NINA PRIMED FOR No.1 TAG
IN so many ways, likely No.1 AFLW draft pick Nina Morrison will be playing on with advantage.
Blessed with phenomenal footy talent and with a motor to match, the talented youngster is one of women’s footy’s brightest stars.
Yet she also finds herself in the enviable position of knowing exactly where she will be headed come October 23’s national draft.
Using an AFLW draft rule to her advantage, Morrison has nominated Geelong as her preferred draft region, meaning she will be playing for the Cats next year.
But even if she selected “all of Victoria”, Morrison would still have ended up at the Cats, such is the club’s conviction that she is worthy of being taken with their first pick in the draft.
In theory, Geelong could have exploited the “Geelong only” rule by waiting until a late pick to select Morrison, but the Cats believe the Falcons ace deserves the accolades of a high selection.
But the draft nomination rules have also worked against the Cats, with Madison Prespakis, regarded as a possible No.1 selection, nominating for Melbourne metro only.
Morrison and Prespakis were joint winners of this season’s TAC Cup’s best-andfairest and the pair also shared the MVP award at the under-18 national championships.
The hype surrounding Morrison is real and it is something she is prepared to embrace heading towards one of the biggest days in her life.
“You’ve got to embrace it to an extent but at the same time you have to remove yourself a little bit,” she said.
“You can’t worry about it too much. I’m not too fussed about where I go in the draft, I am just going to enjoy it and not get too caught up in it.
“Obviously nominating the Geelong box provides some reassurance as to where I will end up next year, which is pretty unique. Most of the girls in the draft don’t have that and, the boys, they definitely don’t have that.
“So I am in a lucky position and I’m very grateful to have that chance.”
Players get a choice of three Victorian zones when they nominate for the draft — all of Victoria, Melbourne metro and Geelong only.
Morrison didn’t take her position for granted at the recent AFLW Draft Combine, smashing her endurance testing with an 18.1 on the yoyo and a 7min 14sec 2km time trial.
The teenager admitted she had contemplated selecting all of Victoria as her draft region, but the club’s facilities and coaching got her across the line. She said it was also vital to remain close to her support network in Geelong.
“I can go to uni at Deakin and that makes things easier,” Morrison said.
Morrison finished off her final underage season with four senior games for Geelong at VFLW level, named in the Cats’ best three times.
She said her little taste of VFLW had given her belief that she could thrive in her first AFLW season.
“To be able to play against them, get some experience against those girls, gives you a bit of confidence going into next year,” Morrison said.