It's the human face of Capital Football's decision to cut Monaro from the women's premier league. A 13-year-old girl in tears because her club is gone.
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Not to mention players potentially lost to the game and a co-president falling on his sword because he feels like he's let down the community.
But it won't stop the Panthers from fighting for their NPLW future, having already sought legal advice and started to look into appealing a decision they believe will hurt soccer in the region.
Capital Football announced on Friday the 53-year-old club would be axed from next year's NPLW after having just a few weeks to apply for a spot.
That's despite the Panthers saying they have the third-most female players in the NPLW.
Opposition clubs have already started to make moves for Monaro's talent.
The decision raised concerns about Capital Football's objectivity after the governing body decided to keep their own team - Canberra United Academy, which draws its players from the other clubs - in the league.
Panthers secretary John Santolini spoke of the heartbreak of Grace, who broke down in tears when she heard the decision.
Not to mention the girls who travel from Bega and Batemans Bay to play for the club.
While they've struggled in the past, they'd taken steps to turn things around - including forming a partnership with the Brindabella Blues to develop a pathway to the NPLW.
"We've got a whole region of people who will now miss out," Santolini said.
"I got a call from a guy who ... said his daughter read the post that we're out and she started crying. She just started bawling.
"If she doesn't play for us she won't be playing anywhere else and it just got to me.
"She came out of being really shy ... and through the year she's gotten so confident and grew to love the game. And now she won't play anymore."
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Monaro co-president Anthony Nicoletti took the decision so hard he handed in his resignation on Sunday morning - not that the Panthers were likely to accept it.
He felt players would now be lost to Australian football, netball and rugby league.
That could mean the future Karly Roestbakken could be lost to the game, given the Matildas defender came through the Monaro ranks.
"I'm very disappointed ... The letter we received outlining the decision from Capital Football has not given us a mechanism to appeal," Nicoletti said.
"But we're certainly looking at all our legal options. We have engaged legal advice and we'll continue with that this week.
"We've written to Capital Football requesting all information regarding the application process [and] who was involved.
"If they don't do that we'll probably seek an injunction to get that information off them."
David Polkinghorne
Covering the Raiders, Cavalry, cycling and racing, plus everything else that involves sport in the ACT, for The Canberra Times. Basically I love sport and watching it is a full-time job. Email: david.polkinghorne@canberratimes.com.au
Covering the Raiders, Cavalry, cycling and racing, plus everything else that involves sport in the ACT, for The Canberra Times. Basically I love sport and watching it is a full-time job. Email: david.polkinghorne@canberratimes.com.au
