North Wagga BnF winner returns to footy following birth of daughter

The Saints midfield gun said that she expects to be back on the field for round one.

"You know, it could be five minutes, it could be three but my goal is to just do it," Harmer said.

"I did pre-season the whole way through, I practised kicking and I might not have been able to run so I didn't, but it's about having the option to make my own decision and what's best for me."

Participating nearly completely in training until she was 38 weeks pregnant, Harmer said pregnancy actually improved her technique.

"The other day I kicked with Matt and he's like 'Sarah, you need to lean forward more,' which is what my habit was last season, not leaning forward, but when I had a belly, I learnt forward great because it kind of made me," she said.

MORE LOCAL SPORT NEWS

"Now it's gone, I'm leaning back again, maybe because I had to concentrate on nothing else but kicking because I couldn't run as far, but my kicking was better."

With two young sons, Harmer began playing football so that she could connect with them.

"I was a netballer, and obviously there isn't a competition for the boys, and I didn't want to be one of those mums in the canteen or that's on the sidelines," she said.

Now, she finds herself spending just as much, if not more, time kicking and playing footy with her sons than her husband.

While not putting expectations on other women on when they should return to sports, Harmer said she hopes others can consider what works for them after giving birth.

"Everyone is always telling me how I should do things and what I can do, but I was like you can't tell me what I can do," she said.

"Just because someone says 'I don't think you should,' doesn't mean I can't. If I say I want to do it, that means I think I am capable of it, give me the chance to be able to make that decision for my body."

"I hate that the men don't have babies and they just expect the women to sit on the sidelines and look after them, so I was like why can't I do that, why can't I have both."

Harmer said she's not the only one at the club, or in the league, to continue playing after having children, and that she's pleased to see it become a new normal.

"I like it, you see the dad's come down and sit at the sidelines, on the playmat with the kids while we're playing now," she said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: