Sophie_Van_De_Heuvel

Sophie Van De Heuvel

Sophie Van De Heuvel

Australian rules footballer

Sophie Van De Heuvel (born 10 December 2000) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Essendon Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). A cricketer as well as a footballer, she competed in both sports at the national level in her junior career. Van De Heuvel was the second selection in the 2018 AFL Women's draft and debuted in the opening round of the 2019 AFL Women's season.

Quick Facts Personal information, Date of birth ...

Early life

Van De Heuvel grew up in Ballarat and attended Loreto College.[1] She came from a sporting family: her father Mark Van De Heuvel played football for Sebastopol and cricket for Golden Point, her mother Melinda Brown played netball and indoor cricket, and her brother played football and cricket. Van De Heuvel primarily focussed on football and cricket, but also played netball early in her junior career.[2] She cited dual-sport athlete Jess Duffin as a role model she planned to emulate.[3]

Cricket

In her junior career, Van De Heuvel was a right-arm fast bowler,[3][4] described as an all-rounder.[2][1] Van De Heuvel played junior cricket for Golden Point.[5] She attended the Under-15 Girls National Championships in 2015 and was named the third-best player of the series.[6] In 2016, Van De Heuvel began to play for Plenty Valley Cricket Club in Victoria Premier Cricket and won the competition's best first-year player award.[5] The same year, she played for the Cricket Australia XI in the National Under 18 Championships, when she was aged 15. In the second match, Van De Heuvel scored a half century. Ahead of the 2018 AFLW draft, she played for Essendon Maribyrnong Park Ladies Club and hoped to continue her cricket in the Women's Big Bash League.[3] She played for Victoria Country at the 2019 National Under 18 Championships and suffered a minor hamstring injury.[2]

Football

Van De Heuvel played football through the Auskick program[2] and began her junior career with Ballarat Football Club.[7] She focussed on netball until she played in the under-14 boys football competition.[2] Van De Heuvel progressed to the TAC Cup Girls, where she played for the Greater Western Victoria Rebels, tying for their best and fairest with Ella Bibby in 2017.[8] She represented Vic Country at the 2018 AFL Women's Under 18 Championships and was named in the All-Australian side. Van De Heuvel was also named in the TAC Cup Girls team of the year and played five VFL Women's matches for Williamstown Football Club.[9] At the AFLW draft combine, she won the left-side running vertical jump with a leap of 70 centimetres.[10] Ahead of the 2018 AFLW draft, Van De Heuvel was predicted to be taken with one of Geelong's first selections.[4][11]

AFLW career

Van De Heuvel was drafted by Geelong with the second selection in the 2018 AFL Women's draft. She received the guernsey number 27, a tribute to her father's footballing career with Sebastopol wearing 27.[2] Van De Heuvel made her debut in the opening round of the 2019 AFL Women's season against Collingwood.[12]

In May 2022, Van De Heuvel joined expansion club Essendon.[13]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2019 season.[14]
Legend
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References

  1. [1]
    Sewell, Eliza (23 October 2018). "AFLW contract just the start as Geelong recruit Sophie Van De Heuvel eyes Big Bash". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  2. [2]
    Mills, Tammy (27 January 2019). "Cats' new recruit's tribute to her dad". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  3. [3]
    Balmer, Matt (21 October 2018). "AFLW Draft 2018: Sophie Van De Heuvel wants to follow Jess Duffin's lead as a dual-sport athlete". Fox Sports. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  4. [4]
    "Morrison headed to Cats as AFLW top pick". SBS News. Special Broadcasting Service. Australian Associated Press. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  5. [5]
    Wrigley, Brendan (12 April 2016). "Ballarat teenager Sophie Van De Heuvel named best first year player in Victoria Premier Cricket". The Courier. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  6. [6]
    Pereira, Aaron (2 December 2015). "ACT/NSW Country sweep Under 15 Championships". cricket.com.au. Cricket Australia. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  7. [7]
    "Sophie Van De Heuvel selected by Geelong with pick 2 in AFLW draft". The Courier. Fairfax Media. 23 October 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  8. [8]
    "TAC Cup Girls: GWV Rebels' historic best and fairest count". Wimmera Mail-Times. Fairfax Media. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  9. [9]
    "AFLW Draft Watch: Sophie Van De Heuvel". taccup.com.au. AFL Victoria. 9 October 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  10. [10]
    Black, Sarah (5 October 2018). "AFLW: Morrison dominates Draft Combine". geelongcats.com.au. Telstra Media. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  11. [11]
    Balmer, Matt (22 October 2018). "AFLW Draft 2018: Full first-round mock draft for AFL women's draft". Fox Sports. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  12. [12]
    Black, Sarah (2 February 2019). "Match report: Cats edge Pies in historic debut". womens.afl. Telstra Media. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  13. [13]
    "Five more to don the sash". Hawthorn. Telstra Media. 25 May 2022.
  14. [14]
    "Sophie Van De Heuvel". Australian Football. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
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