2024 Anytime Fitness Women’s Rising Star – Charlie Anderson

Caulfield Grammarians’ first-ever Father-Daughter is now a VAFA Anytime Fitness Rising Star after Charlie Anderson’s outstanding 2024 season was recognised at the VAFA Awards night.

Charlie’s Dad, Paul, played 79 games for the Fields, including the 2000 Reserves premiership and was proudly in attendance as his daughter was celebrated in style.

“Dad has been a huge part of my journey,” said Charlie.

“I grew up with sisters and spent plenty of time kicking the footy in the backyard with Dad, but tennis was my main focus and I was playing at a pretty high level. I was always a sporty kid and picked other sports up quickly, but tennis took up so much of my time.

“So I didn’t actually start playing footy until I was 16. It started at a school footy carnival. Then I went down to Mordy-Brae (Mordialloc-Braeside) as my junior club. Within six months I was in St Kilda’s Next Generation Academy and spent a couple of years in the Sandy Dragons program and got invited into St Kilda’s VFLW.

“Dad encouraged me to join his old club, Caulfield Grammarians, but I didn’t know anyone there, so it was terrifying turning up for that first training session. But everyone was so welcoming right from the start – I fitted straight in, and it felt like home.”

The VAFA caught a glimpse of Charlie’s future promise when she racked up 30 disposals and 3 goals as an 18-year-old on debut in 2022.

However, bursitis in her back sidelined Anderson in 2023, although she managed to sneak out for a couple of games at the end of the season.

“I probably shouldn’t have played,” she concedes.

“It was severe bursitis throughout my back with extremely bad inflammation that took 7 or 8 months to settle down. It took cortisone injections and lots of rehab. It was a really tough year. I missed footy so much. It was so hard.

“I made the effort to go and watch the games, but I found it really difficult watching from the sidelines. Even though I’d only been playing for a few years, I missed it so much.”

She returned to action with a bang in 2024, polling coaches’ votes in 12 of her 16 matches, including 6 of the last 7 rounds of the regular season as the Fields scraped into the finals, then upset Kew in the First Semi before falling to eventual premiers Old Scotch on Preliminary Final Day.

“It’s been my favourite season so far. I missed Round 1 after getting the flu the day before, so I started a week later. But, in a way, that helped because there were no opening round nerves! I’m a very nervous person – I get quite anxious before every game.”

But Charlie had nothing to worry about, having an immediate impact, polling in her first four games as a dynamic intercept-marking half-back who loves to turn the play around and launch attacking forays.

“I’ve always been a decent defender, but I wanted to develop more of an attacking component to my game this year. That side of things developed a lot and helped me take my game to the next level. Watching at a VFL program has certainly helped – I learned a lot.

“My biggest strength is reading the flight of the ball and I have a good leap, so I probably play a bit taller than I am – I’m 5 foot 6 (167cm) – and that helps with intercept marking. I’ve worked on my speed too to increase my ability to take off and run up the ground and launch attacks from half-back.

“I trialled as a midfielder early in the pre-season, but I struggled to read the ball as much so I was happy to return to half-back and rotate for midfield bursts or deeper in defence for a rest occasionally.”

“With speed to burn, an eye for back-with-the-flight intercepts, and an elite workrate, Charlie put together a consistently brilliant campaign this season,” said Caulfield Grammarians Vice President of Women’s Footy, Rachel Stevens.

“Her perseverance to overcome injury obstacles in the past year cannot be understated and the output even more impressive knowing the mountain of work Charlie has put in behind the scenes to stay healthy on the park. The Fields are so proud of way Charlie carries herself on and off the field and are so excited to see her footy journey continue to progress in leaps and bounds.”

“Charlie is a key pillar of our backline,” said her coach, Dani Di Stefano. “Her sheer strength and ability to read the flight of the ball allowed us to really propel off half back this year.

“Despite being so young, Charlie is an important leader of our squad – her directional communication, coupled with her incredible intercept marking ability and exceptional work rate sets the standard at training and on game day.

“Off the field, Charlie is a great friend, has an awesome sense of humour and is an absolute pleasure to coach. We absolutely love having Charlie at the club and can’t wait to watch her grow.”

“It was really exciting to get nominated for the Rising Star and nice to get some recognition for all the work I put in to get fit and strong enough to play some good footy again. It meant a lot,” said Charlie.

“My team-mate Zoe McCurdy got nominated as well and I brought Zoe over to the club this year. We went to primary school together. She was in my younger sister’s year level, came through the Dragons and then the Saints. She was looking for a local club, I suggested she come down and she loved it as well.

“It’s an exciting time for our women’s program. Our team this year had a lot of new faces so to achieve so much in one season is exciting for the future. The connection and love we all have for each other is really special and to create that in one season is amazing. I feel like we have plenty of growth in us for next year.”

The VAFA Awards Night turned out to be an evening that Charlie will never forget.

“When I first found out I could take a plus-one, my first thought was to bring Dad. He really enjoyed it and was very happy. He spent so much time driving me to sport over the years and he’s the reason I’m at the club and in the VAFA,” said Charlie.

“We’ll always be the first father-daughter combination at Caulfield Grammarians, so for us to share the same love for footy with so many of the same people means a lot to both of us. He has always been a big supporter of whatever I’ve done and even now, he comes to all my games.”

“Footy is a team sport and I wouldn’t be the Rising Star without all my team-mates. They have all been such good friends and supporters.

“And a big thanks to my coach Dani, who was instrumental in my season. She’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. She cares about every single player so much, and the work she puts in every week while juggling a full-time job is incredible. So, a huge thanks to her.

“All these people helped me really enjoy my footy this year. I’ve been in semi-professional environments at the Dragons and Saints, but this season has been less pressure and more social. I’ve had so much more fun with it, which helped me to have a good season.”