Branxholme’s Georgia Clarke is determined to make her AFL Women’s debut with Geelong in round one next year.
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The 18-year-old was selected by the Cats with pick 24 at Tuesday’s AFLW draft held at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium.
Clarke, who played with the Greater Western Victoria Rebels, said she knew the hard work was about to start.
"Obviously these past two years my goal was to be drafted, but now that goal has been achieved the goal is to be selected for a game, hopefully it will be the first one,” she said.
"But I have just got to work hard and train hard.
"And I have heard that the hardest part isn't just getting drafted it is working your butt off to try and get your spot in the team and try and hold your spot in the team for more years to come.”
Clarke said she would return to school tomorrow, at Hamilton’s Monivae College, for ‘muck up day’ before beginning her year 12 exams.
She will then have to try and juggle her study as well as pre-season training.
"We are on a program at the moment, a preseason program by ourselves,” she said.
“And then come the 24th of November we have a training camp and that's when pre-season kicks off at the club.”
Clarke, who was clearly focused on her new goal of making the Cats’ team, said she was allowing some time to celebrate her dream of being drafted.
"It is an awesome feeling really," she said.
"At the start of the year, through the year and when I first started playing footy I never thought this would be the reality.
“And it has happened and I couldn't be anymore excited.”
The talented utility is no stranger to Geelong after making her VFLW debut with the club in May.
Clarke confirmed she selected the Cats as her preferred club of choice ahead of Tuesday’s AFLW draft.
EARLIER:
Branxholme’s Georgia Clarke has become the first south-west footballer to be picked up in an AFL Women’s draft.
She will live out her dream of playing AFLW with the Geelong Cats in 2019.
The 18-year-old, who played with the Greater Western Victoria Rebels, was taken with pick number 24 in Tuesday’s AFLW draft.
Clarke is no stranger to the club as she made her VFLW debut with the Cats back in May.
The Monivae College student experienced two stellar years in the lead up to the draft.
Clarke not only produced impressive back-to-back seasons in the TAC girls competition, she was named in the under-18 All-Australian women’s squad following the national championships.
The talented utility also did her chances of being drafted no harm at the AFLW draft combine earlier this month.
Clarke’s best performance was in the standing vertical jump where she recorded a jump of 52 centimeters to finish in the top four.
She now becomes the second south-west footballer to play in the AFLW, with Cavendish’s Emma Kearney being the first to do so.
