SOMETIMES your top-age season is not everything you want it to be, and that is okay. At least it was for South Australian draft hopeful Eloise Mackereth who conceded the “pressure” of needing to go to another level in 2025 provided challenges, though at the end of the day, she was grateful for the amount of opportunities through the season.

“I feel like it was a very nerve-wracking year,” Mackereth said at the National Draft Combine. “A lot of pressure, it was quite stressful but it was really fun.

“I feel like it wasn’t my best year that I’ve had, I feel like my bottom-age year I think I performed a little bit better than my top-age year, but I feel like the opportunities that we had this year with State, AFL Academy, all of that is definitely going to be unforgettable. “I’ve made so many connections and friends I’m going to be with for life.”

It was a refreshing, candid take from a supremely talented forward who had a breakout bottom-age campaign at SANFL Women’s level when she booted 14 goals across 10 games. Though her disposal numbers went up in 2025, most of the time she was forced higher afield, kicking just three goals for season primarily at full-forward.

“I definitely feel like the pressure side of things,” Mackereth said. “With SANFL I feel like obviously our team struggled but we had a whole new coaching staff. It was a little bit difficult and all the girls had to wrap their head around the new system and try to adjust a lot so obviously it wasn’t ideal being a forward and the ball not really coming down.

“I had to come and adapt and try a lot of new things like defensive pressure, all of that. “For changing your game in the one year where you’re supposed to perform your best is quite intimidating. “It was definitely quite a challenge for me but it wasn’t too bad.”

At the South Australian level, Mackereth was far more pleased with her output, but said the challenges were different. The top-agers from last season were gone, the Glenelg forward and her peers were now the senior members of the group, and she had to find new partnerships with the bottom-age cohort that moved into the program.

“With a new lot of bottom-age girls coming out just building connections with new girls in the team but you’ve obviously you’ve still got the pressure of needing to perform your best because at the end of the day you want to get drafted so I feel like it definitely had a toll, it was very different,” Mackereth said.

For those who have followed the talented top-agers career, Mackereth has always been one of the most damaging offensive players. She can win a game off her own boot, beat you in the air or at ground level, and kick some ripping goals from just about anywhere inside 50. However when it comes to the new-age element of defensive pressure, it is still a work in progress for the teenager.

“I feel like it’s obviously really good to do well at your strengths and work on them and everything, but when you have people telling you, ‘you need to be better defensively, you need to fix your groundballs and everything, I feel like it was definitely you just need to know which people to listen to,” Mackereth said. “Obviously coaches, family, friends, everyone has a say, but just knowing who you trust, who you think has the best advice, you just listen to them.”

In a world where many will perhaps shy away from their deficiencies or any struggles they have, Mackereth was open about what she needs to work on, and also how difficult it has been to adapt having always been that brilliant offensive player.

“With the defensive pressure side of things it was obviously really challenging having to adapt, but I had coaches from State, I had coaches from Glenelg, people with experience telling me ‘you need to improve on this if you want to get better and perform well’,” Mackereth said.

“The only way to turn the ball over is to tackle someone. “Defence is really important and I feel like you always hear that as a forward. ‘You need to defend, you need to do this, you’re not just a forward’ but actually having to do it and it become a reality was a bit of a shock.

“I’m like ‘okay I need to work on all these new things as well as still trying to be well at my strengths. “I found it challenging, but definitely knowing who to listen to and the right people and they know that its the right thing to do and you can trust yourself.”

Though it has been a tough year for the Glenelg junior, Mackereth earned a National Draft Combine invite, with the whole event a “fun” affair. The South Australian said it was such a “really exciting opportunity” to test yourself against the best in the country even though it was “obviously quite nerve-wracking”.

“At the end of the day I’ve been doing PT work, I’ve been doing the extra trainings, I’m confident that the results I get I deserve because I’ve been working towards it so at the end of the day, you can’t do anything about it, you just need to move forward,” Mackereth said.

“It’s obviously really exciting because you get to meet with heaps of clubs again, see everyone, have all these opportunities like we’re literally at the MCG, it’s pretty cool but just not really stressed about it. “I’m obviously nervous but I try to not let it get in my head.”

Having now finished school and going through the post-graduation events, Mackereth said she was looking to enjoy some down time after what had been such a hectic year on the field and in the classroom.

“From now to the draft, obviously the end goal is to get drafted so just staying fit, running doing gym stuff like that and actually spending quality time with my friends and family because I feel like this year’s been so busy with school and family,” Mackereth said.

“My whole life’s consumed around my education and performing well. I feel like just taking a step back, still staying fit, staying healthy, obviously doing everything you can to remain in shape but also like stepping back and spending time with the people that you love. “I feel like that’s really important because I haven’t been able to balance that as well this year.”

The 2025 AFL Women’s Draft takes place on Monday, December 15 with Mackereth among a stack of prospects hopeful of earning their spots on an AFLW list.