EMILY Otto was discharged from hospital on Sunday morning at 9.45am, having given birth to her first born child Percy earlier that week.
By 10:05am Otto had arrived at People First Stadium, ready to coach her team in the Grand Final.
Otto, who is the head coach of Bond University women’s team in the QAFLW Reserves competition, was never going to miss the game.
“It was the most hectic week of my life,” Otto said.
“I ended up having my waters break on Tuesday morning of Grand Final week and stayed in hospital for the rest of that week.
“I got discharged from the hospital Sunday morning at 9.45am, and then drove from the hospital straight to the stadium."
It was a moment captured by photographer Brooke Sleep, who had been following Otto’s journey throughout the year.
“My best friend plays for the club where Emily is the reserves coach," Sleep said.
AFLW PODCAST Get the latest news and analysis
“I got a fair few photos of her this year and she was showing the whole time.
"I don’t know how she did it."
Otto found out about her pregnancy just as her side was preparing for pre-season, and the team was by her side along the journey.
"I’ve coached a bunch of these players from when they were 15 and 16, so it was a really special period to be able to have them experience the entire pregnancy with me," she said.
“Then came the Grand Final, and being able to have the little fella there was really special as well.”
Percy was with his dad in the stands whilst his mum coached the game.
Unfortunately Bond University didn’t get the win, but for Otto it was about much more than that.
"For me it was really important to show myself that I could do it, and to also show the girls that they can do whatever they are passionate about, and to follow their dreams," she said.
"I really wanted to be a role model for those girls so that later on down the track if they choose to have families, they’ll always have that experience in the back of their minds, and it will show them you can have it all and to chase your dreams."
