Maddy Prespakis on the Coral Carpet at the 2024 W Awards at Crown Palladium on November 25, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos

Maddy Prespakis is an inspiration, both on and off the footy field.

The Essendon midfielder opened up earlier in the year about her personal struggles with body image but was the subject of online abuse in the weeks after.

But she says she "has come a long way" in learning to deal with criticism and accepting who she is.

"Every time I speak about it, for me it's just learning to be able to be comfortable with how I look," she told AFL.com.au's Tagged on W Awards night.

"This is my body type; this is who I am and I'm really grateful that my body can do things that allow me to play the game that I do.

"I've come a long way, I speak to people about it, and I've had to accept that this is my body and I'm very grateful for what it can do, it allows me to play the game that I love."

03:06

'This is who I am': Prespakis on the power of body positivity

Essendon star Maddy Prespakis tells Sarah Hosking how she copes with criticism and why she's proud her body 'can do things others can't do'

Prespakis had a superb 2024 season, finishing third in the AFLW Best and Fairest count after polling 18 votes.

Despite the online trolling, Prespakis said she was grateful for her body and what it allows her to do.

"It does things that some people can't do, while sometimes I look at other people and wish I could do that, people look at me and wish they could do what I can do," she said.

"It's really hard, it's definitely a challenging thing, I struggle every week to be able to put the guernsey on, I really struggle with it, but I've come a long way in accepting what my body looks like.

"I work really hard behind the scenes to get myself to feel good and look good, I'm really happy with where I'm at, I'm not the finished product but I'm getting there."

29:30

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Prespakis shared a personal story where she began to "learn to accept" how she looks.

Her partner asked her what Prespakis would say to her little girl if she came to Prespakis with self-doubts.

"I cried thinking about it because I thought 'You're beautiful the way you are'.  While I find it hard when people say that to me, that's exactly what I'd say to someone else," she said.

"It's learning to be able to deal with the criticism, but also if my partner's kid came up to me and said they hate their body, it's being able to help with that as well. That's for any little girl as well.

"I think anyone is beautiful, everyone is beautiful in their own body. It's just for myself, it's learning to accept how I look."

In fresh episodes of Tagged every Tuesday, co-hosts Sarah Hosking and Sarah Rowe will tackle everything from pop culture to the latest footy news.

This week's jam-packed episode, featuring guest host Gemma Bastiani, also includes: 

  • Are Aussie AFLW players afraid of facing the Irish? Rowey thinks so
  • $70K or a Grand Final: what will Matilda Scholz choose?
  • The Coral Carpet Uncovered: Tagged goes to the W Awards
  • 'I've come a long way': Maddy Prespakis on body positivity 
  • 'Will the hurt deliver a win?': Rowey dissects North's GF chances
  • Gem Bastiani uncovers a country town with big music vibes 

You can watch Tagged every Tuesday on AFL.com.au and the AFLW and the AFL Live Official apps, and list to the podcast on your preferred platforms on the same day.