AFL Sydney Rising Star nominees – Week 13
Image courtesy of Leigh Gazzard.
AFL Sydney Men’s Week 13 Rising Star nominee
Name: Matt Edwards
Nickname: Eddies
AFL Sydney Club: Camden Cats
Position: Centre Half Back
Junior Club: Camden Junior AFL
Favourite activity to do outside of football: Hanging with his mates.
What is one thing that we don’t know about this Rising Star that they are well known for around the club? Matt is a great talent, has played NEAFL for the Giants and was a member of the Giants Academy until the end of his eighteenth year. Matt also played over 200 games for Camden Juniors.
What role do they play for the club both on and off the field? Matt has a leadership role both on and off the field, very well respected by both senior and junior players.
The night before the game what will they most likely be doing? Normally at home watching footy after working a 10 hour day.
Do they have any pre-game superstitions? No superstitions, just digs in and gets the job done.
Reason for nomination this round: Matt was nominated this week for his continued improvement during the season. He normally gets the best forward each week and whilst standing at 196cm is often playing on players that are as tall but 10kgs heavier and have played plenty of Premier Division footy.
Coach quote on Performance:
“Matt came back to Camden after his time in the Giants Academy. He was very focused on helping the Cats become successful in Premier Division in 2018. He takes on roles and continually gives his best, showcasing his great skills by hand and foot. Matt’s performances have steadily improved over the course of the year and now is a permanent and important part of our back-line structure.”
Image courtesy of UTS Shamrocks Media.
AFL Sydney Women’s Week 13 Rising Star nominee
Name: Garner Hancock
Nickname: GIGI
AFL Sydney Club: UTS Shamrocks
Position: Full Back, Back Pocket, Half Back Flank.
Junior Club: N/A
Favourite activity to do outside of football: Hiking and reading.
What is one thing that we don’t know about this Rising Star that they are well known for around the club? Gigi makes the best Chocolate Caramel Slice! It’s a Coaches favourite!
What role do they play for the club both on and off the field? Gigi is new to AFL this year and is still learning the game however her role on the field is increasing each week as she continues to get more game time in the Back-line. She has already stepped up as a leader off the field and has taken up a key motivator role at the club and is a key in link between our Premier Division Team and the UTS Shamrocks Division Two team.
The night before the game what will they most likely be doing? Cooking whilst listening to podcasts or doing some math or physics problems.
Do they have any pre-game superstitions? To make sure I have taped both my ankles properly and have water bottles and a towel, I haven’t really developed any pre game superstitions yet.
Reason for nomination this round: Gigi started out playing for Division Two at the start of the season, her first run with the Premier Division consisted of about 5 minutes of game time, and this did not discourage Gigi to continue to work on her game at training and also further developing in division Two. Gigi has now played the last four games in Premier Division and has dramatically increased her game time due to her skill improvement and is now playing almost half a game deep in our back-line.
Coach quote on Performance:
“Gigi is the youngest member of the Shamrocks at only 18 years old, her attitude to develop her football skills has been key to her success. She is always open to feedback from the coaches and other senior players and works on her skills outside of club training. We are excited each week to put Gigi under pressure in defence and see her stand up to the task, and with some tough games over the past few weeks it has certainly not been easy for her to achieve.
Gigi has an accurate big kick and is working on her small to medium target kicks, she has great body work and is really starting to read the play well. Gigi’s height is a great attribute in the back-line being able to take on some of the taller forwards and she has the speed to run the ball out and create space. We are looking forward to seeing Gigi continue to develop over the next few weeks but she is already talking of football next year which is a promising sign that she has fallen in love with the game.”
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