Kate Darby and Georgie Rankin’s outstanding work in the community has been recognised with the pair being named joint winners of the Carter Family Community Champion Award at Geelong’s AFLW Best and Fairest on Friday night.

Darby, who previously won the inaugural Club AFLW Community Champion award in 2019, and Rankin, who was the Season 6 winner of the award, have continued to establish their place as wonderful leaders at the club and in the wider Geelong community.

While balancing the commitments of parenthood and playing football, as well as working as a facilitator for the GMHBA Healthy Heroes program, Darby has found time to support a host of other Cats Community initiatives.

She shares her love of football with the next generation and those new to the sport, taking part in footy clinics, including helping out at the Cats’ Welcome to Geelong and Auskick Graduation events.

Darby was also involved in AFL Barwon’s Women’s Grand Final Day, assisted with the A Million Reasons Why – Cats Community Giving Day, and is deeply invested in her role as a Pride ambassador for the club.

Rankin, who is a Sensory Zone ambassador, took a lead role in supporting the Cats Community Giving Day as an ambassador in June.

The defender has been involved in a number of Footy Cats programs, including a junior club visit at Grovedale and the Auskick Graduation Clinic at GMHBA Stadium.

02:03

Sensory Zone Changing Lives

Join AFLW player Georgie Rankin and Cats fan Grayson as they explain how the Sensory Zone is making coming to the football more accessible at GMHBA Stadium. Presented by Deakin.

Rankin generously devotes a lot of time to Cats Community initiatives, despite holding a full-time job outside of football.

She also helped deliver the Sensory All-Abilities Clinic, was a facilitator for the GMHBA Healthy Heroes program in Colac, assisted at the Welcome to Geelong event, and was among the Cats players to deliver clinics to schools at an all-girls footy session in Warrnambool.

Both Darby and Rankin have also shown great commitment club-wide initiatives, including member and partner engagement, and regularly out up their hand to be involved with club events.

The Carter Family Community Champion is awarded each AFL and AFLW Season. Rankin was the Season 6 AFLW champion, while Joel Selwood was named the 2022 AFL champion at the Carji Greeves Medal event.

The award is named after the Carter family in recognition of their ongoing, generous support of Cats Community programs.