Falcons Legend Elise O’Dea (AKA Junior) will play her 200th Senior AFL game tomorrow when our VFLW team to take on Williamstown FC. Elise O’Dea has had an outstanding career in AFL and we are thrilled that she is home with the Falcons to mark this special occasion!
Hailing originally from Canberra, O’Dea moved to Melbourne in 2013 and has been an integral part of the Falcon’s state league success. She has won five premiership medals, with the Falcons and was named team captain in 2017 (a year which also saw the Falcons take out the flag).
Outside of the Falcons, O’Dea has a glittering resume of footy accolades. Being Melbourne FC’s first pick in the inaugural AFLW draft in 2017 and elected as Vice-Captain in 2017 and 2018. O’Dea has been outstanding at Melbourne and was voted third in the Best and Fairest in 2017, and runner up in 2018.
No stranger to AFL, O’Dea has a huge list of achievements which she has gathered throughout her career. Some of these include participating in the original women’s exhibition games, representing Victoria in the state team and being named:
- ACT/NSW AFL Rising Star.
- ACT/NSW Women’s AFL rising Star
- ACT/NSW Women’s AFL Junior of the Year
- All Australian Women’s AFL Team (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011)
To mark this special occasion, we have some best wishes from some of the Falcons family:
Lauren Arnell (Darebin VFLW Player / Brisbane Lions AFLW Player)
Something I love about playing footy with June is I know that she will turn up to every training session and game absolutely pumped to be there and ready to perform. On field she wears her heart on her sleeve and is so passionate about doing what she can for the team. I’m so grateful we’ve been able to play another season of footy together, talk footy and all sorts of rubbish and simply run out alongside each other enjoying every single game. There is also not a soul I have met with a more extensive combined knowledge of wine and music. Hats off to ya June, an awesome achievement!
Sarah Hammond (Darebin VFLW Assistant Coach / ex Darebin Player)
Training or playing with Juney has always been a highlight of mine. Regardless of how you were feeling prior to training as soon as you saw Juney’s infectious smile, you pepped up. She has an ability to ensure that everyone feels included and valued. She puts 100% into training at all time, and she is still out there before every session doing craft always striving to improve herself.
Two things that I have never fully understood about Juney:
- How she can drink red wine, and only red wine all day on mad Mondays?
- Why she used to park blocks away from training and walk the rest of the way?
Congratulations on 200 games June!
Annalyse Lister (Darebin VFLW Vice Captain)
Congrats on hitting the 200 June! Your passion and love for the game is truly infectious. Not only do you epitomise what it means to lead by example, but you drive those around you to work harder and expect more from themselves. I am so glad to be lining up alongside you on the weekend, and not against you… “How good is footy, right??”
CONGRATULATIONS JUNIOR – FROM EVERYONE AT THE D.W.S.C
Images: Thanks to https://www.facebook.com/RobLawsonPhotography/
