{"id":94267,"date":"2022-01-12T15:40:43","date_gmt":"2022-01-12T05:40:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/?p=94267"},"modified":"2022-01-12T15:40:44","modified_gmt":"2022-01-12T05:40:44","slug":"di-donato-really-excited-for-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/2022\/01\/12\/di-donato-really-excited-for-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Di Donato “really excited” for season"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

AFTER a breakout 2021 NAB League Girls season, Bendigo Pioneers Girls<\/a> Octavia Di Donato<\/a> cannot wait to get stuck back into the action. The talented utility had a huge off-season, being named not only in the Vic Country hub, but also as a member of the AFL Women’s Academy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It’s been really exciting for me,” Di Donato said. “I’ve been pretty happy with some work I’ve put in and I’m happy that I’ve been rewarded.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since chatting to Rookie Me Central a year earlier, the Pioneers talent enjoyed a stellar season, playing a bit of everywhere on the field. She said her favourite position was either midfield or half-back, but did enjoy her long-range goal from 50m at LaTrobe University against Tasmania Devils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Yeah that felt pretty good, I didn’t think it was going to go in so when it did, it was pretty good,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Di Donato said it had been a busy 12 months for her in particular, and was pleased with what she and Pioneers had been able to produce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We’ve had our NAB League season, and we performed pretty well considering we had a lot of younger girls in our team,” she said. “Then went onto Vic Country, played a couple of games there and since then just been training at Pios and just locally as well. “Then into the Pios preseason this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I reckon we went pretty well. “We definitely put in the work, but we definitely have a lot more to give, so really excited for this season.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Di Donato said she really enjoyed learning off the older girls as part of the Vic Country Under 19s squad, whilst also managing a game for the Under 17s team as well. In 2022, Di Donato is looking to work on certain areas of her game to match that of her self-proclaimed strengths of positioning around the football at contests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I reckon I can improve on my contested ball, so tackling, contested mark,” Di Donato said. “I’ve been working on that a fair bit and will continue to work on that.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked what she felt of the shorter preseason, Di Donato said it was a double-edged sword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I feel like making it a bit closer together is a bit easier for the girls, but playing in the heat is definitely not what the girls prefer to play in, but it’s alright,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking to the year as a whole, Di Donato is just hoping to play the best she can to put herself in the best position by the end of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Just try the best I can at trainings and at games,” Di Donato said. “I’m not putting too much pressure on myself at the moment. “Just to use the opportunities I’ve got to get better.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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