By JARROD POTTER
BOWING out of Youth Girls state football on a high note last week in Canberra was Beaconsfield footballer Karly Tapner.
Tapner, 17, from Cranbourne, was named in a back pocket for the Youth Girls National Championship’s All Australian team to cap off her Youth Girls’ state duties.
“It was an awesome week,” Tapner said.
“I think we had a really young team and it was all about getting experience into the younger girls for the future and us older girls tried to keep going and bringing them with us which was good.”
All Australian honours were meaningful for Tapner, but she would have loved a national championship to cap off her Youth Girls’ representative career as Victoria Metro was undone at the last hurdle by 25 points against Western Australia.
“All Australian is a pretty decent honour to get – all the hard work paid off – but it would’ve been better to win the cup with the girls though,” Tapner said.
“I think you work hard as a team to help each other push through so I would have much rathered the team accolade than the individual.”
The raised standard of other teams – especially eventual national champions Western Australia – impressed Tapner and she thought it was positive the rest of the states are now in a position to challenge Victoria.
Tapner will look back on her time in the championships fondly – with the national wins over the last few years – and seeing younger team mates like Georgia Gee rise through the ranks and carry on.
She wanted to thank her team mates and the coaching staff for their support throughout her time as a Victorian Youth Girls’ representative.
“Sharing moments with Chyloe (Kurdas) and Alicia Eva,”Tapner said.
“The coaching staff sticks by you the whole way and without them I wouldn’t be the player and the leader I am right now.”
