AT FIRST glance, Donovan Chin and Belinda Bowey – an IT specialist who immigrated to Australia from Malaysia, and a Victorian women's football pioneer – wouldn't appear to have much in common, but the pair are connected by their undying love of footy.
Donovan and his wife, Bernice Chee, made the big move from Malaysia to Australia in 2012, the couple settling in Adelaide before moving to Melbourne.
It was there that Donovan began shooting the Women's Masters competition, which ultimately led to him entering his picture of Belinda, celebrating a goal in her 450th game, in this year's Footy Focus competition.
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"That was the photograph I went to the ground to take that day," Donovan says.
"She'd had a few chances before then, she lined up for one early and missed and I thought, 'Oh, don't let it be one of those days!'
"But then she finally put one through the big sticks late in the game. It was a big moment.
"We could go on for days about the technical aspects of a shot, but that doesn't do anything for anybody if there is no emotion in the photograph.
"Everyone at the ground was waiting for that moment. So, there's happiness and maybe a bit of relief there as well.
"I was so happy to get the shot, it was a pretty memorable one for me, she liked it as well, so that was important. She's a legend."
The Melbourne weather was typically, well, Melbourne, that day with all four seasons represented at JL Murphy Reserve in Port Melbourne, but it was mostly wintry conditions that prevailed, which only added to the story for Donovan.
"It was a pretty brutal day - the weather was horrible and the ground was muddy," he says.
"But I love it when it rains and it's muddy, to be completely honest. When it's nice and sunny … that's not footy weather.
"I like it when it's a little bit more unpredictable, you've got little raindrops you can see, and mud flying."
Port Melbourne went on to have a win that day, with Belinda honoured to be chaired from the ground.
"For milestone games you try to make sure you get those kinds of shots," Donovan says.
"There were drinks going everywhere!
"It's about moments, isn't it?
"When it comes to photography, it's about moments and the emotions that everyone is feeling, and everybody was just so happy there.
"Everyone loves her, and they were all so excited in that moment."
Another of Donovan's favourite pictures follows the post-shot-at-goal theme, only this one shows the Darebin Falcons' Alana Wearne after she'd sprayed one in her 100th game.
"That's the other side of it," Donovan says.
"There's the elation of scoring and the frustration of missing.
"One has her arms in the air because she scored and the other has her arms in the air because she just missed.
"There's pure emotion in both of them."
Donovan counts many of the Women's Masters players as good friends, having taken countless pictures over the years, and he is delighted to be a member of a community bonded by the love of the game.
"The players kind of wait for my photographs because they like to see how they look playing," he says.
"So many of them are really good players, but they missed the boat with the AFLW because of their age.
"I try to make sure that I make them look as good as I can!"
Donovan's love affair with the Women's Masters continued with his coverage of the grand final – won by Belinda's Port Melbourne.
That Donovan and Bernice are so embedded in the Women's Masters community now is pleasantly surprising to them given they knew nothing of the game before calling Australia home.
But, keen to meet new people and make the most of their new beginning, Bernice decided early on that playing Australian football was the way to go, with Donovan delighted to explore a new area of photography.
"She said, 'I'm going to go and play footy' and I said, 'Ok, I'll come along and take photographs'," he says laughing.
"We thought, 'What's the most Australian thing you can do? AFL footy, right?
"We'd seen it on the TV and we were like, 'What is this game?' It was really interesting. It was nothing like any other sport I had seen before.
"What is a handball? Why is the umpire blowing the whistle? We didn't know what a mark was at that point.
"What is actually happening here?
"I got the rule book to try to figure it out, and my wife just said that she was going to go out and give it a try.
"We got to know people and slowly began to understand the game.
"And when we came to Victoria I decided to take up umpiring so that I could know the game even more … you don't really fully understand the game until you umpire it.
"I read the rule book cover to cover. It is the hardest job, but it is really rewarding as well."
Bernice has long since retired but she and Donovan remain part of the Women's Masters community.
"It's just like hanging out with friends," Donovan says of shooting games.
"Seeing the action, enjoying the games … AFL is in my blood now."
#FootyFocus24, thanks to Toyota's Good For Footy, is now open for entries! Here's your chance to shadow and shoot with Michael Willson or Dylan Burns at a game in 2025. We want to see your photos that capture the essence of our great game at a grassroots level. To enter, upload your best community footy photos taken during 2024 to: afl.com.au/footyfocus24
