Incredible: Geelong VFLW Midfielder has being Awarded an Unusual Pedestal of Greatness

Deakin University has granted Abby Favell the den Hollander Geelong Cats Jane den Hollander, Scholarship.

Abby Favell, a Geelong VFLW midfielder, has been given the den Hollander Geelong Cats VFLW Scholarship by Deakin University following her outstanding debut season with the club in 2023.

The scholarship is given each year thanks to the generosity of Jane and Jeroen den Hollander to a promising player in the Geelong VFLW program who is also a Deakin University student. Jane den Hollander, Deakin University’s Vice-Chancellor from 2010 to 2019, is a firm believer in the power of education to transform the lives of individuals and communities. The den Hollanders are also vocal supporters of gender equality, notably in sports.

Favell joined the Cats’ VFLW leadership group in her first season in the Hoops after spells with the Hawthorn VFLW program and the Murray Bushrangers.

The program, which was established in 2019, counts Cats AFLW stars Nina Morrison and Becky Webster among its grantees and aims to make learning easier for people juggling several commitments.

Favell, who is ready to start her fourth year of Occupational Therapy, was overjoyed to earn the grant.

“I was very happy; I was honoured, honestly, it was quite a shock,” remarked Favell.

“It will help me a lot with my studies and being able to play football and do everything that I want to do in the future.” It simply relieves some of the stress from the rest of my pursuits.

“I’m in my third year of studies in Occupational Therapy.” It’s fantastic. I am certain that this is what I want to do. It’s a lot of placements and hard units, but I think it’ll be worth it in the end.

“Because it’s such a broad field, I’m confident that I’ll have a job waiting for me for the rest of my life, which is very exciting.” It’s a degree that opens up a lot of doors.”

Deakin University is the Geelong Cats’ Official Education Partner, and they are proud co-major partners in the Club’s AFLW program.