The week of historic firsts continues at the Blues, with Madeline Keryk marking her name in Carlton’s history books.
Appointed vice-captain alongside co-counterpart Brianna Davey on Monday night, Keryk will support captain Lauren Arnell throughout the Club’s 2017 AFL Women's season.
The 21-year-old’s first encounter with Carlton came last year when she visited Ikon Park and had a tour of the Club’s facilities – an experience which left a lasting impression.
So when she was picked up by Carlton in October with selection No.115 in the draft, she was delighted.
The midfielder is one of a handful of players in the whole competition who have played football almost their entire lives.
Since picking up her first footy at aged six, Keryk played with the boys until she was 15 years old – the cut-off age for girls in mixed competitions.
Not wanting to let go of the sport she loved, she then came through the youth girl’s pathway until she joined Melbourne University in the VWFL.
Madeline Keryk poses with the Eva-Peers Medal in 2012. (Photo: AFL Media)
Despite her young age, a lifetime of football experience puts Keryk in good stead to help lead the Blues confidently and successfully.
“It’s definitely a massive responsibility to be named as a leader and not something I’m going to take lightly,” she said following her appointment as vice-captain.
“I know that we have a really great group of girls and no doubt they will make my job easier, but I feel so privileged to be in this position.”
Senior women’s coach Damien Keeping highlighted Keryk’s – and her co vice-captain Brianna Davey’s – ability to lead the group through the ups and downs of the season.
“The qualities they’ve shown and commitment to the values and behaviours we live by as a group proved that putting leadership work into them now will have plenty of benefits in the immediate and the long term,” Keeping said.
Keryk believes her leadership style will complement and balance the styles of Arnell and Davey, creating a great support network for all the girls in the team.
“I’m probably a bit more quiet than ‘Loz’ and ‘Bri’,” Keryk said.
“Loz has been really good with her leadership stuff already and Bri’s really good out on the track, so I think we’ll work really well together and it’ll be a good mix of leaders.”
Madeline Keryk puts in the hard yards ahead of the inaugural AFLW season. (Photo: AFL Media)
Being appointed as vice-captain is a huge milestone in Keryk’s footballing career, with the historic opening game against Collingwood the next on her checklist. However, her new role could be hard for her Collingwood-mad family to come to terms with.
Keryk has previously stated she loves using her Carlton gear to stir-up her ‘one-eyed’ mother.
Despite her family ties, Keryk will lead confidently and positively in the midfield on that historic night at Olympic Park Oval.
“I need to keep doing what I’ve been doing, and keep helping the girls where I can, and I’m sure we will just keep on improving.”
