AFLW club's staggering bid to poach cross-code ace

3 years ago 279

It's been revealed that Carlton made an audacious bid to bargain Australian sports megastar Ellyse Perry a mates of years agone and, though their efforts amounted to nothing, "the invitation inactive exists".

Commentator Andy Maher, who doubles arsenic a Carlton runner, says Perry has a "flawless" kicking method and, successful the Blues' pursuit of the icon, the nine hoped "the bug would wound her", sealing a deal.

Perry this week reached different tremendous milestone successful her glittering vocation arsenic a cricketer, becoming the archetypal Australian, antheral oregon woman, to scope 5000 runs and 300 wickets successful the planetary arena.

Perry has besides played 18 games with the Matildas, successful a vocation highlighted by an exceptional extremity successful the 2011 World Cup.

Maher revealed the Blues' astounding pursuit of Perry during the Australia-India women's Test.

"A mates of years agone erstwhile Ellyse Perry made the determination to Victoria, (coach Daniel Harford) and I sat down with Ellyse Perry astatine the Junction Oval implicit a cupful of coffee," Maher said connected the Seven Network.

"We were very, precise keen to get her progressive successful our program, with multi-faceted responsibilities. My presumption was to get her down to assistance with grooming standards, bring Perry's outstanding grooming standards to our group, to spot what it's similar to beryllium an elite performer.

"My presumption was – and I've seen her footwear a footy with the (cricketers) successful warm-ups – erstwhile she was down there, successful amongst each the things we'd enactment successful beforehand of her, the bug would wound her and she'd privation to play.

"That's what I said to 'Harf'; 'We'll get her playing this crippled – you watch'."

Carlton's transportation to Perry partially revolved astir her tendency to enactment successful elite sports medication pursuing her playing retirement.

"One of the ideas manager Daniel Harford had was, if we get her down to the club, we tin amusement her however a nonrecreational nine successful the AFLW operates," Maher said.

"We tin amusement her to the galore departments that run wrong a footy nine and springiness her a consciousness arsenic to wherever she mightiness privation to spell if she gets into that country erstwhile her playing days are done.

"We haven't fixed up, the invitation inactive exists and hopefully 1 of these days she takes it up.

"I was telling Harf determination are a mates successful the Australian set-up and astir the WBBL who are precise earthy footballers. Perry was kicking with a mates of her Australia teammates, Georgia Wareham and 1 oregon 2 others successful particular, and her method is flawless."

Perry's determination to Victoria successful the Women's National Cricket League took the Australian sports fraternity by tremendous surprise, with the weapon all-rounder walking retired connected a stint with NSW that had lasted longer than a decade.

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