Written by Adrian Cannatelli, Elite Sport Business student in 2021.
Aspiring coach and new member of the Carlton College of Sport Football Development Program, Emily Pedersoli, gave us a more in depth look into her love of AFL and what she aims to get out of the exciting opportunity to be part of the program.
Pedersoli began her AFL journey at the age of 12, which sparked from her feeling as though her brothers were given opportunities that weren’t available to herself. She wanted to show to her family and others around the football community that given the opportunity, the girls could do just as good as the boys.
Currently playing as a ruck, Pedersoli is enjoying developing her skills in the Football Development Program and being given new challenges that help to grow her game. She is also handy down back as an intercepting defender, modelling her game on the likes of Ben McEvoy who plays a similar dual-position role for Hawthorn Football Club.
When asked about her greatest qualities on the field, her leadership qualities and directing traffic around the ground was something that sprung to mind rather than technical abilities.
“Being one of the oldest and more experienced in my team at Sunbury Lions, I mostly enjoy leading the younger girls in the team and leading by example”, Pedersoli said.
This ties in with her passion for coaching and aspirations to become a senior coach in the future. Being a passionate Hawks supporter, Pedersoli looks up to one of the great coaches in AFL history in Alistair Clarkson.
“His ability to lead Hawthorn for the last 15 years and build one of the greatest teams in AFL history is something I admire a lot”, Pedersoli mentioned when referring to her budding coaching career.
Her love of coaching and leading others stemmed from past experiences with her own coaches, who she felt didn’t take the women’s game seriously. She wishes to be able to pass on knowledge to players that she wasn’t fortunate enough to receive when she was learning the ropes and trying to take her game to the next level.
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When asked why she chose to join the Carlton College of Sport Football Development Program, Pedersoli said that she valued the opportunity to work within an elite environment and learn from some of the best minds in the game.
She also made mention that the coaches within the program have helped her to develop facets in her game which she wasn’t aware needed tuning, taking her to new heights every single day.
“I also love watching the coaches and seeing how they coach, so I can take notes and adapt my coaching style”, Pedersoli added.
Some of her favourite experiences within her time at the Carlton College of Sport include working with 2020 AFLW Best and Fairest winner Maddy Prespakis to improve her game, and the experience of training on IKON Park every week with elite personnel from the Carlton Football Club.
“I love the on-field, practical nature that the program offers, and getting to work with Maddy Prespakis is a unique experience that can’t be beaten”, she said.