BOASTING an enviable trophy cabinet from her bottom-age season alone, South Adelaide midfielder/forward Emma Charlton is one of the most talked about AFLW Draft prospects in this year’s cohort. The Panthers’ premiership player and best on ground in the grand final as well as South Australian MVP is the sister of Crows star Teah and is looking to follow her sibling up to the elite level.
We spoke to Charlton at the South Australian Preseason Testing Day about her football journey, how her sister has influenced her, games, rolemodels and goals for the year ahead.
Q: Emma, tell us a little bit about your footy journey?
EC: “I started playing footy with the boys in Under 8s. I saw my sister playing at Christies Beach and that just got me always wanting to follow what she did so my dad got me into it with the boys at Noarlunga footy club. Played there until I got too old to play with the boys and moved to the Willunga footy club when I was 14. Played there for two seasons and then went through the South development programs and now playing in League and obviously along the way started state as well.”
Q: We’ll touch on your sister who’s come through the same pathways and had quite a few years at the top level, what kind of influence has she had on you?
EC: “She’s just a really good rolemodel just to have at home and see the standards that I have to bring upon myself to be at the level that she’s at. Whether that be nutrition, just understanding the training load that she does and the background work she does at home and outside the footy club. A bit of an understanding of what I have to do to better myself. Having someone elite at home, I always go to her for feedback. Normally she’s pretty critical but sometimes it’s positive which is good.”
Q: You’re not testing today, what was the injury you’ve done?
EC: “I’ve got a stage four stress response in my femur, so just managing that injury and hopefully will be back for Round 1.”
Q: You had a pretty good year last year winning all the medals in big games. What was it like winning the MVP for South Australia and best on ground for South Adelaide in the SANFLW Grand Final?
EC: “I sum it up as a pretty good year. I think that just goes back to I put a lot of hard work into getting my body right, getting my shins right and then just doing the off-field stuff. So being in the gym and just being really focused at training and trying to do some off-field stuff as well. Just putting myself in the best position that I could put myself in and luckily for me showed off on the field which is really, really good. But also none of those accolades happen without teammates so have to give credit to those around you because you don’t get the ball given to you if you don’t have teammates, so relying on them as well which is good.”
Q: Do you prefer playing midfield or a bit of forward?
EC: “I prefer midfield, but I do like going forward at times, hopefully getting some goals. I don’t really mind, but definitely if I could choose I would pick midfield just in terms of I love being in-and-under and being around the ball. That’s one of my strengths so just being around that helps a bit.”
Q: What are some other strengths you have in your game?
EC: “I’d like to say one of my biggest strengths is definitely my contest work and with that comes tackling, and my work rate around the ball. Then hopefully delivering pretty nice kicks to the forwards.”
Q: What are you looking to improve on at the moment?
EC: “In terms of like to think I’m okay at contest work and done a lot of work with off-field coaches. Just being a bit more of a bigger body, obviously I’m pretty small so just working hard in the gym to put on a bit of size and strength to muscle up against some of the bigger girls so I can contest a bit better.”
Q: Does it help being able to come through the pathways with Taya coming through the pathways given she clearly has that strength? Have you found that has benefited you working together?
EC: “Yeah I definitely benefit off Taya and I think it goes vice-versa, I think she benefits off me as well. Obviously we’ve been teammates for a good five or six years now so just working with each other for those few years. It’s been really good because we know how each other plays so when it comes to game time we obviously understand each other and she can show me her strengths and I show her mine, and also we give each other feedback on our weaknesses as well, to try and improve each other.”
Q: What was the National Academy trip like?
EC: “That was an unreal experience. Definitely a highlight of my footy career so far. Under the likes of Tarkyn Lockyer, he’s a phenomenal coach and person. Just cool experience, very cool training with the best Under 18s in Australia as well. Just learning off other people and elite coaches is really, really cool.”
Q: I suppose this is fairly obvious, but which AFLW club do you support?
EC: “I do support Crows. I’ve gone for them since I was born. My family and grandparents go for Crows. My dad’s actually a Geelong supporter so we have a bit of rivalry there, but definitely Crows and it helps with Teah being at the Crows as well.”
Q: Is your dad still a Geelong supporter in the AFLW?
EC: “No he’s definitely a diehard Crows supporter in the girls, but in the boys he’ll always put his Geelong guernsey on. But he likes to say Crows is still his second team.”
Q: The Crows were able to trade in an early pick for this year’s draft and you’ve got quite a few of you there. In terms of the draft, your sister’s at the Crows, is that an ideal thing landing there or don’t you mind?
EC: “I think it would be an unbelievable experience to be able to play alongside Teah. Obviously growing up idolising her and looking up to her. But at the end of the day, I just want to be on an AFLW list so I’ll put myself in the best position to hopefully get drafted at the end of this year, and whether that’s the Crows, it would be so great if it was the Crows, but I would just as happy anywhere else as well.”
Q: Is there a player you do model your game on? Is it your sister or someone else?
EC: “There’s definitely other people besides Teah. I think me and Teah as much as we can be similar, we’re very different players. I like to model a bit on Ash Riddell. Just her work rate is unbelievable and her contest methods as well, and her in-and-under grit. Also a bit of Georgie Prespakis as well, she’s got really clean skills. I just try and watch their games and learn a bit off of them.”
Q: What do you see as some of the similarities and differences between yourself and Teah?
EC: “I think we’re just different players in terms of I would say I’m very in-and-under which Teah is as well, but maybe a bit more on the outside and she’s a bit faster than me so the way we go round she might run off with the ball a bit more than I would, just use her speed a bit more. But definitely working on my speed as well, but she’s always been a bit quicker than me so she probably runs with the ball a bit more than I would.”
Q: What goals have you set up for yourself this year?
EC: “Just get my body right and then focus on what comes after that. Just trying to perform my best of my ability and help my teammates and have a bit of fun and hopefully I have leadership within the state program so hopefully go down that line as well.”
