Zippy Fish and her dad Troy talk life in Sydney after moving from Perth to chase AFLW dream

Across the opening three rounds of the AFLW season, Fish has been a revelation for the Swans.

The 19-year-old is in the top 10 in the competition for average disposals, leads the Swans for intercept possessions and averages the most effective kicks in the AFLW.

But the WA product couldn’t have hit the ground running without her dad, who moved across the country from Perth to live with her in Sydney for her first season as a professional footballer.

“Her spag bol is pretty good,” Troy said. “I’ll give her that. I definitely take hers over mine for pre-game meals.”

While the chores might not be quite 50-50 – “What split?” Troy joked – the new star Swan is eternally grateful for her father’s support in making the move across the Nullabor.

“Yeah, I help sometimes,” Fish said. “I just do the washing because I don’t like doing dishes.

“He’s always been my big supporter. And having him move across with me has been pretty special, like having that little bit of home here as well.

“I probably wouldn’t have been able to survive without him. But yeah, it’s special to be able to play Indigenous round on Father’s Day as well.”

When Zippy entered the draft last season, she knew there was a possibility she could be moving across the country to live out her footy dream. There was an initial reluctance about the relocation, having become so comfortable in Perth.

For some AFLW clubs, it even contributed to overlooking Fish in the draft because of a fear of the ‘Go Home’ factor.

But Troy was always determined to help make the move work, and so far the partnership with the Swans looks like a match made in heaven.

“Obviously, it’s been a state-based draft the past couple of years, and then they made a decision to go national, which was exciting for the growth of the comp,” Troy said.

“What that meant for us, we didn’t know until draft night. And then Sydney it was, and up we packed and left. Quite fortunate with work that I was able to work remotely, so all the boxes fell in a row, and we jumped in the car and drove across the country.

“The biggest thing that I wanted to see was for her to grow as a person, and that’s definitely come through in leaps and bounds.

“It’s every department that has made her grow. Every connection at the club helps to shape Zippy, what she’ll be when she leaves the club into retirement, whatever stage that’ll be. So, that’s really important for me as a parent.”

And the biggest point of pride for the Fish family this weekend will be seeing Zippy run out yet again in the Swans’ Indigenous guernsey for their first match of the season at Henson Park against Walyalup.

For the first time, Sydney’s AFLW team is wearing the same Indigenous design as their AFL side. Created by renowned artist Jordan Ardler, the design is called “Wuri Wuri”, which translates as sunshine and reflects the local Sydney Swans community.

The youngster will also wear a pair of specially designed boots, with her aunty, Ree Couzens, taking on the task of designing a pair for Fish and her teammates Chloe Molloy and Jas Grierson.

Fish, a Larrakia, Noongar, Wongi and Wirangu woman, is not only relishing the chance to be a part of the Swans’ incredible connection with Indigenous culture, but also continuing the legacy of the No.23 red and white guernsey that was made famous by Lance Franklin.

“She’s done a few of the men’s players, she did some of the Hawthorn players and even Sam Mitchell’s,” Fish said. “So, she messaged me not long ago and said, ‘Do you and some of the girls want to get their boots painted?’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, sure!’.

“She did a similar design for all of us. It’s about girls in sport, a bit of background, like our numbers on boots, and it’s really special.

“It’s an honour to be able to run out in the guernsey. It’s really special to me because it’s a part of my culture, and getting out there to play for my culture is really special.”