CONTINUING a year of change at the Western Bulldogs, Deanna Berry has been appointed captain for the 2024 NAB AFLW season.
Berry takes the baton from Ellie Blackburn, who has led the club since 2019 initially as co-captain and then standalone once inaugural captain Katie Brennan moved across to Richmond. Blackburn will remain in the leadership group.
"I'm probably a bit speechless right now to be honest – I'm just thrilled," Berry said.
"In the last few years, I've really found myself as a leader, and where I can make an impact both on and off the field. I want to help drive the behaviours and the culture and the standards that we want to set as a club."
After finishing 18th on the ladder last year, recording just one win for the season, the Bulldogs have made significant change in recent months.
Coach Nathan Burke – who joined the club the same year that Blackburn was ratified as sole captain – was moved on at the end of the season, as was list manager Mick Sandry.
The Bulldogs have since welcomed Tamara Hyett as their third head coach, and appointed Dan Fisher as list manager. Meanwhile, Patrice Berthold was also appointed as general manager of women's football earlier in the year, replacing Debbie Lee who moved to a position at the AFL in August of 2022.
Change was also felt across the playing list, with four players – Kirsty Lamb, Katie Lynch, Celine Moody, and Gabrielle Newton – traded to other clubs, and a further six either delisted or retired.
Blackburn is the sole remaining member of the club's inaugural list from 2017.
New captain Berry joined the Bulldogs during the 2017 off-season, arriving in time to play in the side's 2018 premiership. She was initially drafted to Melbourne with pick No.9 of the inaugural draft, and has played 40 of her 47 career games since arriving at the Dogs.
The leadership shift comes as a result of a new selection process instigated by Berthold.
"Following extensive consideration, we are pleased to appoint De as captain," Berthold, said.
"Reflective of the changes across our women's program in the off-season, we introduced a new and robust leadership selection process to help position the club with the best chance of success now and into the future across all on-field and off-field endeavours.
"De emerged from this comprehensive process as the successful candidate, and we are excited for her to guide and help propel the team's growth through this next chapter."
Berry will be supported by a leadership group made up of Blackburn, Elle Bennetts, Isabelle Pritchard, Isabella Grant, and Jess Fitzgerald.
"I'm pretty lucky in the fact that I've got Ellie to help guide me along the way. She's been an enormous leader of this club for the past eight years," Berry said.
"Having her qualities beside me is only going to help me and the direction we want to go as a club. The girls in the leadership group are a great bunch – it just excites me to know how much it means to all to them, and how hard they've been working to be leaders."
The Bulldogs kick off their 2024 campaign on Saturday, August 31 against Greater Western Sydney in Canberra.
