Calder Cannons Youth Girls Academy pair Madison Prespakis and Deanna Berry excited by AFL Women’s introduction

CALDER Cannons have been at the forefront of the development of youth girls football in recent years, producing stars such as Madison Prespakis and Deanna Berry.

Madison Prespakis (left) and Deanna Berry are prospects for the new AFL Women’s competition. Picture: Carmelo Bazzano.

CALDER Cannons have long been renowned as one of the TAC Cup’s ‘footy factories’.

With an impressive AFL draft record stretching back to 1995, Calder has produced stars such as Ryan O’Keefe, Paul Chapman, Jude Bolton and James Kelly who have gone on to carve out successful careers at the top level.

In recent years, the club has been at the forefront of the development of youth girls football in Victoria, running an academy for the brightest prospects from Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs since 2012.

Deanna Berry and Madison Prespakis are two of those.

Berry, from Whittlesea, captained the Cannons academy this year and will be eligible to be chosen in the inaugural AFL Women’s draft.

The 18-year-old said joining the elite competition would be a dream come true.

Berry was introduced to football at Northern Football League club Mernda, signing up to Auskick when she was four.

One year later, she begged her mother Delwyn to let her play in the Demons’ under-9 side.

Deanna Berry celebrates Vic Metro’s Under-18 National Championships win. Picture: George Salpigtidis.

“You still hear that odd male that (says) ‘females can’t play footy’, but it’s normally the males that haven’t watched a game of female footy,” Berry said.

“I guarantee if you turn around and tell them to watch a game of footy, they’ll turn around and say we can play footy.

“It’s been incredible to see how fast it’s moved in that short amount of time.”

Berry showcased her talents in the Victorian Women’s Football League with Montmorency last year, booting 43 goals from 12 games including a haul of 12 against VU-St Albans.

The Collingwood supporter has joined VFL Women’s outfit Melbourne Uni this year, moving another step closer to realising the goal she has long held to play in a national women’s competition.

The AFL Women’s league will feature eight teams next year — Collingwood, Carlton, Melbourne, Western Bulldogs, Brisbane, Fremantle, Adelaide and Greater Western Sydney.

Berry has already had a taste of playing on the MCG as part of the Vic Metro side which took out the Under-18 National Championships this year.

“It’s something I’ll never forget,” the forward said.

“I hurt my shoulder in that game and I still walk around saying ‘I hurt my shoulder on the MCG playing in a national carnival grand final’.

“It was definitely a dream come true and I hope to do it so many more times.”

Prespakis might be three years away from being eligible to be drafted, but her performances with Sunbury Lions and for Vic Metro have made scouts stand up and take notice.

Madison Prespakis celebrates a goal for Vic Metro. Picture: George Salpigtidis.

The 15-year-old from Sunbury was one of Vic Metro’s standout players throughout the national carnival.

She said she was overcome with emotion before the grand final, which the Victorian side won by 95 points.

“I actually cried before we ran out, I couldn’t believe it,” Prespakis said.

“I was about to play on the MCG. Just to be able to not only play on it, to be winning a national grand final (at) the MCG was just another dream come true and definitely ticked that off the bucket list.”

The midfielder, who started playing football to follow in her dad Damien’s footsteps, said a professional sporting career had always been the only career path she had entertained.

“Everyone asked me, ‘what do you want to do when you’re older?’ I was always like, ‘I want to play AFL football’,” she said.

“Now that it’s actually going to be a thing for women, it’s something I’m going to work hard toward for the next few years as I’m only young.”

Prespakis, an Essendon supporter, said her friends at Gisborne Secondary College and family were confident she had the talent to earn an AFL opportunity.

“Everyone was just saying to me, ‘oh my god, you could get drafted to one of these teams and you could actually play AFL football’,” she said.

“I just couldn’t believe it. I was like, ‘wow, it’s actually a women’s AFL’.”

GROWTH OF YOUTH GIRLS ACADEMIES

2008-2011: One academy based at Windy Hill

2012: Metro academy (Calder Cannons) and country academy (North Ballarat)

2013: Calder Cannons, Sandringham Dragons and North Ballarat.

2015: Geelong/Western, Murray Bushrangers and Dandenong Stingrays introduced.

2016: Bendigo Pioneers and Gippsland Power rolled out.

2017: Oakleigh Chargers, Eastern Ranges and Northern Knights to be added, Geelong Falcons and Western Jets academies to be split.