Footballer Deanna Berry went into the School Sport Australia national championships doubting her place in the Victorian team after breaking her wrist only 10 weeks before.
“They [the coaches] said I had the skills and as long as my fitness was at 80 per cent they would pick me,” she said.
“I still had to train with them and not stuff around. I managed to still do some cardio work but I had no strength in my wrist.”
Berry, 16, who attends Whittlesea Secondary College, shouldn’t have doubted her ability, as her performances helped lead Victoria to the under-16 title.
“It was a grouse week and a pretty good standard,” she said of the carnival held in Sydney last month. “We expected games to be a lot closer and a lot more physical. We didn’t expect to win games by 100 points.”
Personally, Berry made the All Australian team and was named the player of the carnival.
“I was stoked and I had doubted myself going into the carnival so winning the award was unreal,” she said. “When I did my wrist I thought my season was over.”
Berry’s wrist injury also derailed her season with Mernda in the Northern Football League.
In the club’s first season, she had played only three games before her injury.
“It’s really good to be playing for Mernda, it’s where I played all my juniors,” she said.
“I played 120 games with the club before I had to go elsewhere as I was too old to play with the boys.
“Hopefully, this is the start of something at the club and we can eventually form a senior women’s team.”
Mernda, including Berry, lost its first final against Darebin by 30 points on Saturday.
For now, Berry has her sights set on playing in the biggest AFL game for women.
“I’m going to apply for the draft to play in the women’s AFL game,” she said.
“ You have to be 17 to apply to be drafted. I’m probably not much of a chance being so young, but, hopefully, I can play in the future.
“Hopefully there will also be an AFL women’s league, which I’d like to be part of .”
