Interview with AFL's Geelong Cats Georgie Prespakis

Despite only having played three seasons of AFLW, Georgie has already won and come runner up in the Geelong Cats AFLW Best and Fairest, as well as having been named All Australian in just her second year.

Now having committed long term to the Gelong Cats, the reigning B&F is set to be the centrepiece for their next premiership.

Georgie is a SUMMIT Sport ambassador and uses SUMMIT training products.

How did you get into AFL?

I started my footy career playing at Romsey Football Club alongside the boys up until Under 14’s where I then begun playing youth girls football at Sunbury Lions. I was fortunate enough to be involved at Calder Cannons where I played from 14 years of age up until I was drafted by Geelong Cats. 

What’s it like to play against your big sister?

Playing against my older sister Maddy was a great experience particularly because we both lined up against one another being midfielders. She’s very skilful and uses the ball both sides of her body really well. 

As a midfielder, what are the kind of skills are you working on?

The rebound net has been extremely helpful in improving my reaction times & touch, assisting me to lock and load quicker in real life scenarios such as off a rucks hit out or front & centre in a marking contest. 

The agility poles have assisted me in taking my game to the next level in relation to exploding out of contest and using footwork to evade and change the angles. They have also helped to improve my ability to lock & load to hit a target out of congestion rather than blaze away. 

Tell us about your coaching initiatives

I started coaching at Seda College x Western Heights College in their football programs as coaching is something I’m very passionate about. It allows me to share my knowledge with others and gives me a different perspective to see the game differently which benefits my own football.

I enjoy coaching private female athletes here in Geelong as they show willingness to get better and aspire to be the best footballers they can. I enjoy being able to play a small part in their journey.

My initiative behind coaching local clubs not only in the Geelong region but across Melbourne was because I think girls football is rapidly growing and there isn’t as many opportunities for the female teams so I wanted to be a part of the representation in female football that was missing when I was growing up. 

Throughout school holidays I wanted to create a fun environment where girls can pick up a footy for the first time or continue on their football journey, but just get to have fun learning new skills in a really safe environment. Again, there isn’t a whole heap of opportunities for female only clinics and this has contributed to girls not participating, so I want to remove as many barriers as I can & give young girls the opportunity to play!

What are your favourite Summit products to use in your coaching programs?

In my coaching programs I love to use the agility ladder as a way of warming up to get the girls quick and light on their feet. 

The reflex rebound net get used a lot to create different type of kicking scenarios as well as to improve touch with hands and developing both sides of the body.

I like to use the agility poles to add a degree of difficulty to the different kick variations and to try to challenge the mental focus from focusing solely on the kick execution, to now having to focus on footwork whilst still executing the kick fundamentally well. 

What is your favourite career moment so far?

My favourite career moment so far was playing against Melbourne Demons in the AFLW season 8 semi final where we won and progressed into the preliminary final, I hope to one day play in a grand final and win it alongside my teammates.

Do you have any advice for young footy players aspiring to make it to the top level?

My advice would be to continue to enjoy yourself whilst finding ways that best challenge and help you grow as an athlete but as a person also, lean on those close to you and use them to support you along your journey as it can be a rollercoaster at times but in saying that it comes with a lot of enjoyment and hard work. 

WHAT'S IN GEORGIE'S KIT:

Reflex Rebound Net: Makes any training session fast and fun. Padded rim, steel frame, double nylon net deviates the ball for reflex practice. 

There are a range of different rebounders to choose from - single sided, double sided and hand held. 

SUMMIT Reflex Rebound Net 1m x 1m

See more rebound net options

Agility Ladder: Use an agility ladder to improve speed, agility and coordination. Great for practising change of direction. Rolls out for fast use. Challenge your balance and improve athletic performance. 

SUMMIT Agility Ladder 4m

Agility Poles: Use as a tool for agility drills focusing on quick changes of direction and learning different plays. They can be used as markers or obstacles.

Position the poles in a variety of ways to create endless training exercises. 

SUMMIT Single-Piece Agility Poles - 10 Pack

Mesh Bibs: Perfect training accessory with 4 bright colours to choose from (blue, green, red and yellow). Use for any sport. 

Marker Cones: A versatile piece of equipment with many uses. Set up marker cones in various shapes, distances, and patterns to create stations for different exercises. 

Heavy Duty Ball Bag: Essential for all ball sports training. Carry up to 12 balls or save some room to fit other training necessities like bibs and cones. A sturdy ball bag you can rely on.