BOLTING out of relative obscurity into the AFL Women’s Academy, GWS GIANTS Academy member Melanie Staunton is one name to keep an eye on in 2023. Though she describes her rise from Ulladulla Dockers talent to AFLW Academy as “just lucky”, the 18-year-old is certainly not taking her incredible opportunity lightly.

Tasting life as an AFLW Academy member last month, Staunton said her training and education sessions under head coach Tarkyn Lockyer and the highly qualified coaching group was “unreal”.

“It’s such amazing thing to be apart of,” Staunton said. “We only just got back from Melbourne a month ago and I didn’t want to come home, it was such a good experience. The facilities and the opportunities, it was just insane.”

Mingling among Geelong players down at the Cattery and seeing first-hand the facilities that the Cats train at – as well Essendon’s Hangar in Tullamarine the day before – Staunton was immediately drawn to that life.

They say life comes at you quickly, and it rings true for Staunton, who not too long ago was cutting her teeth on the New South Wales coast for Ulladulla Dockers.

“I grew up playing footy just with blokes at home and it got to a point where I wasn’t allowed to play with the guys anymore, so it I put football to the side a little bit,” Staunton said. “I started playing open women’s, but I had to get dispensation because I wasn’t old enough to play. So played with them for a few years and then just got scouted out at the Wollongong rep game that I played. I was just lucky.”

Luck or not, Staunton managed to go from pending GWS GIANTS Academy hopeful, to running out on GMHBA Stadium among the best players in her draft crop. There, Staunton picked up 11 disposals, two clearances and laid four tackles, not looking out of place amongst company that had been exposed to higher levels of football more often than her.

Staunton is best known for her work in the midfield, and takes elements of her game from GWS GIANTS star Alyce Parker. It should come as no surprise that therefore Staunton describes her contest method, in particular her ability to win the contested ball and then explode from the stoppage through power and pace, as her biggest strength.

As for her main focus of improvement, she is honing in on her consistency under pressure, particularly as she rises through the ranks.

Spending her time with the GIANTS Academy this year, Staunton said she was grateful for the opportunity and had never experienced a program quite like those in the orange and charcoal.

“I’ve never been a part of something like this before,” she said. “Coming in and them backing me, and being able to put in extra sessions. It shows that they’re here and they saw something in me to push me through to the next level. Everyone that I’ve come across so far on my AFL journey has been more than happy to help so I’m pretty lucky in that department.”

Drawing inspiration from not only Parker, but fellow GIANTS young gun Tarni Evans, Staunton hopes to join Evans as another coastal talent at the elite level.

“Us girls coming through are looking up saying ‘well they’ve done it, so why can’t we too?’,” Staunton said.

Looking ahead to what is sure to be a big year ahead for the teenager, Staunton named her goals for the 2023 season.

“Allies would be pretty cool to play in,” Staunton said. “Just to enjoy all of the NAB League games and to be exposed to all of that talent that’s going to come through the national Academy as well. And ideally the big goal at the end of the year is the draft. That’s what I’m working towards.”