Second chance for Cat Coventry
A DELISTED Cat will get another shot at an AFLW career as Elise Coventry was called back to Geelong after two players have been ruled out of the season.
Coventry, 35, has been named as an upgraded trainon player as draftees Mia Skinner and Gemma Wright will sit out of the entire of the AFLW season.
Torquay local Skinner, 19, will miss the season due to a stress fracture of her femur.
Drafted with the 65th overall pick at the AFLW Draft in October, the former Geelong
Falcon will focus on rehab with the hope of playing in Geelong’s VFLW season this year.
Wright, 25, has decided to step away from football due to mental health reasons.
She had been away from the group earlier in pre-season before formally deciding to withdraw from the 2020 season.
Wright was picked up by the Cats with pick 34 in last year’s draft.
Her sister Sarah was also drafted on the same day, by North Melbourne.
Coventry – who has played with Geelong’s VFLW side – was part of Geelong’s list last season but ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament before Round 1 and spent the rest of the season in rehab, where she formed a close bond with rising star Nina Morrison.
The defender was then delisted by the Cats at the end last year’s season but stayed on with the club to rehab her knee.
As a train-on player, Coventry will only be up for selection if Geelong is hit by injuries and has fewer than 23 players fit and available for selection.