A new face will be among the leadership group at Geelong for season seven of the AFLW this year, with Benalla’s Becky Webster elected to be a part of a six-woman leadership team at the Cats.
Webster will join a similar-looking group to last season, which is captained by two-time All Australian Meghan McDonald, who will become the longest serving Geelong AFLW captain this year.
Kyabram’s Julia Crockett-Grills returns to the leadership group this year, alongside Nina Morrison, Georgie Rankin and Chantel Emonson.
The appointment of the club’s leaders included a vote from the playing squad and key staff, before the Geelong board provided a final endorsement.
Webster was a revelation for the Cats last season, and finished runner-up in the club’s best-and-fairest.
The 21-year-old averaged 16.8 disposals and 6.3 tackles in the midfield, earning herself a spot in the AFL Players Association AFLW 22under22 for a second consecutive season.
Geelong AFLW and Football Pathways head Brett Johnson said the club was excited to see what Webster could produce in a leadership role this year.
“Becky is an exciting and emerging young talent who took her game to another level in season six,” Johnson said.
“She has approached pre-season with a terrific mindset and as a leader she’s starting to bring her teammates along with her.”
Crockett-Grills also looks set for another big year in the Cats midfield, having led the club for inside 50s last year.
The 27-year-old joined Geelong in 2019 and has since become a mainstay in the team, becoming the second Cat to celebrate 25 club games in the past season.
“Julia, Georgie and Chantel have done a fantastic job of connecting with the playing group and will continue to build on what they have helped to put in place during last season,” Johnson said.
Geelong’s AFLW campaign gets under way with a clash against Richmond at GMHBA Stadium on Sunday, August 28.