OVER the next three weeks, Rookie Me Central will be counting down our 23 Players Under 23 years of age to watch in the upcoming 2023 season. The criteria is the player must be born in 2001 or later, and must have played at least one AFL Women’s match in Season 7. As the list is completely subjective, the opinion is that of the individual author.

#1 Georgie Prespakis (Geelong)

DOB: 13/03/2003
Height: 168cm
Position: Midfielder
Games: 19

Topping our list at the number one spot is Geelong star Georgie Prespakis. While her sister Maddy blazed a trail winning the Rising Star and AFLW Best and Fairest across her first couple of seasons, the former Calder Cannon has bucketloads of potential in her own right. Boasting that same strength and natural footy smarts, the slightly taller of the Prespakis sisters – and more explosive – is one who could very easily take out a league best and fairest – or multiple – in the coming years.

Geelong took Prespakis with the second pick two behind Charlie Rowbottom – an ironic twist given Rowbottom was number two on our list – and she has lived up to every billing. Standing at 168cm, she has played 19 games, and earned All-Australian honours last season, as well as back-to-back 22Under22 team representation. At junior level, she won the two NAB League best and fairest awards either side of the cancelled 2020 season, and is a player who can roll forward as well as in the midfield.

Last season, Prespakis also finished runner-up in the Geelong club best and fairest behind Amy McDonald, but won the Cats Fans’ MVP for the season. Her numbers exploded from her debut season, and Prespakis put the competition on notice. Now heading into a third AFLW season, she is expected to be among the best players in the competition and help be a part of Geelong’s rise up the ladder.

SEASON 7 KEY STATS:

Games: 9
Goals: 2
Disposals: 21.8
Disposal Efficiency: 74
Marks: 1.9
Metres Gained: 331.9
Tackles: 7.2
Clearances: 5.7
Contested Possessions: 11.2
Inside 50s: 3.3
Rebound 50s: 2.0
Intercepts: 3.8
Score Involvements: 3.0
Time of Ground %: 83.4

Prespakis finished inside the top five at the AFL Women’s Best and Fairest in Season 7 despite missing two games due to suspension. Though ineligible to win it, her performances week-in, week-out showed she was more than capable of attracting the attention of umpires. Her metres gained, tackles and score involvements are all the highest on this list, while her disposal efficiency of 74 per cent is remarkable considering she wins more than 50 per cent of her possessions in a contest.

Prespakis missed her two games for a dangerous tackle on Erin McKinnon in Round 5, having come off two of her best performances against North Melbourne and St Kilda. She averaged 28.5 disposals, 10.0 tackles, 6.5 clearances and 446.5 metres gained across those two games. Following a quieter start to the season – though her Round 2 match against Fremantle was outstanding – she really exploded from Round 4 onwards.

Upon return, she finished off the regular season in a blaze of glory, with no less than 21 disposals across the remaining three games, with a 21-disposal, 12-tackle and eight-clearance performance in her first game back against West Coast showing she had no fears over maintaining her tackling intensity. A career-best 515 metres gained to go with 23 disposals, three marks, five tackles and seven clearances against Adelaide in Round 9 also caught the eye. Though she had a quieter final against North Melbourne with her lowest disposal tally of the year – 14 touches – she was tightly guarded by the Kangaroos.

LOOKING AHEAD

Georgie Prespakis has all the hallmarks of being a star in the AFL Women’s competition. Having been earmarked as one since she burst onto the scene as a Calder Cannons Under 16s player, Prespakis is one who can win a game off her own boot both through the midfield and up forward. With support around her in the midfield, Prespakis does not have to rely on doing it herself, but when the time comes, Cats fans can rely on her to step up.