St Kilda AFLW co-captain Cat Phillips gave aflplayers.com.au an insight into the impact star junior and pick No.5 in last year’s Draft, Georgia Patrikios, has had in her short time at the club. Alongside Carlton’s Lucy McEvoy, Patrikios was the round one nomination for the 2020 AFLW Rising Star award.
Although we both played in the VFLW competition, I hadn’t actually met Georgia Patrikios until she was drafted to the Saints last year.
Despite all the attention on her being taken with Pick No. 5, Georgia took it in her stride.
As a group we’d only ever heard good things about the type of footballer and person she was.
(St Kilda AFLW coach) Peta Searle had shared with us how happy her and the recruiting team were to have landed Georgia, so we knew she was going to be a great person to have around the club.
When she first arrived at the Saints, immediately her confidence and leadership as a young person coming into a new environment stood out to me.
Georgia turned up on day one, fitting right into the team and making herself at home with the group. From that moment she was driving high standards from everyone.
As a senior player at the Saints, it was a huge highlight for me to see such a young player carrying themselves in this way.
In the short time Georgia has been at the club, she’s already developed monumentally.
Again, I think it comes back to her leadership skills and ability to drive the people around her to get better.
Not only has Georgia been a great player for the team, but she speaks up at training, isn’t afraid to give advice to the people around her, and, in turn, helping the entire midfield group to grow and learn.
We’re a young list at St Kilda and already Georgia has been able to add value to those around her – young or more senior.
We all love having her around the club. Not only is Georgia a talented footballer, but she’s a great person.
On the field, her skills are elite. She’s composed, mature and skilful.
We can give the ball to Georgia and know that she’s going to do something effective and impactful with it.
There’s no surprise she’s often described as having a fierce and competitive nature.
Georgia is extremely competitive with her offensive play on the field. Every time the ball is there to be won, you know that she’ll do her best to go in and get it.
She’ll happily take anyone on, run around them, shrug them off and sell them a bit of candy.
When Georgia takes to the field her drive to be the best player that she can be is at the forefront.
I can’t wait to see how her AFLW career evolves.
AFLW RISING STAR NOMINEES IN 2020
Round 1 – Georgia Patrikios (St Kilda) / Lucy McEvoy (Carlton)