Georgie Prespakis
{{Short description|Australian rules footballer}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Georgie Prespakis
| image = Georgie Prespakis S6.jpg
| caption = Prespakis playing for Geelong in 2022
| fullname = Georgie Prespakis
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2003|03|13|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| originalteam = {{VFLW Ess}} (VFLW)
| draftpick = No. 2, 2021 national draft
| debutdate = Round 1, 2022 (S6)
| debutteam = {{AFLW|Gee}}
| debutopponent = {{AFLW|NM}}
| debutstadium = Arden Street Oval
| height = 168cm
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = {{AFLW|Gee}}
| guernsey = 41
| years1 = 2022 (S6)–
| club1 = {{AFLW|Gee}}
| games_goals1 = 32 (6)
| statsend = the 2023 season
| careerhighlights =
}}
Georgie Prespakis (born 13 March 2003) is an Australian rules footballer playing for Geelong Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Prespakis was selected in the 2022 AFL Women's season 7 All-Australian team and won the Geelong best and fairest award in 2023.
Early life
Prespakis is the daughter of Damien and Jody.{{cite news |last1=Black |first1=Sarah |title=AFLW: From Auskick to likely top-three pick |url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-10-21/aflw-from-auskick-to-likely-top-three-pick |access-date=25 February 2019 |work=AFL.com.au |publisher=Telstra Media |date=21 October 2018}} Her mother is an Indigenous Australian from the Djadjawurrung tribe.{{cite news |last1=McGowan |first1=Marc |title=AFLW: New Blue happy to be close to home |url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-10-23/aflw-new-blue-happy-to-be-close-to-home |access-date=25 February 2019 |work=AFL.com.au |publisher=Telstra Media |date=23 October 2018}} Prespakis has three siblings: twins Annalea and Madison, and Jimmy. Older sister Madison currently plays for Essendon.
She played junior football with the boys in Romsey, crossing to Sunbury to play in the under-18 girls' competition.{{cite web |last1=Black |first1=Sarah |title=Younger Prespakis destined to make her own name in AFLW |url=https://www.womens.afl/news/73336/younger-prespakis-destined-to-make-her-own-name-in-aflw?_ga=2.165260415.1561451819.1641874488-907086083.1621832921 |website=womens.afl |publisher=Telstra Media |access-date=11 January 2022 |date=23 July 2021}} Picked up by the Calder Cannons development program, she took out the competition's best and fairest in 2019. Prespakis won her second best and fairest award in 2021, scoring seven best-on-ground votes in just nine appearances for the Cannons.{{cite web |last1=Rhodes |first1=Brendan |title=Another Prespakis win, Chargers dominate NAB League Girls' Team of the Year |url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/682648/another-prespakis-win-chargers-dominate-nab-league-girls-team-of-the-year |website=afl.com.au |publisher=Telstra Media |access-date=11 January 2022 |date=30 September 2021}}
Prespakis finished the 2021 season playing with {{VFLW Ess}} in the VFL Women's competition, playing five matches (including three finals), her last game coming against {{VFLW GC}} at Windy Hill.
AFL Women's career
{{AFLW|Gee}} recruited Prespakis with their first selection and second overall in the 2021 AFL Women's draft. She made her AFL Women's debut in the opening round of 2022 season 6 against {{AFLW|NM}} at Arden Street Oval, a game in which she was nominated for the 2022 AFL Women's season 6 Rising Star award. In March, Prespakis was included in the 40-player squad for the AFL Players Association 22under22 team,{{cite web |last1=Black |first1=Sarah |title=Leading the pack: Five Lions named in 22under22 squad |url=https://www.womens.afl/news/90840/leading-the-pack-five-lions-named-in-22under22-squad |website=womens.afl |access-date=15 March 2022 |date=15 March 2022}} and was named on the wing in the final 22under22 team.{{cite web |last1=Beaton |first1=Bobby |title=QUEENSLAND SHAPES AFLW 22UNDER22 TEAM |url=https://www.aflplayers.com.au/news-feed/stories/queensland-shapes-aflw-22under22-team |website=AFL Player's Association |date=28 March 2022 |publisher=AFL Players Association |access-date=29 March 2022}}
In round 1 of 2022 AFL Women's season 7, Prespakis kicked Geelong's only two goals, including one in the last minute to score a 15–11 victory over {{AFLW|Ric}} at GMHBA Stadium.{{cite web |last1=Black |first1=Sarah |title=Clutch last-minute goal sees Cats snatch victory from Tigers |url=https://www.womens.afl/match-centre/2022/4654/geel-v-rich |website=womens.afl |access-date=29 August 2022 |date=28 August 2022}}
At the AFL Women's awards following the conclusion of 2022 AFL Women's season 7, Prespakis was again named to the wing in the AFL Players Association 22 Under 22 team, as well as receiving her first AFL Women's All-Australian team selection.{{cite web |title=2022 Season Seven AFLW All Australian Team |url=https://www.womens.afl/news/116239/2022-season-seven-aflw-all-australian-team |website=womens.afl |access-date=22 November 2022 |date=22 November 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Giese |first1=Susie |title=Three Cats Make All-Australian Team |url=https://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/1250040/three-cats-make-all-australian-team |website=Geelong Football Club |access-date=23 November 2022 |date=22 November 2022}} Prespakis was also a top-10 finisher in the 2022 AFL Women's season 7 best and fairest,{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Martin|title=Lions Queen: Anderson crowned the league's best after a thrilling count|url=https://www.womens.afl/news/116243/lions-queen-anderson-crowned-the-league-s-best-after-a-thrilling-count|work=womens.afl|date=22 November 2022|access-date=22 November 2022}}{{cite news|last=O'Halloran|first=Kate|title=Brisbane Lion Ally Anderson wins AFLW best and fairest, Hannah Ewings named rising star|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-23/ally-anderson-wins-at-aflw-awards/101685884|work=ABC News|date=22 November 2022|access-date=22 November 2022}} but she would have been ineligible to win the award after being suspended by the AFL Tribunal during the home-and-away season.{{cite news|last1=Black|first1=Sarah|last2=Bastiani|first2=Gemma|title=Guilty: Prespakis, Bannister bans upheld after long hearings|url=https://www.womens.afl/news/106645/guilty-prespakis-bannister-bans-upheld-after-long-hearings|work=womens.afl|date=22 November 2022|access-date=22 November 2022}}
At the Geelong best and fairest awards for 2022 season 7, Prespakis finished runner-up behind three-time winner Amy McDonald,{{Cite web |title=McDonald claims third consecutive AFLW best and fairest |url=https://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/1254014/mcdonald-claims-third-consecutive-aflw-best-and-fairest |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=geelongcats.com.au |date=2 December 2022 |language=en}} only four points behind in her second season. She was voted the Cats Fans MVP and won a new award named the Grit award, where "Cats players voted each week on who they believed showed the most 'grit' during games, throughout acts such as tackles, smothers, intercepts, gut running and pressure acts."{{Cite web |title=Prespakis Crowned the Fans' MVP |url=https://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/1254049/prespakis-crowned-the-fans-mvp |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=geelongcats.com.au |date=2 December 2022 |language=en}}
In the first game of the 2023 season, Prespakis kicked a goal that was wrongly adjudged by the goal umpire as a behind. [https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1024530/georgie-prespakis-point-should-have-been-a-goal-afl-confirms]
Statistics
: Statistics are correct to the end of the 2023 AFL Women's season.{{cite web |title=Australian Football - Georgie Prespakis |url=https://australianfootball.com/players/player/Georgie%2BPrespakis/21205 |website=Australian Football |access-date=11 December 2023}}
{{AFLW player statistics start}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2022 (S6)
| style="text-align:center;"|{{AFLW|Gee}}
| 41 || 10 || 0 || 2 || 70 || 63 || 133 || 6 || 68 || 0.0 || 0.2 || 7.0 || 6.3 || 13.3 || 0.6 || 6.8 || 1
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2022 (S7)
| style="text-align:center;"|{{AFLW|Gee}}
| 41 || 9 || 2 || 2 || 105 || 91 || 196 || 17 || 65 || 0.2 || 0.2 || 11.7 || 10.1 || 21.8 || 1.9 || 7.2 || 15
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2023
| style="text-align:center;"|{{AFLW|Gee}}
| 41 || 13 || 4 || 7 || 183 || 132 || 315 || 17 || 93 || 0.3 || 0.5 || 14.1 || 10.2 || 24.2 || 1.3 || 7.2 || 14
|- class=sortbottom
! colspan=3 | Career
! 32 !! 6 !! 11 !! 358 !! 286 !! 644 !! 40 !! 226 !! 0.2 !! 0.3 !! 11.2 !! 8.9 !! 20.1 !! 1.3 !! 7.1 !! 30
|}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Geelplayer}}
- {{AustralianFootball}}
- {{Instagram|id=georgieprespakis}}
{{Geelong AFL Women's player squad}}
{{Geelong best and fairest (AFL Women's)}}
{{2022 AFL Women's season 7 All-Australian team}}
{{2021 AFL Women's draft}}
{{2022 AFL Women's season 6 Rising Star nominees}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prespakis, Georgie}}
Category:Indigenous Australian players of Australian rules football
Category:21st-century Indigenous Australian people
Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)
Category:Calder Cannons players
Category:Geelong Football Club (AFLW) players
Category:Calder Cannons players (Talent League Girls)