IF YOU'RE one of just 12 players invited to attend the Telstra AFLW Draft, you'd expect your sister to show up.
Doubly so if she's a noted AFLW player in her own right, fresh off taking out the Telstra AFLW Rising Star Award.
But Matilda Scholz had told younger sister Poppy she wouldn't be able to make it, as she was holidaying on the Gold Coast.
The Port Adelaide star subsequently surprised Poppy at Marvel Stadium, having worn her Power polo and blended in behind the club's media team, before emerging forward for maximum shock impact.
Poppy – reunited with Matilda – was later that night drafted by Carlton with pick No.6, and is set to play off half-back, but has the potential to be a very tall winger at 179cm.
"I think before it was a national draft, me and Matilda talked about it, and we were getting ready to be on the same team again and see what that would look like for us," Scholz said.
"I think we both got to a good place, then once it became national, we thought it would be better if we played against each other rather than with each other.
"I think we'll see how Carlton goes, I'm sure I'll love it there. I think initially, I definitely want to play with her at some point in the future, but we'll see what happens."
Mum Peta Squire has 54 netball matches for Australia under her belt, and Scholz spent most of this year either playing footy, netball (she's in the national under-19 talent pathway) or rehabbing a stubborn ankle complaint.
"It was good to have the year finished and that all wrapped up. With my injury, that lingered for six months, it was meant to be a 12-week injury. I'm pretty keen to be on an AFLW list now and give that a crack, and know that my injury didn't hinder me too much," Scholz said.
"[Continuing with netball is] a good question. I don't know, I have to talk to Carlton about it and see what they think.
"Definitely my priority is footy at the moment, but we'll see where netball fits into that, and if that's a possibility, then I definitely want to give it a crack."
Off the back of the first fully national AFLW Draft, Scholz is now preparing to move from Adelaide to Melbourne, and has already had chats with Glenelg teammate and new Collingwood player Violet Patterson about living together.
"Definitely initially I was nervous about leaving my family and friends who I'm close to in Adelaide, but now I'm just keen for the opportunity. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, to be able to move interstate and learn a bit of independence, I'm pretty keen for," she said.
"[The national draft is] definitely a step in the right direction and it's making it more closer to what the men's is like. I think it's just going to make the competition that much better and make the teams closer in ability."
