Geelong Cats set to lock in Georgie Prespakis to multi-year deal after best and fairest win

Geelong is set to lock in its best and fairest winner to a multi-year deal after a dominant campaign in the hoops.

Geelong Cats midfielder Georgie Prespakis with her 2023 best and fairest medal. Picture: Cats Media

Geelong star Georgie Prespakis is on the verge of signing a multi-year deal to remain in the hoops after a dominant 2023 campaign.

The 20 year old, who was selected second overall in the 2021 AFLW draft, won the Cats’ best and fairest award to become the club’s second-youngest ever winner of the medal.

With the new Collective Bargaining Agreement signed in September, AFLW players have the ability to sign longer-term contracts without a cap on the maximum terms of the deal.

Prespakis said she had no plans on leaving the club, and hoped to have a deal confirmed in the coming days as the Cats look to lock in their playing list ahead of the draft on Monday, December 18.

“I was really fortunate enough to get picked up by Geelong,” she said.

“Geelong took me and I’m so very grateful and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, I do love the football club here and I do think from an outside perspective everyone sees that culturally we’ve got a really amazing culture here at Geelong.

Georgie Prespakis is expected to sign a multi-year deal to remain in Geelong. Picture: Dylan Burns

“We’re on a really good trajectory, and hopefully some success will come in the next few years.

“It (contract extension) is still in the works, obviously with the season only finishing a couple of weeks ago they’ve got the draft coming up and looking at bringing in some talent so unsure as of yet, but we’ll find out shortly I hope.”

Prespakis will not be the only Cat to sign an extension for next season, with Geelong set to retain the majority of its list from 2023.

Mia Skinner, Ingrid Houtsma and Sammy Gooden were all delisted at the start of December, while the Cats have committed to drafting father-daughter selection Bryde O’Rourke in the draft on Monday.

The new CBA deal will see the average AFLW player salary increase from the current $46,000 to about $82,000, with contracts being extended to year-round rather than just season-long deals.

Prespakis won Geelong’s best and fairest in 2023. Picture: Michael Klein

It is expected that Prespakis will become one of the highest-paid Cats women’s players going into next season.

Melbourne has been quick to utilise the new CBA rules to extend captain Kate Hore and vice-captain Tyla Hanks until the end of 2027 and Lily Mithen until the end of 2026, while grand finalists North Melbourne also signed star Jasmine Garner until the end of 2027.

Prepakis said the commitment players and clubs were making to each other was good for the AFLW.

“I think it’s really exciting with this new CBA, enabling girls to be able to sign longer contracts at their clubs,” she said.

“It just goes to show the commitment that girls are wanting to have to their football clubs and I guess we’ll see.”

Prespakis averaged 24.2 disposals, 7.2 tackles and 6.6 clearances per game in 2023.

Originally published as Geelong Cats set to lock in Georgie Prespakis to multi-year deal after best and fairest win