‘That was for Benny’: Mia Austin pays emotional tribute to late cousin

3 months ago 12

As torrential rain and unforgiving wind belted Ikon Park, Carlton forward Mia Austin lined up for a shot at goal.

The three-quarter-siren had just blared, and the Blues already had a dominant 39-point lead over a despairing West Coast in the AFLW elimination final on Saturday afternoon. Statistically speaking, Carlton didn’t need the extra six points, but Austin did.

Her cousin Ben, an aspiring young cricketer, tragically died in a training incident last week. This goal was for him.

Austin ran forward and slotted the ball perfectly through the goal posts. The emotional 21-year-old pointed her hands towards the sky as her teammates ran to embrace her, cupping their hands around her face. She had Ben’s name written on her wrist.

After battling biblical downpours and high winds, Carlton proceeded to win the final by 41 points and will face Hawthorn next weekend in a semi-final.

“So tragic what she went through, but we wrapped our arms around her and gave her a hug when she was crying,” teammate Sophie McKay told this masthead.

Mia Austin of the Blues pays tribute to her cousin Ben Austin, who died last week, after she kicked a goal against West Coast.

“She [Mia] said ‘That was for Benny’. Just so beautiful and so nice that she got that reward and she could feel really good about that.”

Austin briefly spoke with the broadcaster after the match and said several family members were at the game cheering her on. Teammate Tara Bohanna stood beside her and comforted her as she spoke.

“Early last week, my little cousin Benny passed away unfortunately in a cricket incident,” Austin told Seven.

“My family is here. My uncle and my cousins are here today. I was just thinking of him. I know if he was here, he would be loving it. It’s like a little tribute to him.”

In a post-match interview, Blues coach Mathew Buck said what happened to the Austin family was a tragedy.

“As a whole playing group, wider club, we’ve got around her as best we can and put in the supports we need, and we are lucky are well-resourced to be able to help,” he said. “It’s a credit to Mia. She’s been a real professional throughout and continued to train at a really high level.”

“She’s been out of the team for a number of weeks, but she’s been training well and took her opportunity with both hands today, and she took her moment as well which I was really proud to see.”

Ben’s life was cut short after he was hit in the neck by an accidental full toss while training late last month.

Jessica Good hugs her teammate Mia Austin (wearing No.22) after her emotional goal for Carlton.

Members of the Ferntree Gully Cricket Club gathered at Wally Tew Reserve on Thursday for training, for the first time since the young cricketer’s death last week.

Coach Josh Henry paid tribute to Ben and the team held a minute’s silence for the 17-year-old by the club nets before training.

Putting their arms around one another, they encircled a tribute to Ben – his initials spray-painted onto the local oval along with his cap number: 512.

With Roy Ward

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