EXPLOSIVE winger Maddison Meagher is hard to miss on the field once she has the ball, with her ability to burn off opponents and breakdown opposition defensive zones a regular occurrence. The Northern Knights top-ager played a key role on the outside for her side last season, and also got a chance to shine at the National Under 17 Futures Girls too.

We spoke to Meagher about her football journey, how athletics has helped her develop, her game and goals for the year ahead.

Q: Maddison, tell us a little about your footy journey?

MM: “I started playing junior footy when I was about 10 I think at an all-boys club at the time. I wasn’t liking it wasn’t so much as I didn’t get the ball so much from the boys so I then switched to Diamond Creek Women’s which was a women’s only club and I’ve played my junior footy there since then.”

Q: Did you play any other sports growing up?

MM: “I have done athletics since I was about four years-old all the way up until I was 16, so that was primary sport for a long time in my life.”

Q: How far did you get with that and why did you opt to continue with footy?

MM: “I was at a national level with my athletics. I was competing interstate for Victoria. I chose footy over athletics because I think my athletics went hand-in-hand with my footy to help out on the field. I could be able to sprint fast, but I just really loved the team aspect of AFL rather than being alone in athletics, so I think that’s why I came down to choosing AFL.”

Q: What was your event?

MM: “I was primarily a 100 to 200m runner, the quick stuff.”

Q: Can you touch on some of your strengths and improvements in your game?

MM: “Definitely my strengths are my speed and I’d also count in my agility with that. Being able to evade players on the field and being able to burst away and break lines. Something I’m still working on is definitely my aerial work, being able to show up in marking contests and being able to win or halve that.”

Q: What position or role do you anticipate you’ll play?

MM: “I still see myself playing a lot of wing, and rolling throughout hte half-back to use some of my explosiveness to get some run and carry off that.”

Q: Do you tend to watch a lot of football?

MM: “I do tend to watch a lot of footy, I try to go to a lot of games. I support Geelong Cats so try and go down to Geelong and watch some games, both the women’s and men’s.”

Q: Any reason for choosing Geelong?

MM: “My grampa went for them so kind of followed through.”

Q: Are there any players you try and model your game on?

MM: “Definitely Max Holmes using his speed and I love what Ollie Dempsey‘s doing to be able to play that attacking wing position as well.”

Q: You’ve had some teammates roll through to the AFLW as well, is it cool having that visual ahead of you?

MM: “It was such a great experience to be at the draft night with Scarlett (Johnson) and see her get drafted and she’s still chatting through up until now until she leaves so I think it makes it so much more of a real goal. It puts things into perspective which is really good.”

Q: How’s preseason been for you so far?

MM: “Preseason’s been great. It’s been a really strong team so far, we’re looking really good and it’s been a lot of fun.”

Q: How has it been linking up with the Vic Metro summer squad?

MM: “Yeah those were unreal. I think just being able to get more experience under my belt and get more footy and learn from different coaches has been so helpful to work on things I might not be so good at, but still improve the things I am good at.”

Q: What goals have you set up this year?

MM: “I think the main goal is to get drafted, but being able to play my game the way I want to, and be able to make Vic Metro.”