By Tara Murray
New Calder Cannons girls captain Jade McLay is hoping to use her experiences the past couple of years to help her side take the next step.
McLay was named the Cannons captain with Chloe Baker-West and Taylah Gilcrist named co-vice captains for the Coates Talent League season.
McLay said she’d had a feeling for a few weeks before the announcement that she was going to be named captain.
“It’s such an honour,” she said. “I sort of had a bit of an understanding.
“I wanted to be a leader this year and I tried to get around the girls whenever I could.
“I’m on top of the world to know the girls look up to me and see that I could teach them a few things I’ve learned in the programs.”
McLay said she thought it was a pretty good leadership group. Baker-West was part of the Vic Metro program with McLay last year, while Gilcrist has been part of Vic squads throughout the years.
McLay said being part of the state programs had really helped her football and she wanted to bring it back to the Cannons.
“I bring back what I can to Calder and I teach some of the stuff that I learned and put into action,” she said.
“I want to help them get the best out of the season and the girls can showcase what their strengths are.”
Now a top age player, McLay said she’s hoping to get as much out of the year as possible this year.
She said she wasn’t trying to put too much expectation on herself being her draft years.
McLay has already been part of the Vic Metro summer squad.
“It was so cool to get the girls together,” she said of the summer squad. “The training standard was really high.
“I want to have a bit of fun and enjoy my last year at the Cannons.”
McLay said she’d been working with new co-coach Nic Tenabel on some new things they wanted to implement this season.
“She’s got some new things and she’s really helped us a lot over the off season,” she said.
“Me and Nic have spoken about making us girls feel more comfortable and becoming a tight group and better players together.
“It will lead to better outcomes.”
