Every day Fremantle member Paula Jeffery goes into work, she knows she is putting herself at risk.
A fan since day one and a member since 2010, Paula works as a nurse unit manager at Fiona Stanley Hospital.
To Paula, supporting Freo is a family affair, attending games with her husband and mother, and occasionally with her children.
But it’s more than just about her immediate family.
“I love the whole atmosphere of attending games,” Paula said.
“We interact with our fellow fans on the bus, we have a drink and meal at the stadium, we just enjoy the interaction with people around us.
“When we were at Subi we would all feed each other (in our block). I’ve continued that by making cupcakes for the first and the last game and I share Anzac bikkies at the (Len Hall Game) with the entire section.
“It’s just that camaraderie. Everyone comes from a different walk of life but we have that shared experience.”
At the biggest game of all, when Freo made the 2013 Grand Final, Paula attended the game with a close friend who was soon to be brought into the club’s playing ranks.
“We’re family friends with Michael Apeness and I actually took him to the 2013 Grand Final,” Paula said.
“I only found out when we were at the game that Michael was in the draft. He was all dressed up in purple and then two weeks later he was drafted!
“It was sad how his career ended because of the injuries but he’s doing really well. He’s playing local football and doing really well.”
When picking her favourite players, Paula looks for a character trait she admires the most.
“I think that the women’s team, it’s their commitment, they seem to tackle harder than the men,” Paula said.
“I think they could do some tackling training for the guys! I’ve just really enjoyed watching them.
“The younger kids at Freo, like Andy Brayshaw. It’s almost like they’ve been training with the girls, and I say that in a positive light.
“Particularly after he came back from the broken jaw, he showed no fear. He just continues to get in there.”
It’s no surprise that Paula admires Freo’s boldest players, as it’s a trait she displays every day when she goes into work amidst the Covid-19 crisis.
“While we’re not on the designated Covid ward, we’ve had a number of patients who potentially could have Covid-19,” Paula said.
“We’re still very busy caring for patients with complex medical problems.
“It’s been a very busy ward, everything in the past month has been a blur. All we can think of is life in Covid.
“We’ve been preparing staff for what we anticipate is going to be a significant number of patients and preparing staff to deal with things they haven’t dealt with before.”
Because of the risks, Paula has kept space between those closest to her.
“Technically, I do isolate from my family. I sleep in a separate room. I have everyone else prepare the meals and I get changed at work and then I disinfect everything (before coming home),” Paula said.
“While I think in hospital we’ve got it sorted, I’m a bit concerned about carrying stuff home from the shops.
“We are isolated and keep social distancing at home. We still sit and watch movies together but we’re just not next to each other.”
With Paula considering herself fortunate to have a steady income while others are doing it tough, she recently contacted the club to say she wanted to continue paying for her 2020 membership.
“I consider Fremantle to be a family,” Paula said.
“I’m in a fortunate position that I’m still working and my husband is still working, albeit from home.
“By keeping some money going into the club, we hoped that would help the club and people can keep working.
“I just like to support people, that’s what I care about.”
And Paula had one final message for her fellow fans.
“Social distancing is great, but washing your hands after everything you do, that’s the single best thing you can do to protect yourself and your family.”
