The VAFA congratulates Ress Wade from Melbourne Cricket Club Football Club who has been nominated as the Round 9 Anytime Fitness Rising Star. Ress is new to football and has started to find her feet, earning a spot in the best for the past two weeks and is a commanding presence in the backline.
What the Club said:
Ress came to MCCFC as a new player who had never played the game before. She came with an eagerness to learn, a great sense of humour and a take it on attitude which immediately appealed to me as a coach. She will be the first to agree that her skills were raw, and kicking was challenging. We started with the basics and Ress quickly showed a thirst for the contest and this competitive spirit, and her tackling enthusiasm soon marked her as a defender. She quickly became a leader in our backline as a strong, competitive and tight defensive player.
The key to Ress’s improvement has been due to the fact that she never misses a training session. After a very strong pre-season leading into 2024, Ress has added fitness, strength and speed to her game so that she has now become a ball carrier and our best rebounding defender. Ress has also improved her hand and foot skills over her journey, but most pleasing is her marking which has become very strong and I think is a direct result of her growing confidence. It is so pleasing that Ress has been nominated for this week’s Rising Star. Ress is a great football story of someone taking on something new with enthusiasm and an open mind. Well done Ress!
Outside of football, Ress is a barista and a creative writer soon to finish her first novel!