HORSHAM SAINTS product Rene Caris will find out on Tuesday afternoon if her dream of playing in the AFLW will come true.
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Caris, who has spent some time playing for Carlton in the VFLW this season, said she was excited for the AFLW draft.
“I’ve been working pretty hard this year and it will be good to know the results not just for me but all the girls I’ve spent time training with,’ she said.
“The combine was amazing, being at Etihad Stadium in that professional environment,” Caris said.
“We were with the boys and saw them to do their testing too.
“We had interviews with all the Victorian clubs and that was a bit of a daunting process. It was interesting to sit in the room with five people asking you questions.
“I think they just wanted to get to know your personality. They already have the stats and they knew a lot about me but they just asked some funny questions to get to know me.”
Caris, who is a Richmond supporter, said she would not care which club she played for if she was lucky enough to be drafted.
“I’ve worked so hard and it would be amazing to be picked up – Richmond don’t enter the competition until 2020 and I wouldn’t care who I played for,” she said.
Rebels talent manager Phil Partington said both Caris and Clarke had showed great promise this season.
“I think they are really excited for it and so are we as Rebels. Hopefully we will have our first TAC Cup girls drafted from the Rebels – we missed out last year so hopefully it is a good result for western Victoria,” he said.
“Rene as a young developing tall ruck has showed a lot of potential this year and is very competitive. She has a lot of athletic ability around the football ground. She has really improved over the last two years and the AFLW clubs have seen that.
“You want a quality person and you don’t get much higher quality than her and she comes from a great background.
“Georgia is ready for the next step and we think she will get drafted.”
Caris said playing football in Melbourne this season had helped her game immensely.
“I was playing with some high profile players like Darcy Vescio in the VFLW for Carlton this season,” she said.
“I came straight from under-18s and to train with bigger bodies after only ever playing against juniors has really helped.
“The clubs have been really good and trying to help. They just want the best for you and the Rebels were fantastic in preparing us for the combine and the draft.”