Jasmin’s Aboriginality has always been part of who she is but, as a descendant of someone who was separated from their family and therefore, their culture, she has spent the past several years delving deeper to learn more.  

She speaks of that part of her identity so fondly, and her journey to uncover more was largely driven by her own sense of youthful curiosity. 

During high school, she ventured to northern WA to join her family – some of whom she either hadn’t seen since she was a baby, or hadn’t met at all – to immerse herself deep in culture.  

“It's been really rewarding reconnecting with my family and I've made trips up north to make sure I’m building on those relationships,” Jasmin said. 

“The couple of years I spent up north meeting my family properly and hearing stories was actually life changing. 

“Everyone says being on country is what you need and it absolutely is. I need to do it more. If I didn’t come to Port that would have been my next move, to go up north (again). 

“(Since I was) 17 to now has been such a good few years for me to figure out more of my identity with my culture which has been really special, really amazing.” 

It’s obvious the new Power recruit feels exceptionally grateful for her cultural ties, but the journey hasn’t come without its speedbumps. 

“It's very special,” Jasmin said. 

“I’m really proud to identify as an Aboriginal person but it's been tough figuring that out.  

“I get challenged about my Aboriginality because of the colour of my skin, which I used to take quite personally, but as I’ve gotten older, I know I don’t need approval by anyone to tell me who I am or what my background is. 

“The more I connect with my family, the more I just felt so a part of it, of my own culture. So, I don’t need any other validation.” 

When Jasmin was young, she and her older brother Jason moved around a lot, with mum Kristy working as a teacher across rural Western Australia. 

As a family unit, they moved 10 times, meaning the trio were able to explore their state. 

“Do you want me to list the towns for you?”, Jasmin asked, before proudly launching into, “Northam, Perth, Kambalda, Kalgoorlie, Northam again, Moora, Halls Creek, Port Hedland, Bunbury, Katanning.” 

She’s certainly reeled those names off a few times before. 

Despite the nomadic lifestyle, Jasmin’s close relationships with her mum and brother provided a sense of security and comfort. 

And while the moves were arduous at times, there’s no doubt they supported Jasmin’s growth, developed her adaptability and formed her into a mature, well-rounded young woman. 

Jasmin admits that for a time during her teenage years however, she rejected order and authority, and made fun the priority. 

“I was pretty naughty (as a kid),” she said. 

“I got in trouble a little bit but as I grew up, I matured and realised that it’s actually really cool to be respectful. Being naughty, you think it’s funny…but as I got older, it became disrespectful. That was something I learned as I grew.”  

Now, at 24, Jasmin is not only more connected to her culture than ever, she also feels more sure of herself as a footballer. 

And the more you speak with her, the more you detect a quiet self-assurance. It’s not remotely arrogant, but rather charming. 

The final-year apprentice carpenter made a decision after Season 6 (the first AFLW season in 2022), to step away from the top-level. After four seasons at Fremantle, she was wrestling with internal conflict around career aspirations and a longing to rediscover some life balance. 

“I was already feeling a little confused about what sort of career I wanted with playing AFLW just because I always found it tricky having a life balance and not knowing how to prioritise my family and friends and their needs and wants, obviously because footy is such a big sacrifice,” Jasmin said. 

“I just wasn’t satisfied and I wasn’t fulfilled with the season I had considering how much time I put into it. I hadn’t found a lot of consistency in my game, so I just decided maybe this is it and I need to just step away because it's not filling my cup.” 

The decision to return to elite football less than a year after leaving it was sparked by an outstanding, premiership-winning WAFLW season with Claremont and a simple suggestion from her mum – one that Jasmin had never previously allowed herself to consider. 

“I had a conversation with my mum and I was like ‘I don’t want to go anywhere else other than WA’ and she was like ‘well why don’t you go interstate?’ and I was like ‘oh’,” she laughed. 

“It was literally one question and I hadn’t even let my mind go there because it's such a big thing.” 

Within 24 hours of deciding to give AFLW another crack, Jasmin’s manager had Port Adelaide list manager Naomi Maidment and senior coach Lauren Arnell on a call. It was safe to say, the pair were very interested. 

“As soon as I interviewed with them, they won me over,” Jasmin said. 

“The way they valued me as an athlete just made me feel so good, even just through the interview process, and I hadn’t felt like that before. They knew so much about me and I was like this is insane that they see me in this light. Even still, they're just backing me so much and have so much belief in me.” 

And as for the AFLW season ahead, just two words are front of mind. 

“Team success,” she said, without hesitation. 

“My head is like ‘I just want the team to win games’. I do also want to find some consistency in my game because that was something I lacked before. I feel like I’m getting there at training so I’m just hoping that can roll over.” 

Despite the initial overwhelm, Jasmin is certain she made the right decision to add Adelaide as an 11th move to her long list of towns. 

“It’s been amazing,” she said. 

“The club is so rich in culture, which I’m so grateful for. There's so much history and it's so interesting hearing about everything. Everyone is so connected and it's very high-performance driven too, which I like.  

“And now, I’ve made friends and have had the best couple of weeks on the track.  

“I feel like I really belong.”