Georgia Foran: Foran’s Forte’s
'Fire Starters' is a series of in-depth feature stories on some of our top prospects in 2022, exploring their junior careers, their upbringing, their Dragons journey and aspirations for the future, written by Dylan Bolch and Nathan Sepe.
By Nathan Sepe
Opera singing and lockdown defending are two skills you wouldn’t see many master, unless you can manage to match the love for them that Georgia Foran has.
The key defender has grown up with a love for singing and a passion for sport.
“I’ve been taking singing lessons for about eight years and I started playing football in 2017,” said Foran.
Whilst tackling “three sports” at the time she began playing footy, Georgia’s rise in development came through hard work and dedication.
Foran began with basketball at a young age, adding netball and tennis to the mix throughout the years.
When the opportunity came to play club footy in year seven, Foran seized the opportunity, joining the Ormond Junior Football Club.
“I gave it a shot and I loved it. I fell in love with it immediately,” said Foran.
Whilst no one in Foran’s immediate family grew up playing footy, she has some famous footballing DNA in her blood, related to the Melbourne Football Club legend Ron Barassi.
Foran developed her love for football early in her playing days, dropping her other sports out of her passion for Aussie Rules.
“Even when I wasn’t training I was constantly going down to the oval to kick with my dad”
In 2019, Foran made the move to St Pauls Junior Football Club, winning a premiership in her first year.
“That was my favourite football memory ever… when that final siren went, I cried, I was so happy that I just bawled my eyes out,” said Foran.
Foran was also awarded best on ground in the Grand Final victory, adding to the start of her football accolades.
The premiership coach, Paul Smith, was a big contributor to Foran’s on-field success and development, playing a role Foran was immensely grateful for.
“He cares so much about my journey and puts in so much effort to help me get better,” said Foran.
Talia Clarke-Thorneycroft has been with Foran along her St Paul’s journey, witnessing first-hand the impressiveness and professionalism of Foran on-field.
“Her natural ability to read the play is incredible and her constant hard work and determination pays off,” said Clarke.
“She’s an all-rounder and dominates every position on the field. She showcases how hard work produces high levels of talent.”
Foran started her juniors as a midfielder, building her flexibility as a rotational key position player.
“It was important for me that I showed my flexibility that I could go in forward or back and make an impact,” said Foran.
“I focused on all those areas of my game, at training and in match play.”
In 2020, Foran started at the Sandringham Dragons, plagued by a COVID year that saw minimal footy, however, an opportunity in Foran’s eyes.
“I was really focusing on development. I was trying to get stronger, fitter, faster and really trying to strengthen myself,” said Foran.
Leading into the 2022 NAB League Girls season, Foran believed this pandemic work primed her, allowing her confidence to “skyrocket”.
Her leadership skills also benefited from the development period. Foran said that the confidence from skill improvement helped her be more of a leader on the field.
Moving into the 2022 season, Foran claimed the role of a strong lockdown defender, willing to learn and utilise her strengths week to week.
“I’ve worked a lot with Tilly Arthur, our backline coach, who has really helped me to establish my physicality,” said Foran.
“I’ve been able to have that presence in the air and on the ground. Part of my game I’ve been so good at is reading the ball and picking it out of the air”
Foran had a terrific 2022 season, averaging 14.4 disposals, 3.1 marks, and 13.7 kicks.
Her most impressive stat was her rebound 50’s, averaging 8.7 per game, ranked in the top three in the NAB League.
Foran has an innate ability to impact the contest effectively, making her a versatile key defender across any team she plays in.
According to Foran, she believes that her rebound 50 skills are a testament to her kicking ability, highlighting that she only needs “one kick to get it out of the 50.”
Playing a stellar season at the Dragons, Foran was selected in the Vic Metro squad, taking part in the three games played across the national championships.
Sandringham Dragons and Vic Metro assistant coach Lisa Roper praised Foran for both her personality and skill on and off the field.
“Georgia was solid in our backline, with plenty of intercept marks, forcing teams to reshape the way they brought the ball inside their 50,” said Roper.
“Preferring to read books to pass the time waiting for flights, Georgia is always adding to her wealth of knowledge and talent on and off the field.”
Foran’s character is infectious across every playing group she encounters, and that combination stood out to Sandringham Dragons Head Coach, Wayne Cripps.
“Georgia is one of the most socially aware people I have ever come across in football,” said Cripps.
“She was by far the biggest improver from the Dragons girls who played in 2021”
Foran’s magnificent 2022 season also earnt her a spot in the NAB League Girls Team of the Year.
“Mark Wheeler and I pushed extremely hard for Georgia to get the recognition she deserved,” said Cripps.
“It was the biggest feel-good story out of all the girls”
Cripps believes AFLW clubs should have their eyes firmly planted on Foran in the future, pinpointing it down to her key defensive attributes.
“Clubs wouldn’t find a better one-on-one defender in the NAB League, she is so strong and such a great competitor with tremendous upside.”
Moving forward, Foran is determined to let her love of footy do the talking, hoping she gets the call come the AFLW draft on June 29th.
“Anything that I can do, I just want to keep playing footy, I never want to stop, even when I’m 50, I just want to play footy forever and be the best that I can!” Foran said.
Foran will continue to play her winter season football with St Paul’s inaugural women’s side in hope of reaching an AFLW club in the near future.