Chantella Perera the latest athlete to juggle basketball and footy

BASKETBALLER Chantella Perera is the latest top sportswoman to have a crack at footy, but she plans to try and juggle the two codes.

Chantella Perera will juggle basketball and football this season. Picture: Christopher Chan.

WORKING for Hawthorn has led four-time WNBL championship player Chantella Perera to take up footy and represent the club.

A senior digital producer with creative services business Kojo, Perera was looking after the Hawks match day content and branding when an ad for the club’s new VFL women’s side Box Hill came across her desk late last year.

Seven months later the 30-year-old will debut for Box Hill in Saturday’s season opener then suit up for Kilsyth in SEABL the next day as she juggles the Sherrin and a basketball for the next few months.

“I went along to a talent identification day last November with a friend to see what it was all about, got a taste for it then nothing really happened,’’ she said.

“I do some work with Hawthorn and I came across the Box Hill tryouts and thought I’d go along.

I didn’t tell my work contact at the Hawks for a long time then after a while I said ‘just letting you know I’m down at Waverley every Thursday night.’ They were so excited for me which was really cute.”

Managing her workload and open communication with Kilsyth coach Samantha Woosnam and Box Hill coach Patrick Hill has been paramount for Perera.

“It’s been a bit of a juggle but I was really honest with both my coaches and they’ve both been really flexible and understanding,’’ she said.

“Sammy was keen to have me part of the team so she was happy to work around what I needed to do and Patty at Hawks has been really good and knows I’m a contracted basketballer and there’ll be times where basketball needs to come first.

“We don’t have many clashes with games, there are a few and I will play basketball when there is.

Erin Phillips in action for the Crows.. Picture: Adam Head

… and playing for the Boomers at the Olympics. Picture: AFP

“At Kilsyth we did all the hard yards with interstate games early and we don’t go to Tassie this year so we only have a trip to Sydney left so I’ll just play basketball that weekend.

“My priority is basketball then as much as I can footy. At the moment it’s looking really good but it’s just about managing my load.”

The 174cm point guard will play in the backline in the inaugural Box Hill team.

“It’s really weird, I’m quite tall for footy and I’m so used to being so small, a midget, in basketball,’’ Perera said.

“My athleticism has probably helped me so far with footy, running off the backline and using my height to help defend. Being so new to the game it will be a good way to work my way in.”

Perera said she was glued to AFL W and watching fellow basketballers and former teammates and opponents Erin Phillips, WNBL games record holder Jess Bibby and Lauren Pearce in action.

“It was cool to watch all the girls from different codes and that’s the thing I’ve found has helped me, there’s heaps of transferable skills,’’ she said.

“Erin is obviously the benchmark and it’s been good to see a former teammate in Lauren play both sports too.”