St Michael’s star footballer Winnie selected by Carlton

Winnie playing in the 2019 ACS season Winnie with St Michael's teammates

St Michael’s Football Captain, Winnie, dreamt of playing AFLW alongside her heroes. In October, that dream became a reality when she was drafted to the Carlton Football Club. The powerful midfielder has a sporting background in basketball and athletics, but in recent years found her place on the football field. “I love the competitiveness and the hard work you have to put in, and the culture in a footy team is unlike anything else. I love the environment where everyone has the same goal, and everyone has your back.” Growing up, Winnie was a Richmond fan, however in recent years has grown a soft spot for Carlton, due to star player Patrick Cripps becoming her favourite player in the league. Then, when Winnie saw the Carlton AFLW team play live, Carlton became her favourite club in the Women’s league. Being selected by your club of choice is rare for any prospective draftee, so Winnie is understandably thrilled to begin playing alongside her heroes. “My favourite AFLW players are from Carlton, such as Katie Loynes and Maddy Prespakis, so I’m very lucky I have ended up there.” With a few leadership positions under her belt, Carlton are already speculating if Winnie will become ‘Katie Loynes 2.0’. In 2020, Winnie was named Club Captain of Sandringham Dragons and Captain of St Michael’s Girls side. Six of her Sandringham teammates were also drafted to the AFLW with one of them, Daisy Walker, joining her at Carlton. In 2020, the AFLW Draft process was completely virtual. The Draft Combine occurred over a weekend, which included submitting a time for a 2km time trial and taking part in virtual interviews with each of the interested clubs. One week later, the Draft was streamed online, and Winnie watched nervously at home with her family. “It was pretty nerve-racking to watch, but also super exciting.” The very next day, Winnie was already participating in interviews and meetings with Carlton. “Everyone at Carlton, from the coaches to the players, are so welcoming. I already feel at home. Everyone is so talented and it’s such a humbling experience to be a part of.” The following week, Winnie launched into her first training session with the team. To adhere to restrictions at the time, the club placed players in groups of ten to participate in “prepre-season” training, in areas such as skills and strength. In early November, the pre-season officially kicked off ahead of the AFLW season in early 2021. On the training schedule, Winnie said “it’s going to be a lot of hard work, but also a lot of fun.” Winnie has a lot to look forward to. She’s very excited to be a part of Carlton Football Club, to form new connections, and to become the “best player and person I can be,” under the guidance of her new coaches, managers and their “top notch” resources. She hopes to have a “good pre-season, a successful 2021 for the blue baggers, and hopefully to play a few games too!” More than anything, Winnie is excited to be a part of the rapidly expanding AFLW movement. “The thing that excites me most is how fast Girls footy is growing, even from a few years ago. We don’t really know what footy will look like for us in a few years, and I think that’s the most exciting part.”

Col becoming a Bronze Medallist at the World Para Swimming Championships in 2019 (Photo credit: Swimming Australia)

Col’s Scholarship a path to success

Congratulations to Anica (Year 11) and Mairead (Year 10), who respectively won the Senior and Intermediate divisions in this year's ACS Public Speaking Competition, held online in August. Anica spoke about the Morrison Government’s economic recovery program and how it will affect us for decades to come. “Speaking about an issue I'm passionate about makes me feel empowered,” Anica said. Mairead argued that Australia will never fully “close the gap” between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, until we listen to First Nations Australians and embrace the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Mairead said, “I had the opportunity to learn and talk about something I am passionate about, and I am grateful for that”. Congratulations to Year 11 student and World Para Swimming medallist Col, who has won a 2021 Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship. The Scholarships acknowledge the incredible efforts of young athletes and help them reach the highest level of their sport.

“I always feel proud and honoured when I am recognised for my swimming, and I am truly grateful to be given this Scholarship. This Scholarship will assist in helping me make the Tokyo 2021 Paralympic Swim Team and give me the opportunity of a lifetime.” – Col (11B)

With the help of this Scholarship, Col is set to take on the

Anica and Mairead – Emerging Leaders

world at the Tokyo 2021 Paralympic Games. Anica and Mairead’s intelligent and thoughtful commentary is a skill that is already leading them to success. Anica will represent St Michael’s as Co-Vice Captain of the School in 2021. Impressively, Mairead has been accepted into the Class of 2022 University of Melbourne Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholars Program, an academic enrichment program designed to support high achieving students in Years 11 and 12.

1. 2.

Anica presenting at the ACS Public Speaking Competition Mairead at our International Women's Day event earlier in 2020