“I’M SO happy to be here”.

Yasmin Duursma’s trade went through on Friday and she was through the doors of IKON Park just hours later, being introduced to her new home. 

Joining Port Adelaide through the draft in 2022, Durrsma’s reason for moving back to Victoria is pretty simple: family.

Coming from a stacked football family, with two brothers in the AFL system, there’s a lot to look forward to for the Duursma household. 

“My brother Xavier got a trade home to Essendon, so just being close to family in Victoria and Zane’s draft coming up before I made my decision, it was highly likely he’d also end up in Melbourne as well,” Duursma said. 

“I thought I’d like to be back in Victoria with family and make it more enjoyable for me to be around footy.”

The speedy winger summed up her attributes pretty succinctly when asked about her playing style. 

“I just like to run,” she said. 

“I play on the wing, I take pride in my endurance, so my ability to run up and down the ground, my ability to get back defensively and help out.”

Another perk for the 19-year-old is being reunited with best mate Keeley Skepper, with the two playing footy together at Gippsland Power and Vic Country prior to their AFLW careers.

A dream since their first ever football game, there’s a very good chance the duo will be running out together sometime in 2024.

“One of my best friends ‘Skep’ plays at Carlton, so I’d love to play with her,” she said.

“Since we’ve started playing footy together since the very first game, we’ve said we wanted to play AFLW together so hopefully, this coming year, to see that come true would be super special for us both.”

Durrsma had a debut to remember, lining up against Carlton - and Kerryn Peterson - at IKON Park, finishing with a draw in the ledger. 

She said she admired the way the skipper went about it and can’t wait to pick her brain and further her football development. 

“I think in the first five minutes, ‘Kez’ crossed me up and I ended up on my behind,” she said.

“I’ve watched her play, particularly a lot more this year. I know she got injured in one of the games but I think she does hold a lot of leadership and she can help me in developing as a player so I look forward to letting her guide me.”

Known for her clean hands, endurance and versatility, Duursma can’t want to have an impact on Blues, excited for the journey that they’re undergoing. 

“I see Carlton going places in the future so I’d like to be a part of that and what they build.”