By Jed Lanyon
Earlier this year Serena Gibbs played her very first season of organised footy and now she will play at the sport’s highest level for Carlton after they selected her in the AFLW Draft on Tuesday 22 October.
The former Warburton and Mount Evelyn netballer made the switch to football this year by joining the Eastern Ranges and then featured in several VFLW matches for the Hawks where she continued to impress.
Carlton selected Gibbs with pick 44, but the 19-year-old said she never anticipated being drafted after just one season under her belt.
“It was surreal. I never thought I’d have my name called out… I was in absolute utter shock,” she said.
“I’m looking forward to developing my skills as a footballer and to see where I can go in my football journey as I’m quite new at the game.
“I had set myself the goal of making the under 19 state team, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to achieve that.”
Gibbs said that her good friend and now fellow Carlton teammate Emerson Woods helped kick start her football career when her mother saw her playing netball in the Lilydale and Yarra Valley Netball Association.
Woods’ mum recommended that Gibbs should try out for the Eastern Ranges.
“I jumped at the opportunity,” she said, but admitted she knew nothing about playing the sport prior to this year.
Woods had a similar journey to Gibbs having played for Eastern Ranges and the VFLW Hawks before being drafted by the Blues.
Gibbs said that she may have caught the attention of AFLW scouts in a game against Melbourne Uni.
The forward/ruck booted two goals and took four marks against a strong defense.
“Something just happened to work that day and it ended up being my best game for the year.
“Many people mention that it was when they knew I had the potential.”
Gibbs was the leading goal kicker for the Eastern Ranges and finished top three in the team’s best and fairest.
Eastern Ranges female talent and competitions coordinator Jessie Mulholland said that Gibbs would be a wildcard for Carlton to draw from due to her age and raw potential.
“Serena came to us with an alternate sports background… Her knowledge and footy IQ wasn’t there initially as much as some of the other girls who had played for several years, but she could definitely kick and is a great overhead mark.
“Her awareness of positioning and structures came slowly but she is always willing to learn and soak everything up. She’s got huge potential to keep growing.
“She does all the right things to get her body and mind right 100 per cent of the time.”
