Geelong VFLW midfielder Abby Favell has been awarded the den Hollander Geelong Cats VFLW Scholarship through Deakin University, following her impressive first season at the club in 2023.

The scholarship has been awarded annually through the generosity of Jane and Jeroen den Hollander to an emerging player within the Geelong VFLW program who is also a student at Deakin University. Jane den Hollander was the Vice-Chancellor at Deakin from 2010 to 2019 is a strong believer in the power of education to change the lives of individuals and communities. The den Hollanders are also strong advocates for gender equity, including in sport.  

Favell crossed to Geelong in 2023 after stints with the Hawthorn VFLW program and the Murray Bushrangers, joining the Cats’ VFLW leadership group in her inaugural season in the Hoops.

Established in 2019, the scholarship boasts Cats AFLW stars Nina Morrison and Becky Webster among its recipients and aims to make studying easier for those trying to balance their workloads.

Favell, who is about to enter the fourth year of her Occupational Therapy course, said she was thrilled to receive the scholarship.

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

“It is going to help me a lot with my studies going forward and being able to play football and do everything that I want to do. It just takes a bit of the pressure off with the rest of my activities.

“I’m studying Occupational Therapy and I’ve just finished my third year. I love it. I definitely think it’s what I want to do. It’s lots of placements and lots of hard units, but I think in the end it will be worth it.

“It’s a very broad field, so I’m sure that I’ll have a job waiting for me for the rest of my life, which is really exciting. It’s a degree that offers you lots of opportunities.”

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