Calder Cannons’ Shauna McElligott wasn’t happy with her 2024 football season.
Determined to get better, she engaged the services of private specialist coaches and did plenty of extra sessions.
That quickly showed as she returned for her top age Coates Talent League year.
After an outstanding season, she was crowned the winner of the Meg McArthur Medal as the under-18 girls best and fairest late last month.
McElligott said she was stoked to claim the Cannons highest honour.
“I was only about three-four votes behind Chloe [Baker-West] from rounds one to five and then I knew she got injured,” she said. “I thought maybe I’m a sniff here.
“It’s such an honour, the people who have won it in the past they’re good players, all of them.”
McElligott also took out the Cannons leading goalkicker award as she finished with 12 goals for the season.
After starting the season in the forward line, she moved up the ground to further expand her game.
“I’m glad the girls gave me the ball to be honest being in the forward line,” she said.
“Speaking to [coach] Ross [Smith] at the end of last year, he said he would give me more midfield time just to show off my skills a bit more.
“I started the year just forward and then about round five I started going into the midfield and then played there for a while.
“Then I did half mid and half forward for the rest of the year.”
McElligott’s season was built on wanting to improve on last year.
Last year she played 10 games and kicked four goals, but wasn’t named in the best at all.
“It was a bit of a rough season,” she recalls. “I was hit with a couple of injuries as well and couldn’t get much momentum and my confidence just dropped.
“A few things like that affected my year.
“Getting the feedback from the coaches at the end of the year and as soon as I got that, I got straight into it.
“I went to personal training and got a tackling coach and was doing a few other things on the outside.
“It definitely helped me.”
McElligott’s strong season saw her rewarded with other opportunities.
She was among a group of Calder Cannons that got to train with Essendon’s Victorian Football League women’s side regularly in the back half of the season.
McElligott said it was a really good opportunity.
“That was great getting to know everyone there, also that next level above the skills and everything was professional,” she said.
“I got to see how much stronger they are.”
She also made her senior debut for Aberfeldie playing alongside the likes of former AFLW players Mo Hope and Emily Smith.
“They are a good group to go back to and get my confidence back up even more.”
McElligott, who loves the games of Mon Conti and Zali Goldsworthy, said getting drafted would be a dream come true.
“It would mean a lot to be honest and it shows how hard work can pay off,” she said.
“If not, I keep putting in even more hard work.”
Cannons regional talent operations lead Sebastian Spagnuolo said McElligott worked hard to have the season that she had.
“Throughout the season she was by far our most consistent performer and earned the reward of being the runaway winner of the Meg McArthur Medal as our girls under-18 best and fairest.
“We are hopeful that her performances have caught the eye of AFLW recruiters as she’s definitely deserving of an opportunity at the next level.”
