AFLW Star Mia Austin Honors Late Cousin Ben Austin
Carlton forward Mia Austin paid an emotional tribute to her late cousin Ben Austin after scoring a goal in the Blues’ commanding 41-point victory over West Coast on Saturday. This goal, kicked just as the three-quarter time siren sounded, was a poignant moment in the match as teammates swarmed to embrace Austin.
Austin, who missed last week's match against West Coast, marked strongly and converted the goal, visibly moved and shedding tears while celebrating. Ben Austin tragically died at 17 after being hit by a cricket ball during warm-up for a T20 game the previous week.
Emotional Reactions from the AFLW Community
“Your heart breaks with this vision doesn’t it?” said Abbey Holmes on Channel 7. “You can see how much this means to Mia Austin ... just the teammates, it gives me goosebumps looking at that vision, just the love and support that has been shown there.”
Alister Nicholson commented, “A moment of great poignancy on the three-quarter time siren. It has been such a challenging time for the Austin family following the tragic passing of young Ben in the cricket training accident.”
Despite the grief, the Blues advanced to the semi-finals with a strong team performance highlighted by Austin’s heartfelt tribute.
Summary
Mia Austin’s tearful celebration after scoring highlights the deep support and solidarity within her team amid the family’s recent tragedy.