Georgie Rankin has made the move from Surfers Paradise to continue on a family legacy playing for the Geelong Cats.
Georgie is the latest of the Rankin family to pull on the blue and white hoops, following in the footsteps of her great-great-grandfather Teddy and three of his sons who all played for Geelong.
“It’s actually Georgie’s great-great-grandfather, and that’s Teddy who’s recently been made a Legend, he obviously played. Then he had four sons, of which three of them, Cliff, Doug and Bert, all played at the Cats. Who would have thought that Georgie would be the next one to come through. So yeah it’s just amazing,” Georgie’s father John explains.
To continue on the family tradition is an honour not lost on the 20-year-old.
“It’s really powerful to know that I’m carrying on another generation in my family and seeing how dad looks at me and my grandpa when they see me in the kit, knowing that their great-grandfather’s and uncles were part of it, it’s really humbling and such an honour to be able to carry that forward,” tells Georgie.
Rankin made the move to Geelong after being scouted by AFLW coach Paul Hood when he visited Surfers Paradise earlier this year.
“Hoody came up and took us for a training. A month later there he was giving me a call and bringing me down for a run with their VFLW side, so it’s just been up from there. It’s amazing.”
It’s been an exciting 12-months for Rankin who has transitioned from a basketball player to a footballer.
“This past season I played footy alongside basketball, and when it went on it just became more and more clear to me that footy is what I wanted to do.”
“The culture is completely different. It’s an amazing environment and I think a really empowering sisterhood in the female football movement.”
Georgie continues 'powerful' Rankin dynasty
Georgie is the latest of the Rankin family to pull on the blue and white hoops