PASSION, skill, camaraderie, spirit, pride; footy in the Tiwi Islands has all of those qualities, and more, in abundance.

Especially when it comes grand final time.

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"Tiwi is probably the highlight of my year … footy just runs so deep in these communities," said Celina Whan, who entered her shots from this season's Tiwi Islands Football League grand finals into the Footy Focus competition.

"It's everything to them.

"It's community pride, it's putting on that jumper, you're representing your community, your people, and they go hard. It's just incredible.

"But then there's also a laid-back feeling to it as well. You've got dogs running around on the field, all the supporters are standing literally on the boundary paint.

"And when they kick a goal everyone runs on and screams at the opposition, it's just wild, there's nothing like it.

"It gives me goosebumps just talking about it."

Celina, a Darwin-based freelance photographer, was engaged by AFLNT to take the 20-minute flight from Darwin to the Tiwis to shoot this season's grand finals in August.

In a historic first, the men's grand final, between Ranku Eagles and Muluwurri Magpies, and the women's premiership decider, between Tapalinga Superstars and Muluwurri, were held on the same day.

It was Celina's third Tiwi grand final, and she knew what to expect.

The theory that a photographer is usually well-advised to be a step removed from the action, to be detached, in order to get the best shots doesn't apply in the glorious chaos that follows the final siren of a Tiwi grand final.

"I've learnt from my visits to Tiwi that if you don't push in there, if you don't insert yourself, you're just not going to get the shot," she said, laughing.

"There are rows of people … it's absolutely crazy."

This was evident in the aftermath of the Superstars' grand final win.

Although retired now, Celina was a premiership player at the Darwin Buffaloes with Kimberley Cunningham, who captained the Superstars this season, which led to one of Celina's best shots from the day. 

"We caught each other's eye before the game, smiled at each other, and I wished her luck," Celina said.

"She was captain, so when they did the cup part (after the win), I cannot stress to you how squished in everyone is.

"Everybody is on top of each other and if you're not in there with the camera, you're not getting anything … you're not getting a shot.

"Kimberley was doing her best to make sure she was coming to me, she did her best to give me prime position. She just looked at me, smiled, then lifted that cup.

"It was such a cool feeling."

Celina nominates that shot of Kim holding up the cup, and the emotion-charged close-up of the skipper hugging her family immediately after the final siren as her favourite shots from that eventful day.

As for her favourite picture ever, Celina thought long and hard before choosing a black-and-white shot of her former team, the Buffaloes, about to leave the tunnel to play a final.

"The biggest thing for me with photography, the thing that I feel really passionate about, is capturing emotion," she explained.

"It's all about connection and emotion for me.

"So that's probably one of my favourite shots because of what it represents.

"It's all the different emotions in the photo, you can see who's nervous, you can see who's excited or being a clown … I feel like their personalities really came through in it.

"Then there's the element of Jemma (Iacono) and her daughter, who was scared to run out.

"I think it just symbolises all the different people in footy, the inclusivity of it, and on some level, the sacrifices that women make to play AFL."

Celina's photography journey started almost 10 years ago when she snapped a picture of her fiancé and inspiration, Chris, on her phone while he played for Alice Springs club Federal.

The shot was well-received on their socials and she was hooked.

Celina, whose first child Kyah kindly waited until the week after Mum had shot last season's NTFL grand final to arrive in the world, is a big fan of the Footy Focus community.

Although she has never won the competition, with the winner to shoot an AFL game with AFL Photos photographers Michael Willson or Dylan Burns, she has some insight into what that experience would be like.

ENTER NOW Submit your best grassroots footy photos for #FootyFocus24

"I've actually shot the same AFL game as Michael and shot another game sitting next to Dylan," she laughed.

"So, I have kind of already hit that jackpot! Not in a big stadium, or anything cool like that, but in Darwin earlier this season. They were both really supportive … they were fantastic.

"I would love to win, don't get me wrong, but I'm not even in it to win it any more. I'm in it for the community, and being able to connect with other photographers, it's so unreal.

"When I started I had no one to turn to, it felt like a very private journey, but in Darwin now we have a really great community of photographers who get around each other.

"I think Footy Focus has contributed to that."

#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