AFLW star pays tribute to late cousin Ben Austin: ‘Hearts break’

AFLW Star Honors Late Cousin Ben Austin

Emotions ran high as Carlton forward Mia Austin was surrounded by teammates after scoring a goal during the Blues’ dominant 41-point win over West Coast on Saturday, advancing them to the semi-finals. The moment became deeply personal when Austin used her goal celebration to honor her late cousin, Ben.

Just before the three-quarter time siren, Austin took a strong mark and converted truly, breaking into tears as teammates mobbed her in shared emotion. The tribute came a week after 17-year-old Ben Austin tragically lost his life when struck by a cricket ball during warm-ups for a T20 match.

“Your heart breaks with this vision, doesn’t it?” Abbey Holmes said on Channel 7. “You can see how much this means to Mia Austin — just the teammates, it gives me goosebumps looking at that, the love and support shown there.”
Alister Nicholson added: “A moment of great poignancy on the three-quarter time siren. It has been such a challenging time for the Austin family following the tragic passing of young Ben in the cricket training accident.”

Emotional Impact and Team Support

The heartfelt tribute highlighted the unity within the team and the emotional resilience of Austin as she balanced personal grief and sporting triumph in a defining AFLW moment.

Author’s summary: Mia Austin’s emotional tribute to her late cousin Ben during Carlton’s win over West Coast became a moving AFLW moment of love, loss, and team solidarity.

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7NEWS Australia 7NEWS Australia — 2025-11-07

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