Excitement building as Mingenew siblings Pippa and Blake McTaggart gear up for AFL GF starring roles

Mingenew siblings Pippa and Blake McTaggart are gearing up for a Melbourne trip of a lifetime, as the footy-mad youngsters will be running on to the MCG on grand final day and presenting premiership medals to the winning team. Eight-year-old Pippa was chosen to be one of 23 players selected for this year’s Team NAB AFL Auskick, who will get the honour of presenting the premiership medals to players. In the lead-up to the once-in-a-lifetime event, Pippa had the opportunity to recruit her seven-year-old younger brother, Blake into the team. Now the two will get to share this experience together, the pair are over the moon that their dreams get to come true. Pippa who was chosen after she submitted a short video in the NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year competition said she was “very, very excited” for the trip to Melbourne. Blake, an avid football fan and Eagles supporter like his sister, will now get to take part as well and is “really excited” for the experience. The siblings will get to run out on the MCG before presenting the premiership medals to the winning side, but the two have plenty of practice running out in those situations. Pippa said that she and Blake run out and play full games on the grass at home, and now have the “amazing” chance to do it on the big stage. “So what happens is we choose our teams, it’s usually Collingwood versus West Coast. . . what we do is we put the team songs on the speaker and run out, and do a little warm-up,” Pippa said. “Then we play 20-minute quarters for four quarters, and we have little coach chat at half-time and quarter-time, and three-quarter-time, and then we sing the song at the end.” Their mum Carine McTaggart has enjoyed being able to watch the games between the two. “It’s very surreal to think they’ll now be playing at the MCG but I do often chuckle to myself when I’m at the kitchen sink looking out the window, washing the dishes and watching the games unfold,” she said. “Sometimes there’s a little bit of rough and tumble and the umpire has to get involved, but it’s very cute to watch.” The family resides on their farm in Mingenew, and will now get the chance to be on the game’s biggest stage. Mrs McTaggart said the community has shown their full support and excitement for the family. “What’s been really nice and really special about it is how much excitement and how much the community, wider community and our whole region has embraced the kids and embraced us, that’s just made it extra special,” she said. “It’s been really special, ever since the first announcement ever since we first found out, we’ve just had so many messages of support and everybody is really excited about it. “It’s like we’re taking everybody along with us and I’m really pleased they can all enjoy the experience.”