As the AFLW Bulldogs took to Sydney for their official practice match against the GIANTS, one player was particularly looking forward to setting foot on her home turf.

Born and raised in Roseville, located on the lower north shore of Sydney, Carruthers’ love for the game would begin at an early age - joining her brother Sam at their local club North Shore Bombers.

“I started playing footy when my brother’s local team started a women's team and I just absolutely loved it,” Carruthers said.

“Then I joined the GIANTS and the Swans as a train on, so it was an always a bridesmaid, never a bride kind of situation.”

From then, chasing the dream of playing at the top level became an obsession for Carruthers.

Driven by her self-belief that she could offer more, she would eventually move down to Melbourne in search of greater opportunities.

And she took it into her own hands - her mission to catch the eye of anyone who could get her where she wanted to be.

“I put together a video on YouTube of my highlight reel…and then I sent it to every single list manager,” she said.

“I was a real hustler back in the day. I found this manager…who told me I should move to Melbourne and play VFL(W), so I did.

“I went to the Dogs and they just embraced me. Nathan Burke was there at the time and he instantly was like ‘we love you, we want to have you’.”

While the move to Melbourne paid off, Carruthers’ choice to move away from her family, friends and the comfort of home was no easy decision.

Sitting beside sister older Georgia during the Dogs’ most recent trip to Sydney, the close-knit nature of the Carruthers family became clear.

The two reminisced fondly of childhoods spent playing sport, time with friends and Christmas performances which quickly became the main event.

“We all played lots of sports, my brother played footy and we all played soccer and did a lot of running and touch footy, but we were definitely quite an arts family,” Carruthers said.

“I only realised recently how strange this is but when mum and dad would have friends over we’d have to perform for them.”

"Dad plays the saxophone, and my brother and I play saxophone.

“Georgia (older sister) was a trumpet player and we all learnt piano. So if you come to Christmas it’s a palaver, it's crazy.”

“It’s a beautiful place to grow up so we were very lucky.”

It is clear that Dom’s achievements in making her AFLW dreams come true is a point of pride for the entire Carruthers family.

“We’re so excited to have Dom playing a game in Sydney, we obviously try to travel down to Melbourne as much as we can but we don't often all come together,” Georgia added.

“I think she's really such an inspiration…the way (she) really hustled into this, every single opportunity (she) worked so hard for and nothing has come easily.

“(She) really had to work hard at every single point and now it's all paying off and we’re so proud to see it happen.”

Carruthers signed a one-year contract extension this week to remain at Mission Whitten Oval for the 2027 NAB AFLW season.