Kangaroos AFLW star Jasmine Garner has been a force on the oval as well as the tools. The 30-year-old chats with The Tradie about how she got into both footy and plumbing.
Like many women in trades and sport, Jasmine grew up in a world where neither were common.
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“Growing up and in school I always leant more toward hands-on work and doing things outdoors,” she said.
“[but] During my time, there wasn’t much talk about females in trades so I didn’t really get into it.”
Despite that, Jasmine’ carved herself out a ripper footy career, playing first with Collingwood in 2017 before making the move to Arden Street in 2019.
While putting together numerous stellar seasons with the Roos – which included a Premiership, Grand Final Best on Ground and seven consecutive All-Australian nods – Jasmine was also learning a trade at the same time.
Well equipped
While working at North Melbourne HQ, Jasmine entertained the idea of picking up a trade.
“A few of my friends were doing plumbing, so I asked the club – the best things about footy clubs is they usually know a lot of people,” she explained.
“I spoke to someone who gave me an apprenticeship and I absolutely loved it.
“Completing my apprenticeship was the best thing – once you’ve learned a trade, you’ve got it for life.”
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Two years out from completing her apprenticeship, Jasmine has remained steadfast in her footy career.
While she’s able to keep her eyes on the ball for now, so to speak, Jasmine said having a plumbing qualification in her back pocket was great peace of mind.
“Footy’s in that position where I can get paid well enough where I can focus on that and take care of my body a bit more,” she said.
“Once footy is done, I can always go back to plumbing. Whether it’s on the tools, or in the office or doing estimates.
“Another great thing about learning a trade is you’re getting paid while you’re learning.
“It’s pretty underrated in that way.”
During her time on the tools, Jasmine saw plenty of action through Cooke & Dowsett Commercial Plumbers. She did a lot of sanitary, drainage and plumbing with new installation as well as some maintenance work at Crown Casinos.
Jasmine loved being able to see the many parts of the plumbing industry, and downplayed the grubbier stereotype often associated with the trade.
“I know a lot of people – including young girls – think of plumbing they think it’s all just cleaning and fixing dirty toilets,” Jasmine said.
“It was so far from that. Apart from some of the maintenance a Crown, I maybe had to put in new toilet – but it’s so much more than that.”
Freestyling
Juggling both the trades and footy isn’t an experience exclusive to Jasmine. North Melbourne co-ordinates the Freestyle program, which helps raise awareness around pathways for women and non-binary people eager to get into the trades.
Jasmine has helped with the program, visiting trade expos and chatting with young women who might be thinking about becoming tradies.
“Every time I go out to events, I think ‘how cool would this have been when I was growing up?’,”
she said.
Throughout her career, Jasmine has noticed the culture change toward women in the trades and in footy.
“Females in footy and females in trades are quite similar – there wasn’t a lot of that growing up,”
she said.
“I was the only girl playing junior footy for a number of years, and it was the same thing on-site.
“I think now in footy – and towards the end of my apprenticeship – there was a lot more females working in construction.
“When I started trade school, there was just a couple of us in each class. By the end, I reckon in one class it was half female.
“I definitely think it’s turning now for females both in footy and in trades.”
Find out more about the Freestyle Program by checking out nmfc.com.au/freestyle