BEING CUT from the Swans Academy and missing out on Allies selection might have been a couple of bumps in the road for talented Giants Academy member Aoife Berry, but the UTS Bats best and fairest winner, AFL Sydney Team of the Year representative and 2024 Premier Division Rising Star is trending in the right direction.

Berry is an explosive midfielder who can also play forward, and her journey paints a picture of a player who has been around the mark, but also experienced the lows that come with football representation and selection.

“I was playing for Swans for a few years, and I feel like that really helped me develop a lot to progress into playing senior footy,” she said of her first representative Academy. “Because I started the first year that they had girls Academy for Swans and I played there from I think I was maybe 12 until I was 16, and then I got dropped.

“That was the year that I started at UTS, and I think that it really helped me, especially getting dropped to find the drive to get better. “Then that year i won the Rising Star Award for the Prems division, and then I joined GWS this year and I feel like that really also helped me develop more, playing against teams that I hadn’t played before as well who obviously are extremely talented as well.”

Berry’s journey started after being directed from her friend’s dad to sign up at St Ives. The pair had been competing at Little Athletics, and Berry opted to give it a go. She went to St Ives from 2017 to 2022, before making the move to Macquarie University Goannas in her double bottom-age season.

Splitting her time between the Goannas, the Swans Academy at Under 16s National Development Championships level and school football, Berry had plenty on her plate. But 2024 would prove to be the turning point for the youngster.

As a bottom-ager, Berry was cut from the Swans program, so instead focused on her senior football where she had crossed to UTS Bats. There, she booted nine goals across 16 games and won the Rising Star award for the Premier Division side.

In her top-age season, Berry was picked up by the Giants and played throughout the Coates Talent League Girls competition, averaging 12.0 disposals, 1.3 marks, 3.5 tackles, 4.3 inside 50s and booting two goals as that mostly high half-forward who could rotate on-ball. Though she would ultimately miss out on Allies selection, Berry did not let it impact her.

“I feel like I probably could have played a bit better for Giants, but for UTS I got the best and fairest for that this year which was good,” she said. “But I think that I put in a lot of effort so I feel like I really did get it to where I wanted to be this year.”

Berry’s game involves plenty of speed and physicality, while being able to link up between the middle and half-forward, also capable of hitting the scoreboard. While her decision making and aerial work can be improved, she has come along in leaps and bounds the last two seasons.

“I’m hoping to get better as a player and to develop more so that I can play AFLW in the future if that’s possible,” she said.

“I really like the culture around it all and I like the physicality of it as well, and how we all have to, it’s not just a single solo sport, everyone’s working together and I love the speed of the game as well.”

Planning on studying at University and playing football again in the Sydney Premier Division, Berry has set her sights on improving her skills and strength to build towards a huge off-season. The GWS Giants fan said she was thankful of all the support she had received from both immediate family and those coaches along the way.

“Obviously my parents have been my biggest supporters since I started,” Berry said. “But the coaches at UTS are so committed as well, kicking with me after and doing the extras with me and helping me to develop more. Then Soph Gaukrodger, her and I kick all the time together and she’s just been so good to help me get better as a player and develop my skills.”