By: Daniel Cencic
THREE Eastern Ranges girls have found homes at AFL clubs at Tuesday’s AFLW Draft.
Leading the charge was Mikala Cann, who became the first Eastern Ranges TAC Cup Girls player drafted to an AFL club, selected at pick 13 by Collingwood.
Cann, listed at Blackburn, hasn’t looked back since making the switch from a promising US college basketball career just two years ago to pursue Australian rules football, playing in Hawthorn’s VFL Women’s premiership team last month.
Cann in action. PICTURE: TACCup.com.au
“Mikala comes from a basketball background and played her first year of competitive football this year,” Eastern Ranges TAC Cup Girls coach Tom Humphrey said.
“She still hasn’t played a club game of footy so she played all nine games at Eastern Ranges and three games for Vic Metro.
“Mikala’s an inside mid, super-hard, and a tackling machine.”
Ferntree Gully junior Charlotte Wilson, who served as co-captain of the Eastern Ranges this season, was selected at pick 27 by Carlton.
Wilson, who also played with St.Kilda in the VFL Women’s this year, has left a lasting impression on her Ranges coach.
“Charlotte’s one of my favourites; as a defender she gives absolutely everything she’s got and she was one of the captains at Vic Metro as well,” Humphrey said.
“When people talk about recruiting and you ask them what they look for they always mention character; I’ve been coaching for 30 years and she’s one of the best in that regard that I’ve ever coached.”
Co-captaining the Ranges alongside Wilson this season was 18-year-old Emerson Woods, taken with pick 38 by Carlton.
Woods, a Mount Evelyn junior, played all four matches with Vic Metro in 2018 and was an AFL Academy-listed player.
The half-forward/winger also played seven matches with Box Hill in the VFL Women’s.
“(Emerson) is an outside running player (and) highly skilled,” Humphrey said.
“A goalkicker, she’s a great kid and (was) a massive chance to be drafted.”
Humphrey paid homage to the development program at the Eastern Ranges.
“This is my third year with the girls at Eastern and I was with the boys for four years,” he said.
“I’ve been lucky to be involved in adults being drafted via the EFL as well – that is the best thing about the Eastern program – it’s purely development.
“Wins and losses don’t matter overly – you just want the players to be in the best possible position to be drafted.”
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AT A GLANCE
Mikala Cann
CLUB: Blackburn
HEIGHT: 173cm
DOB: 4/11/2000
DRAFT: Pick 13 (Collingwood); Second Round
Charlotte Wilson
CLUB: Ferntree Gully
HEIGHT: 177cm
DOB: 29/12/2000
DRAFT: Pick 27 (Carlton); Third Round
Emerson Woods
CLUB: Mount Evelyn
HEIGHT: 171cm
DOB: 12/7/2000
DRAFT: Pick 38 (Carlton); Third Round
