Tara Murray
The Western Bulldogs will have a new AFLW captain with Deanna Berry appointed the club’s captain for 2024,
Berry becomes just the third captain in club history, after being a member of the five-player leadership group last year.
The 26-year-old said she felt honoured to be chosen to lead the team.
“I’m probably a bit speechless right now to be honest – I’m just thrilled,” she said.
“In the last few years, I’ve really found myself as a leader, and where I can make an impact both on and off the field. I want to help drive the behaviours and the culture and the standards that we want to set as a club.
“At the moment we are in an education phase, and I feel with my coaching background I can help the girls navigate through different situations.
“I think as a club and a program, we are heading in a great direction. We’ve made enormous change over the last six months, and our team is really driving where we want to go.”
Berry started her career at Mernda in the Northern Football League and spent time at the Calder Cannons in their youth girls academy in 2016.
She was drafted to Melbourne and spent one season the club before being traded to the Western Bulldogs.
The decision to appoint Berry was made following a thorough selection process and was ratified this week.
Women’s football general manager Patrice Berthold said there had been extensive consideration in the appointment.
“Reflective of the changes across our women’s program in the off-season, we introduced a new and robust leadership selection process to help position the club with the best chance of success now and into the future across all on-field and off-field endeavours.
“De emerged from this comprehensive process as the successful candidate, and we are excited for her to guide and help propel the team’s growth through this next chapter.”
Berthold also acknowledged outgoing captain Ellie Blackburn, who will remain in the leadership group, for her service in the role.
She said Blackburn will always be the club’s first premiership captain.
“Ellie’s long-standing leadership has been remarkable over her eight years at the club,” she said.
“Not only has she supported the evolution of this next wave of leaders, but she has played an important role in developing them too. Her leadership and performance through some challenging on-field times in recent years has provided the team with vital strength and stability.
“While she will no longer have the official title of captain, we have no doubt her experience will remain critical in taking the team forward and supporting De’s captaincy.
Berry echoed Berthold’s sentiment and looks forward to working alongside Blackburn, Elle Bennetts, Isabelle Pritchard, Isabella Grant and Jessica Fitzgerald in the leadership group.
“I’m pretty lucky in the fact that I’ve got Ellie to help guide me along the way,” she said. “She’s been an enormous leader of this club for the past eight years.
“Having her qualities beside me is only going to help me and the direction we want to go as a club.
“The girls in the leadership group are a great bunch – it just excites me to know how much it means to all of them, and how hard they’ve been working to be leaders.”
