Mia Austin delivered an emotional tribute to her late cousin, Ben Austin, during Carlton’s emphatic victory over West Coast on Saturday. This young athlete really kicked the goal in inspiring her teammates to victory! This moment was a deeply personal tribute to her cousin — Jessia Linen, who was killed in a shooting a week earlier.
His name was Ben Austin, and he was only 17 years old when he was killed after being bowled over by a cricket ball. Originally from the New Jersey shore, the incident rocked his family and the greater community and left an indelible mark on Mia. In the aftermath of this tragic loss, she conveyed her wish to pay tribute to him on the field.
“I wanted to honour my cousin Ben by kicking the goal,” Mia stated after the match. Her performance was marked by a strong mark and a precise kick, which brought her teammates rushing to celebrate with her. That emotional moment saw Mia break down in tears for her cousin as she was swarmed by her teammates.
Mia’s cousins and uncle were in attendance for the game, as they have been supporting Mia and her family through this difficult time. “Early last week, my little cousin Benny passed away in a cricket incident,” she shared, emphasizing the personal significance of her goal. My cousins and uncle are here from today, so that was just to honour my pops. I can say that if he was here today he would have been totally thrilled about it. A little tribute to him.
Carlton’s win against the Eagles the biggest tale-teller so far, with the blue baggers dominating from the opening bounce and across the entire 4 quarters. Mia established an ambitious target. At the same time, Sophie McKay found the back of the net twice, while Erone Fitzpatrick and Dayna Finn each scored twice, lighting up the scoreboard in the process. Those concerted efforts helped to send Carlton to a lopsided victory.
The match did deliver a bittersweet moment for West Coast. This week Dana Hooker announced her retirement after a stellar 67-game career in the AFLW. The atmosphere was electric with emotion as players from both teams walked their own paths towards a new destiny on the pitch that day.
“You can see how much this means to Mia Austin… just the teammates, it gives me goosebumps looking at that vision, just the love and support that has been shown there,” she remarked.
