For a footballer with so much growth and development still left, Olivia Wolter has a mature head on her shoulders.
It's one of a magnitude of reasons the promising South Warrnambool and Greater Western Victoria Rebels player is a name to keep an eye on in the coming years.
The Emmanuel College year 10 student is a big part of the Rebels' futures program and is seen as a potential AFLW draft prospect in coming years, working her way up from Auskick to playing with the boys in 2018 and then in the local female league in 2021.
Wolter told The Standard she was relishing the opportunity to learn more about her game in an elite environment.
"The Rebels are a really great place where we can grow and develop our skills, and all the girls are a lot of fun to play with," she said.
"The coaches are so good, I've been told to just be a sponge and take it all in, because everything they say to you they're trying to develop you as a player.
"They teach you so much, I love being at the club."
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Leadership is a big part of the excitement surrounding the emerging midfielder, with Wolter captaining the Rebels' under 16 side in the past few NAB League games.
She described it as a "big honour" and fuelled her motivation to be a leader.
"That's what I want to do, I want to be a leader and captain more sides in the future," she said.
"I've loved doing it, I'm honoured."
Off the back of impressive local football performances in the Western Victoria Female Football League with South Warrnambool, where she kicked 22 goals from 11 matches in the under 18s, as well as being selected in the 2021 V/Line Cup side for the Rebels, Wolter has shone every step of the way.
She said she was inspired by the likes of North Melbourne AFLW star and Hamilton export Emma Kearney, as well as Richmond midfielder Monique Conti.
She hopes to take parts of their game to be a damaging midfielder who can push forward.
With another big football season ahead of her with the under 18 Roosters, and the April's V/Line Cup in Shepparton, Wolter declared she wanted to make it to the highest level in coming years.
"My major goal is to play AFLW, that's what I want to do," she said.
"That's what I've been thinking of for ages so that's what I want to achieve in the future."
Much like Conti, who was a star basketball player in the WNBL before focusing on football, Wolter is juggling her commitments with basketball, as well as netball.
"It is hard to juggle at times and I enjoy both, if I have basketball commitments and footy commitments on the same day I have to try and see which one I have to do," she said.
"I want to juggle both and I also play netball as well which I enjoy, so I'll probably drop that when it comes to it, but I'll see how everything goes."
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Nick Creely
Sports reporter with The Standard
Sports reporter with The Standard
