Member Spotlight: Olivia Grcic

"Nurture your passions without hesitation"

Olivia Grcic is happiest when she's in the thick of it. An AFLW boundaryumpire who also works in Women and Girls Experience at AFL Victoria, she spendsher days, and plenty of her nights, helping make footy a place where women andgirls can thrive. "I'm creative, I love learning and I'm energised mostwhen I'm doing things, and in places that make an impact."

Where it all began

Growing up, Olivia played basketball and just about any other sport shewanted to try. "My parents provided me such awesome opportunities to workout what I was most passionate about, which instilled a lot of self belief inme from a young age."

She looked up to dual athletes and Olympians, and they taught her alesson she still carries. "The most important thing has always been toenjoy what I'm doing, and if I'm not enjoying it, what can I do to improvethat?"

Her path has taken plenty of turns, but she sees every step asconnected. When she played her first game of community footy, she wore number32, the same number she had worn throughout her childhood on the basketballcourt. "All my experiences have felt so interconnected for me."

In 2024, Olivia was selected to umpire the VFLW finals series. Thepreliminary final between North Melbourne and Williamstown is still one of thebest games she has ever been part of. When North kicked the goal that sealedtheir grand final spot and the players piled on top of each other, she had tohold it all in.

"I wanted to join that stack of players, fist pump the air or clapor something!! That's the real challenge of being an umpire, you can'toutwardly celebrate. But you best believe I am constantly gasping at bravemarking contests, in awe of clever goals and just totally immersed in thethrill of chasing a fast passage down the ground."

A year later came her AFLW debut at Whitten Oval. She remembers theteams chanting their warm ups through the changeroom walls, The Veronicasbooming as she walked out the race, and the fright from the fireworks as theBulldogs and Melbourne ran through their banners. "I stood there andthought 'how the hell have I ended up here?' but I knew I was meant to."

Learning to lead

Leadership came early for Olivia, as a point guard setting up plays, asschool sports captain, and as a basketball coach while she studied teaching. Inonly her second season of footy she joined the leadership group, which showedher "how leadership skills and qualities can be so transferable acrossdifferent codes as well as aspects of life."

This season she stepped into a leadership role in state league umpiring,unlike anything she had done before. "I'm not necessarily leading us onthe field to a championship or premiership, I'm helping to lead change, cultureand value amongst my teammates."

Her work at AFL Victoria keeps her growing every day. "This job hasreally taught me the influence you can have on people and in spaces thatmatter, and how important it is for women and girls' voices to be heard."

Finding her huddle

Olivia joined Empowered to Lead to work out how best to use theinfluence she has as a woman in umpiring and in her work. "I don't know ifI'll be an umpire forever, so while I have this platform and influence, how canI best utilise it?" For someone so naturally curious, "it was a nobrainer."

The sense of community hit straight away. "I felt like I was boundinto the PLAG community as soon as we started the first online huddle."Even the name mattered, because umpiring can be a lonely pursuit and"there aren't many opportunities anymore to huddle like teammates."

Hearing from women across so many codes left a big impression. "Itreally blew my mind at the uniqueness and wonderful individuality of everywoman in sport and how we can still share similar mindsets, interests and passionsin our own ways. To be able to feel all of this through a screen was justamazing."

The weekly workbooks, exploring everything from character strengths andDISC profiles to what success looks like, became a highlight. "It trulyprompted me to dig deep into thoughts I didn't even realise I had," shesays. "It's something you don't realise you need until you're part ofit."

Leading with intention

"Before ETL I knew that I wanted to be a leader that influences andimpacts others to believe in themselves, but I wasn't quite confident that Iknew how to," Olivia says. "ETL has validated my desires in beingthis type of leader as well as helping me to build the skills to do so."

Between early training sessions, late games and a full workload, showingup at her best isn't always easy. Learning about above and below the linethinking gave her a new way to understand herself. "This initial activitywas one that genuinely blew my mind as to how naturally I was able to describewhat this looks like AND most importantly feels like for me."

Now, just as she builds a physical deload into every training block, shebuilds in a mindset deload too. "I reflect, I allow myself to sit withdiscomfort and acknowledge that not everything that will happen in life is whatI want it to, and that is okay." Since then, she has felt "moreconfident and content with the way I've handled some difficult conversationsand moments."

Every sport she has played has shaped her. Basketball taught herdiscipline, tennis taught her perseverance, netball taught her composure,dancing gave her confidence and footy brought decision making anddetermination. "I truly believe in Play Like A Girl's motto of girls whoplay sport become women who lead."

Above all, sport has taught her joy. "I think the best lesson thatsport has taught me is how to be passionate and joyful for things that Ibelieve are important."

What's next

Olivia wants the world to see women in sport the way she does. She lovesthe idea of saying male populated rather than male dominated, "becausethere are SO many women and girls dominating in sport and leadership insport." And she is clear on one thing: "Women don't need to bestronger, they are already strong. It's about how others perceive theirstrength."

"Everybody needs to be on the journey of creating moreopportunities for women and girls in sport and leadership, no matter who youare," she says. "We're stronger when we're together in so manyways."

For her own future, she will keep advocating for her voice and thevoices of women and girls in sport. "Take the time to implement what I'velearnt will be the main play."

So what does it mean to Play Like a Girl? "To nurture your passionswithout hesitation, but with confidence, energy, bravery and whatever joy lookslike to you. That's the magic of being able to Play Like a Girl."

Olivia may have to keep her celebrations quiet on the boundary line, butoff the field she is cheering loudly for every woman and girl finding her placein sport. Thanks to leaders like her, there's more room for all of them, andplenty more to celebrate.

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