SMOOTH-moving Norwood half-back/wing Charlee Brooksby is looking to build on her bottom-age season and join older sister Molly at the elite level. Possessing similar elite execution traits, Brooksby’s year was impacted by injury towards the end, but she still showed plenty of talent to suggest she will go far.

We spoke to Brooksby at the South Australian Preseason Testing Day about her journey, inspirations and surprising club support.

,Q: Charlee, can you tell us a bit about your footy journey?

CB: “I started just locally at Golden Grove, I was playing in a boys team for just one year. Then I transitioned into girls and played a couple of years at Golden Grove and came through the Norwood junior program and from there into the senior and state programs as well.”

Q: What’s it been like for that step up starting out local and getting more professional?

CB: “I love always just lifting my training standard and training as hard as I can and I found that was such a good step up from local to more like professional football because it was like everyone out there had similar aspirations. They were all wanting to do that, obviously to have fun, but more there on a serious note as well.”

Q: Your sister Molly has been through it all, what kind of advice do you get off her?

CB: “I wouldn’t say as much advice, more just taking things with how she does stuff. Like the way she goes about it, she’s very disciplined. I take that advice from her. Very disciplined and focusers so much on footy and I really take that away from her and build on that.”

Q: Do you have a kick around or train with her and her mates?

CB: “Yeah have a kick around with her quite a lot, and during our off-seasons go for runs together. I like doing her programs and seeing what its like and what she has to do and her trainings.”

Q: I assume you’re a Port supporter?

CB: “No…. I actually used to go for Crows but now I go for Essendon. But then also I do go for the Port Women’s obviously, but just supporting her and her team.”

Q: Why Essendon?

CB: “I don’t know, I started Crows my whole life and then I guess the Crows weren’t doing too great, I just found Essendon were doing so well at that stage. They were just underdogs winning every game and I just jumped on the bandwagon.”

Q: Is there a player at the top who you look up to and model your game on?

CB: “I guess I do look up to Molly a lot with how to model my game. Just the way her skills are, and the way she defends and how hard she works on the field, on and off the field, I take that a lot from her.”

Q: What do you see as the strengths in your own game?

CB: “My kicking and my running ability, outside run and carry, and kicking on both feet.”

Q: What about some of the things you need to improve?

CB: “My groundballs and more physicality, just trying to get a bit stronger to get more physical to get stronger in contests.”

Q: What position are you going to play this year?

CB: “I reckon on a wing or half-back and hopefully hopping into the middle a little bit. I want to get a run through the middle and I think that would help to build my game a lot.”

Q: What goals have you set to achieve this year?

CB: “I just want to have really consistent footy and stay injury free hopefully. I do want to get drafted but that’s obviously a long way away and a lot of little goals like keeping consistent and disciplined and making sure I look after my body to hopefully get there.”