The Game Footy Tipping’s Early Bird prize winner says getting the call she had won the $10,000 thanks to Thirsty Camel was such a shock she thought it may have been a scam but that it was an exciting moment ahead of the season.

The footy has always been a family affair for Beryl - who hails from South Australia - after falling in love with the sport when her father played and when she dived into her children’s club.

She started as an Essendon supporter before becoming a Crows diehard when Adelaide entered the competition.

“I’ve been supporting footy for many years after my father was playing when I was a little girl back in South Australia,” she told The West Australian.

“When I got back into football again after having children, my sons played for the local team, and I ran the canteen and became the secretary, and that’s what football’s been to me all along, a family affair.

“In fact, I was the first woman to ever get the best club person back home for Noarlunga.”

Beryl has now lived in Perth for 13 years and runs a 30-strong family tipping competition.

But the 87-year-old was looking for a second challenge.

“I saw The Game in the paper because we get that every day and thought why don’t I have a go at it and that’s what I did,” she said.

“I just joined it to be in the fun. I just can’t believe that it’s happened to me just for going into a tipping competition.”

While she wasn’t making any big claims surrounding her tipping aspirations, she admitted she had high hopes for her Crows, especially with favourite Taylor Walker looking good.

“I think they will go very close to the top, and I hope they go top,” she said.

The Early Bird prize may be gone, but it’s not too late to sign up to The Game to have your crack at the $50,000 grand prize, the weekly $1000 prize, as well as go in the running for a brand new Mazda BT-50 Dual Cab 4x4 SP Pickup Auto, valued at more than $76,000.

But be quick, with the opening round bouncing down on Thursday, March 7, as Sydney takes on Melbourne at the SCG.