JASMINE Fleming comes from a line of Australian sporting royalty, but now it's the young footballer's time to shine.
The Oakleigh Chargers midfielder is the daughter of Australian cricketer Damien, while uncle Gary O'Donnell played 243 games for Essendon from 1987-1999, and aunt Shelley O'Donnell has 84 Australian caps in netball.
Fleming looks set to be taken within the first few Victorian selections in the state-based NAB AFLW Draft on Wednesday.
A highly talented fast bowler in her own right, Fleming has represented the state at junior level and started playing women's premier cricket with Box Hill's reserves when she was about 12, hitting the ones when she was 16.
"I started as a kid when I was four, I mainly got into it because of my brother. He's three years older than me, so I kind of wanted to do everything that he did, and yeah, I loved it," Jasmine told womens.afl.
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"I think the opportunity to play sport and play with some of my best friends was the main thing.
"Watching the AFL growing up, it was something that I wanted to do. And with cricket, it's the same thing. I just loved watching it when I was younger, so I felt like it was for me and I ended up loving it the first game I played."
The midfielder likes to model her footy on Patrick Dangerfield's burst from the contest, and Monique Conti's ability to take on the game, while the parallels between ground balls in footy and fielding in cricket have helped each other.
Cricket has also always been a big part of Jasmine's life, captaining Wesley College's boys side in years seven to nine.
"From the time Jas could move, she was always very sporty, very determined, always wanted to get better," Damien said.
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"She always wanted to compete and just enjoyed her sport. You put all those ingredients together, and she was always going to keep improving."
Jasmine wore No.10 for both Oakleigh Chargers and Vic Metro in a nod to uncle Gary.
"Kids growing up, they follow footy team and have their idols, but they're always male footballers," Jasmine's mother Wendy said.
"For the two girls (including Jasmine's younger sister) to now be able to watch television and see women running around on a football field and have their number on the back of their jumper is just fabulous.
"So wherever she goes, that'll be the team we support. I imagine that'll be the jumper that her little sister wears, and the number on the back will be hers."
