Bridget Stackman did not have to look far for inspiration.
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The 16-year-old's mother, Sarah, was by her side for what turned out to be the greatest achievement of her life.
On Saturday, April 27, Stackman was named players' player in her senior league tag debut after coming off the bench in a 10-0 win over Gunnnedah at Dungowan.
Her mother, a Cowgirls veteran, captained the side.
"I always wanted to play with her since I've been a kid," Stackman said of her mother. "I finally got to do that today [Saturday]."
"She was there to back me up when I got tripped," the teen added.
"It was really good to know that I was there with my mum, because I'm a very shy person at first, and just having my mum there helps a lot."
Another motivational figure in Stackman's life, her great aunt Helen Matthey, missed the match due to her work as a nurse.
Stackman has been so inspired by Walcha-based Matthey's commitment to work that she plans to become a nurse, and is augmenting her year 11 studies at Peel High with TAFE nursing courses.
"She inspires me to look up to her and be how she is," the teen said of her mother's aunt.
Hailing from Walcha, Stackman now lives on a Baiada poultry farm at Winton that her mother manages. She likes not having to worry about noise complaints from neighbours.
And she likes the feeling of being a Cowgirl. "I reckon I did well today, especially for my first game," she said of her debut.