As the GIANTS celebrate 15 years of their existence, few people have witnessed the club's evolution quite like Bec Beeson. 

An inaugural AFLW player and one of the club's longest-tenured players, Beeson has been part of the GIANTS’ journey since the very beginning of the women's program. From the uncertainty of AFLW's first season to the professional environment that exists today, she has experienced the growth of both the club and competition firsthand. 

Growing up in the small town of Wyee on the New South Wales Central Coast, around an hour and a half north of Sydney, Beeson never imagined a career in professional football was even possible. 

"When I was 18, I don't think it was spoken about as being a thing," Beeson said of the prospect of women's football becoming professional. 

"It sort of came out [news of the AFLW’s introduction] and happened really quickly." 

Sport was always a major part of her life, but football wasn't necessarily her first passion. Raised in a traditional rugby league heartland, she spent much of her childhood following the NRL while also keeping an eye on AFL. 

"I actually grew up watching NRL more,” the GIANTS’ AFLW skipper admitted.  

“It wasn't until we moved to Perth when I was 12 that I was really surrounded by AFL a lot more. 

“Then when we came back [to New South Wales] I started to watch AFL more. But to be fair, I grew up a massive sports fan - I was watching every sport under the sun when I was a kid.” 

It was in Western Australia that Beeson first picked up a Sherrin, beginning her football journey at age 12 before eventually returning to New South Wales and continuing on with the sport.  

Back home, she played Sydney senior women's football while still in Years 11 and 12, regularly making the trip from the Central Coast to Sydney to represent Macquarie University. 

Those sacrifices eventually paid off when the league announced the landmark decision to form an elite female football competition – the AFLW.  

After progressing through state pathways and representative football, Beeson soon found herself among a group of footballers who would form the foundations of the GIANTS' inaugural AFLW squad in 2017.  

While she has since become an integral piece of the GIANTS’ fabric, the AFLW skipper admits her memories of the GIANTS entering the AFL in 2012 are tied more to one headline-grabbing recruit than the club itself. 

"I remember it being this massive thing that Israel Folau decided to switch codes to the AFL," Beeson said. 

"That's probably what I remember most about the GIANTS coming into the competition." 

By the time the AFLW was launched several years later, Beeson had established herself within the state's football pathways and was ready to seize an opportunity few had ever imagined possible. 

"It wasn't something I had ever thought about or dreamed of," she said. 

"But when the opportunity came about, every women's footballer in the country was pretty pumped that this opportunity was finally coming around." 

Like many involved in those pioneering years, Beeson admits nobody truly knew what to expect. 

"I don't think anyone really knew what was going on. We were all kind of flying by the seat of our pants. 

"No one really knew what to do." 

For Beeson, who was drafted at just 19 years of age, it made for an exciting introduction to elite football. 

"I came in as one of the youngest players on the team," she said. 

"It was all new and exciting, and it was pretty cool." 

Now entering her eleventh season at the club, Beeson can clearly see how far both the GIANTS and the AFLW have come. 

"I think being one of the original eight AFLW clubs is pretty special," she said. 

"I've been able to see the club evolve from those early days and those first seasons where everyone was just trying to figure things out." 

The contrast between then and now is stark. 

Back in the inaugural season, AFLW programs were operating with limited resources and facilities. Today, players have access to world-class environments, dedicated support staff and increasingly professional standards. 

"The evolution has been incredible," Beeson said. 

"A lot of the players now are essentially full-time athletes." 

While the facilities and professionalism have transformed, it's the relationships formed along the way that Beeson treasures most. 

"I've made so many lifelong friends from being at this footy club over the past 10 years," she said. 

Among those friendships is teammate and former captain Alicia Eva, who joined the club in season two. 

"I remember looking up to her when she first came to the club," Beeson said. 

"Now she's one of my really good mates." 

As the GIANTS celebrate their 15th year of AFL, and their 11th in the AFLW, Beeson believes the next chapter for the AFLW is clear. 

For her, the competition's continued growth lies in creating a fully professional environment across every club. 

"I think the next stage of growth is transitioning both playing groups and staff groups across all clubs to being fully professional," she said. 

"That's where the next phase of growth comes from. 

“Everyone is there together, every day, practising their craft, developing skills, learning about the game and reviewing footage. 

“At the moment we're often trying to fit everything into limited weekly hours. 

“I think that's where the next phase of growth comes from and I'm confident that with the new CBA coming up in 2027, we'll continue making good strides towards that.”