THE 2019 NAB League Girls best and fairest winner Georgie Prespakis helped the Calder Cannons pick up their maiden win for the 2020 season on Sunday, earning her second Draft Central Player of the Week nomination in the process. Her breakout performance for the year came on the back of steadier 19 and 17-disposal efforts, amassing a phenomenal 32 touches, eight tackles, seven inside 50s, two rebound 50s, and even a couple of hitouts in a game-breaking performance.

Prespakis’ game was made even more exceptional given she played almost no part in the second term after being crunched from behind in a marking contest, but she made her way back into the contest to be the clear-best player afield in the closing stages. Earlier, the number 41 was everywhere in her trademark long sleeves, getting first hands on the ball at stoppages and proving she is one of the finer exponents of the handball with precise flicks out of congestion to runners on the move.

While she did not find the goals herself in a primarily midfield role, Prespakis was instrumental in sending the Cannons into attack, using her smarts and agility to sweep clear of opponents and break the lines with long kicks into the forward 50 arc. She would finish with seven inside 50s – a clear season-high for her – and assisted a couple of important Calder goals with her penetrating boot, making her a key source of inspiration among a talented engine room.

Prespakis becomes the first non-top ager to earn a Player of the Week nomination this year, adding a second nod after her seven-goal performance made her a shoe-in for her first in Round 2, 2019. She follows in the footsteps of brilliant Country-based midfielders Laura Gardiner (Round 1) and Tyanna Smith (Round 2) in being nominated this season, and even played against the latter last week, while she is set to meet Gardiner’s Geelong Falcons in Round 8.

DRAFT CENTRAL NAB LEAGUE GIRLS PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

Round 1 – Laura Gardiner (Geelong Falcons)
Round 2 – Tyanna Smith (Dandenong)
Round 3 – Georgie Prespakis (Calder)