Calder Cannons unveil their NAB League Girls squad for 2022 season
Abbey McDonald is the standout talent at the Calder Cannons in 2022 but there’s plenty more exciting young prospects on the NAB League Girls list.
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Calder Cannons have confirmed their squad for the NAB League Girls season.
While the official fixture is yet to be release, the new season kicks off on January 22 with the Cannons to face Eastern Ranges.
Calder finished seventh last season but had great success on AFLW Draft night with four players selected, including three in the first round.
The elite pathway club hopes to replicate that success with another talented group of young players primed for a big season.
Entering her draft season, 18-year-old Abbey McDonald is the Cannons’ sole representative in the Vic Metro Under-19 hub.
McDonald was a part of the Vic Metro Under-17 program last season and stands out with clean skills and versatility.
Cannons talent manager Matt Burton said the Sunbury junior was an exciting prospect.
“She played most, if not all, games last year as a 17-year-old and was a Vic Metro Under-17 representative,” Burton said.
“Abbie’s got great skills, ultra competitive, she’s someone we enjoy having in the side because she can play in every position and (coach) Ross (Smith) consistently asks her where she wants to play.
“Abbie has got really high goals for her footy and she’s a lot of fun to be around.”
At 162cm, McDonald is dangerous across all three lines, she averaged nine disposals and two tackles in two Vic Metro Under-17 games last season and 11 touches, 4.7 tackles in nine NAB League outings.
Meanwhile, McDonald’s Sunbury and Vic Metro Under-17 teammate Reece Sutton was surprisingly overlooked for a spot in the 2022 hub.
However after averaging 10 disposals a game at Vic Metro and NAB League level last season, Burton expects the 159cm prospect to catch the eye of recruiters.
“She was part of Under-17 Vic Metro last year and we thought she was pretty stiff to miss the Vic Metro hub this season,” he said.
“Reece has worked incredibly hard over the off-season to get herself really fit, something she wanted to work on was her speed, so she’s worked really hard on that.
“She’s really clean and another one that can play in multiple positions.”
The Cannons have named four 19-year-olds in the squad this season.
Kasey Lennox, Olivia Manfre, Mali McLeod and Neve Crowley will hope to impress AFLW recruiters after being overlooked last year.
Lennox, Manfre and McLeod are all training with Essendon ahead of the VFLW season, which begins in February, with Lennox also earning an invite to train with Carlton’s AFLW squad.
Former player Shelby Myers will also return as a development coach while she mixes duties with Essendon VFLW.
Having trained and played alongside the likes of AFLW Rising Star favourite Georgie Prespakis, Emilia Yassir, Zali Friswell and Tahlia Gillard last season, the 2022 squad got a first-hand view of what it takes to be drafted.
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Prespakis and Friswell debuted for Geelong in Round 1 on Saturday while Yassir featured for Richmond.
“We were pretty fortunate with Georgie, Millsy, Zali and Tahlia and the work ethic they brought to the program, we were enriched to have them,” Burton said.
“They set the standard at training and showed what it takes to improve in your draft year and what it takes to be an AFLW prospect.
“We’ve got some aspirational footballers this year and we’re blessed with the talent we’ve got across the program.”
CALDER CANNONS NAB LEAGUE GIRLS SQUAD 2022
Maddison Albrecht (Craigieburn)
Chloe Baker-West (Strathmore)
Sally Barclay (Greenvale)
Lily Bateman (Maribyrnong Park)
Ava Britt (Strathmore)
Camryn Bux (Essendon Doutta Stars)
Harriet Cashmore (Aberfeldie)
Lara Churchill (Aberfeldie)
Bridie Collings (Gisborne)
Molly Connell (Woodend)
Mikeala Crewes Strathmore)
Neve Crowley (Aberfeldie)
Maisy Crowther (Woodend)
Mia D’Agostino (Maribyrnong Park)
Georgia Duggan (Strathmore)
Kyla Forbes (Aberfeldie)
Maddison Ford (Wallan)
Amy Gaylor (Strathmore)
Ava Gerada (Westmeadows)
Chelsea Gillard (Strathmore)
Eden Grant (Sunbury Kangaroos)
Caitlin Grech (St. Bernards)
Chloe Haritopolous (Brunswick)
Shenay Ibrahim (Flemington)
Kayley Kavanagh (Strathmore)
Kasey Lennox (South Morang)
Olivia Manfre (Keilor)
Hannah Masters (Greenvale)
Tegan Matthews (Keilor)
Chelsea McDermott (Westmeadows)
Abbey McDonald (Sunbury)
Sarah McKinnon (Strathmore)
Mali McLeod (Essendon Doutta Stars)
Talia Motta (Greenvale)
Kasey Mueller (Sunbury)
Isabelle Murphy (Greenvale)
Ella Nickolaus (Essendon Doutta Stars)
Amy O’Kelly (Gisborne)
Sarah O’Toole (Strathmore)
Chloe Prpic (Gisborne)
Tahlia Read (Maribyrnong Park)
Jayla Rutley (Essendon Doutta Stars)
Claudia Santoro (Aberfeldie)
Ellie Sbeghen (West Brunswick)
Trilby Sheppard (Westmeadows)
Ruby Smith (Westmeadows)
Maree Stephenson (Wallan)
Reese Sutton (Sunbury)
April Thompson (Diamond Creek)
Amy Trindade (Strathmore)
Lyra Veneigas (Flemington)
Maddison Wilczynski (East Keilor)
Saskia Williams (West Coburg)
Heidi Woodley (Diamond Creek)
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