A North East-raised 70-kilogram powerhouse has been named in the Australian women’s Gridiron team.
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Jordan Di Mizio will contest the World Cup in Canada in June.
“It’s definitely my dream,” Di Mizio said.
“My goal was to play for Victoria, and then one day to play for Australia.”
The 26-year-old is the younger sister of Wodonga Raiders’ captain Jack Di Mizio.
Jordan moved to Melbourne eight years ago and started when she saw some boys playing gridiron at a nearby park.
She was an inaugural member of Victoria’s first women’s team, the Western Soxes, before graduating to the Northern Lady Raiders.
Di Mizio won national selection after attending a camp in Queensland last month.
But it was hard work as she had to put on muscle for her position of linebacker.
“It’s not easy for me, but I put on eight kilograms from the gym over three months,” she said.
“My job is to stop the offense from scoring, so attack the ball carrier or quarterback.
“I am an aggressive player, growing up in a family of six kids, it’s always a battle so it’s easy to switch on and be aggressive.”
Di Mizio also spends two hours per night studying the playbook.
“It’s not one of those games where you can just throw it to anyone, it’s all planned,” she said.
The trip will cost $7500, so Di Mizio is looking for support on her GoFundMe page www.gofundme.com/27-jordans-world-cup-journey.