Julia Crockett-Grills will reach a major milestone this weekend, playing her 50th AFLW game for Geelong against Collingwood on Sunday.
Crockett-Grills will join captain Meg McDonald at Victoria Park on Sunday as the first players in Geelong AFLW history to reach 50 games in the blue and white hoops.
The tough midfielder was recruited by Geelong for their inaugural season in 2019, debuting straight away in round one against Collingwood and becoming a key contributor across the past six seasons.
The 28 year old has taken her game to another level in 2023, averaging a career high 13 disposals and five tackles per game while splitting time between the midfield and the wing.
Crockett-Grills spoke on her milestone during the week, noting that she has enjoyed being part of the Geelong AFLW journey since their inaugural season.
“I have loved being a part of this journey from day one with the Cats,” Crockett-Grills said.
“I haven’t necessarily had a mentor, but being in the environment here at Geelong has been great itself.
"We have had our lower moments along the way, riding that wave but now we are starting to head towards some real club success.
"Being part of that rollercoaster, I have experienced the ups and downs and hopefully we can continue that this season and go further than we did last year.”
Crockett-Grills journey to Geelong included an impressive state-level cricket career, a stint with the Box Hill VFLW team, and landed with her joining the Cats ahead of their first AFLW season.
The experienced Cats’ milestone match also marks an important game for Geelong’s season, needing a win to solidify their place in the top eight heading towards finals.
Crockett-Grills said last Saturday’s win over Fremantle was a welcome return to form for the team, ahead of a blockbuster clash with the Magpies this Sunday.
“It was great to get back to playing our brand of football, everyone played their role again on the weekend,” Crockett-Grills said.
“We played a more consistent four quarters, then we really started to hit the scoreboard which is what we try to do each week.
There is a lot of anticipation for this weekend, Sunday feels like a long way away but I am looking forward to it.”
