Geelong midfielder Georgie Prespakis opens up on her road to 50 AFLW games
Geelong gun Georgie Prespakis entered the AFLW as a draft phenom and younger sister of a league best and fairest. Now, on the cusp of 50 games, the star onballer recalls how she handled those pressures.
Cats’ star onballer Georgie Prespakis admits there was a time she’d spent too much time trying to prove herself to others.
Entering the AFLW in 2021 as a highly-touted prospect – a NAB League (now Coates Talent League) best and fairest at just 16 before securing the double two years later – Prespakis also held the weight of the Prespakis name, older sister Maddy already a star in her own right as a league best and fairest at Carlton.
Her own harshest critic, the line-breaking midfielder is now content to prove herself to herself, rather than anyone else, when she runs out for game 50 on Saturday afternoon against GWS Giants.
“It certainly had its challenges and still does with my own performance,” Prespakis said of those high expectations placed on her.
“I’m probably one of my harshest critics and quite hard on myself, but I probably spent a lot of time wanting to prove what I’m capable of to everyone else.
“But I’ve kind of steered away from that and tried to just be able to prove to myself of that. “It’s my fifth season now and I know that I’ve grown as a person and as a player, so (it’s) just being more comfortable with what my strengths look like and what I’m able to bring to the team.”
Maddy – now at Essendon — offered a road map into the AFLW for Prespakis, and while early days in the league were “a reality check”, quick success came in an maiden all-Australian jacket by age 19 and a club best and fairest by 20.
“It’s a funny one, because although we are siblings, we probably try steer away from the football conversations quite a lot,” Prespakis said.
“I always kind of followed in her footsteps and went to a few of her AFLW trainings at Carlton at the time and it was something that I really enjoyed watching. “But as much as you kind of think that you’re prepared and what not, you never know what to fully expect.”
Opting in to heading down the Princes Freeway at a time players nominated which states or regions they wished to get drafted to, it paved the way for the Cats to pounce on the Melbourne teen with their second pick.
“It’s certainly one I’m grateful for, being down in Geelong, you are away from the Melbourne bubble and it’s that little bit cruisier,” she said.
“(And) I’m pretty lucky to have come to a team that I has such a strong midfield that I’ve been able to learn so much off.”
Joining the Cats the same time as current coach Dan Lowther, Prespakis credited his “massive influence” on her in her time in hoops so far.
“It’s our fifth season together … he’s always tried to kind of help me through my midfield craft and just continuing to evolve as a player and he keeps me pretty grounded, which is often good at times,” she said.
For Lowther, he admits there is a soft spot for Prespakis considering she arrived in his first draft class. But equally, he’s only been impressed with her “high end” professionalism for day dot. “She’s come into that period … where that was the shift in sinking your teeth into a program from a full-time mindset perspective and she’s done that from the start,” Lowther said.
“Every year she steps up in regards to an aspect of her game, the way she studies the game.
“She’s now a really strong mentor to our younger players, even though she’s a young player herself.
“I’m just pleased that she’s playing consistent footy this year and she’s really happy with the way she’s going.”
Injuries in 2024 might have plagued Prespakis in terms of consistency and confidence in her body, but her form this year off the back of a big pre-season speaks for itself the 22-year-old averaging 26.3 disposals – 14.1 contested – seven clearances, 5.6 tackles, 411 metres gained and five score involvements across the first eight rounds.
“It’s nice to get a little bit of consistency into my game and also be able to evolve in not only my midfield position, but whether it’s moving forward and whether I’m getting attention, how I can influence the game — whether that’s more at stoppage or getting involved in the run and carry, which I think we do really well as a team being able to have the balance when we need to,” she said.
Several narrow losses might have been “the story” of the Cats’ recent seasons, but Prespakis isn’t shying away the challenge of four wins from four games in a bid to return to finals actions – starting with a win in game 50.“
Rather than look at that as a scary thing, it’s certainly an exciting opportunity and one that I think we’re all up for, for sure,” she said.
Open season on spots, says Cats coach
Geelong AFLW coach Dan Lowther says captain Meghan McDonald would continue to fight to regain her spot back in the team, after the 34-year-old was dropped for a fifth game this year.
McDonald, who sits one game shy of a 75th game milestone and is signed on an one-year contract, was named an emergency for Saturday’s must-win clash against GWS Giants after returning last round against Carlton following four weeks on the outer.
The two-time All Australian defender makes way alongside midfielder Caitlin Thorne, with Julia Crockett-Grills to return from a hamstring injury and tall utility Erica Fowler recalled.
A number of the Cats’ veterans have found themselves out of the team this year, with fellow tall Kate Darby also an emergency against GWS and forward Shelley Scott (calf) yet to be seen this season.
“It’s open competition for positions in the team,” Lowther declared.
“Meg’s a professional, she’s fighting for a position just like our first year players are doing the same thing, they want to play.
“She’s got a milestone game as her next game, which we’re all fully aware of.
“Winning is the key for us, so we want to keep winning and giving our players a chance to play, whether it be a final or a milestone game, the next week is what we’re after.
“So as long as all of our players are challenging each other, they all give themselves the best chance to particularly get picked for whatever we need them to do.”
The Cats face a month of elimination final-like games if they’re to reach finals, with a defeat to GWS Giants on Saturday all but likely to end their finals hopes for a second year.
“I think the girls are aware that the outcome this weekend is going to maybe shift the needle a little bit in regards to what we do for the next three or four rounds,” Lowther said.
“But we want to keep playing more games, and winning helps that.”
Crockett-Grills‘ return against the Giants will see Rachel Kearns swing back into her traditional defensive post, after playing as a permanent forward last round against the Blues.
Lowther said Crockett-Grills offered the Cats’ forward half more stability.
“It doesn’t mean that Rach might not play a dual position there, it’s still on the cards for her, but Crock back in the team, it just makes sense to play her (Kearns) where she was playing before,” he said.
Conditioning no concern says coach, amid Cats’ last quarter worries
Lowther remains confident conditioning isn’t behind the Cats’ final quarter worries this season.
The Cats have been outscored 21 goals to seven in fourth quarters this year, and had lost four final terms, won two and split the other two.
Lowther didn’t appear concerned about his players’ abilities to run out games when asked, adding they were “fitter than ever” under new strength and conditioning coach Tennille Cuttiford.
“I don’t think there’s a concern about running out games, I think sometimes the way we play our game and credit to opposition too that maybe take away and force things to happen that we don’t want to happen,” he said.
“I think it’s getting some consistency around how we play the game from quarter one to quarter four can support our capacity to play the game our way for longer.
“And I think we’re probably falling away in that regard after half time where we’re spending a lot of tickets in the first half of the game, whether it be trying to get the ball back through our defensive aspect or the way we move the footy hasn’t been conducive to playing the game at a tempo consistent over four quarters.
“So we’re aware that … we get to the back end of games and there’s a chance that we might not quite have the energy that we need.
“It’s not through a condition aspect – the girls are as fit as they’ve ever been which is great.
“It’s just about making sure that we play a brand that allows us to be more consistent with our capacity to run, through how we play the game from the start of the game, not so much at the end.”
‘Fighter’: How Cats winger turned draft snub into opportunity
Geelong AFLW coach Dan Lowther has described first-year Cat Emma Kilpatrick as a “fighter”.
And when Sunday’s match against Carlton was right up for grabs as four points separated to the two clubs midway through the final quarter – a striking sequence from the teenager epitomised just how willing she was to fight for her team and her place in it.
With the Blues attempting to switch the ball, the winger launched herself back with the flight of the ball to get a fist over Blues’ Brooke Vickers and onto the ball, then fronting back up for a shepherd and intercept with the contest rife close to the Cats’ forward 50 line, with a crunching tackle on an opponent coming minutes later.
One commenter on social media platform X called it “the making of Emma Kilpatrick”.
In her first match back from a concussion, and standing at only 165cm, Kilpatrick’s courage was undeniable, and she had started the match a touch rusty after the week off – including a first quarter kick out of bounds – the teen quickly got her mojo back as the game wore on to finish with 11 touches, two tackles and 263 metres gained.
“She’s a really strong runner, contested player, I thought she had a bit of a moment there late in the game where she had two or three strong efforts on the wing where she had to win those critical contests and she did,” Lowther elaborated on Kilpatrick post-match.
“She’s a fighter, a real strong competitor for us.”
After missing out on December’s national draft before the Cats snapped her up as a replacement player in April, Kilpatrick has made a quick and lasting impression at Kardinia Park.
Immediately cementing her place in the Cats’ best 21, a concussion against Port Adelaide was the only reason keeping her out of the side in round 7.
A career-best 15 touches came in round 5 against Richmond, where she also registered her first AFLW goal with a long-range dagger from outside 50m.
But having entered her first season with no exceptions, it’s why a round 1 debut came out of the blue for the 19-year-old.
“Oh my God, it was the biggest shock. When they announced it, I was just gobsmacked,” Kilpatrick recalled after the Cats’ eventual 18-point defeat to the Blues on Sunday.
Starting the season in defence, Kilpatrick has found herself back on a wing, where she had spent the past two seasons in the SAFNL with West Adelaide, having also made a previous move from the backline.
“Having the support across both lines has been awesome, as well as the coaching stuff,” Kilpatrick said.
“We work as lines together and we intertwine, so that’s been good and I’m feeling a lot more comfortable, still getting used to the pace, but no, definitely settling in now.”
Uprooting her life from Adelaide, Kilpatrick believed the move to Geelong and “into a new environment” had had a positive effect on her football – though a supportive family aren’t far away, travelling every week to her games.
“No one knew who I was (here), having a fresh start, no expectation, just coming out and putting my head down and just playing footy, and it got me to where I am now,” Kilpatrick said of her move.
“I had no expectations (of the AFLW) … I’ve kind of just come into it with the unknown and just taking it as it comes.”
There has been plenty of team support in Kilpatrick’s corner, including backline coach Elise Coventry and now Nathan Brown as her midfield coach, as well as fellow winger Zali Friswell and a host of defenders. “She’s really been helping me with the structure and learning that,” Kilpatrick said of Friswell.
“Becky (Webster), Gunj (Claudia Gunjaca), G. (Georgie) Rankin, they’ve been really, really good,” she said.
“They’re obviously in the backline, but also when I’ve transitioned to the wing, they’re still chatting with me every week, the communication with Becky on-field is amazing.
“Another one’s Rach Kearns … she’s a big part in getting me up and going.”
As for both Kilpatrick and the 3-5 Cats in general, the key moving forward is consistency, with the teen keen “to crack into that” this week ahead of a must-win game against GWS Giants.
But if Kilpatrick’s first seven matches in hoops are anything to go by, the South Australian will be sure to continue to endear herself to supporters.
Cats’ final round fixture locked in
Geelong Cats’ AFLW finals hopes could hinge on a Saturday night blockbuster against Melbourne.
The league has locked in the final round of the home-and-away season, with the Cats to host the Demons – currently second on the ladder – at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday, November 1 from 7.15pm.
The Cats last hosted the Demons in round 1 of the 2024 season, with the visitors coming out on top in a two-point thriller.
The Cats, who have lost their last two games and are yet to win on their home deck this season, currently sit 10th and two wins outside the top 8.
With four rounds to play, the Cats face a series of must-win games to make up the gap and keep their finals hopes alive, with GWS Giants at home this Saturday (Oct 11) followed by away games against top 8 West Coast Eagles (Fri, Oct 17) and Western Bulldogs (Sun, Oct 26), the latter held at Ballarat’s Mars Stadium.
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