FALCONS STAR’S DUAL TALENTS
LUKA Lesosky-Hay considers it the two contrasting sides of her personality: weekends spent as a contested ball hunter and weekdays in front of a canvas working on oil paintings.
The Geelong Falcon has ambitions to study fine arts at university and has a nervous wait as she hopes to be picked up in tomorrow’s AFLW Draft.
“I’m really into oil painting. I’ve been doing realistic stuff but using photo editors to morph photos and then paint them,” she said.
“(Footy) is the opposite side of my personality.
“I’ve always loved playing it. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love playing it.”
That love began at age eight in Aireys Inlet, where LesoskyHay still lives.
After learning the game locally, her junior career took her through Anglesea, Modewarre, Torquay and Geelong West before her run with the Falcons.
All those starts at new clubs has taught the 18-year-old to be open around new people.
“It was a bit tough for me at the start when I was moving, but I think through doing that I’ve learnt to open up to people,” she said.
“Everyone is so friendly everywhere I’ve ever been and everyone wants you to get involved and it’s easier if you’re open. I definitely stepped up a lot more (with leadership this year). I was in the leadership group, which I was really happy about.”
Lesosky-Hay prides herself on work inside the contest and said she believed her competitiveness helped her win the one-on-one battles around the ground.
She was named on the interchange in the NAB League Team of the Year and impressed with Vic Country during the season.
She said she had spoken to Richmond during the year and was interviewed by multiple clubs at the AFLW Draft Combine earlier this month.
Aside from one question about which Netflix show she loved — Lesosky-Hay nominated mind-bending drama Russian Doll — she said she felt at ease under the spotlight.
She said seeing former teammates Nina Morrison and Olivia Purcell picked up in the draft spurred her on in 2019.
“I always loved playing, but I think the moment I really thought it’s something I wanted to do was the last season break, when I saw lots of my friends get drafted,” she said.