You can’t keep Stella Huxtable away from the action and an All-Australian guernsey is proof of the strong future of the midfielder.
Whether its on a football field or the netball court, the rising star is always around the action.
And the 15-year-old Torquay midfielder impressed enough to earn All-Australian honours after a brilliant recent showing in the under-16 national football championships.
Huxtable, 15, averaged 24.5 disposals in Vic Country’s two games to be named on the bench in the team of the tournament.
Stella Huxtable with Vic Country. Picture: Kelly Defina/AFL Photos/Getty Images
The left-footer said she loved being in the thick of it.
“I love playing mid, so you have to attack and work to defence,” she said.
“I love mixing it around and getting my hands on the ball.”
Her ability to get the ball forward impressed footy recruiting doyen Kevin Sheehan, who described the Geelong Falcons rising star as “a prolific ball-winner” who “worked tirelessly for her team” and “gained lots of metreage”.
Huxtable said she entered the tournament just wanting to have fun.
“I was sort of just having fun, obviously I am trying to take it seriously and play at a high level,” she said.
“I knew a couple of the girls, we had a lot come from the Falcons which was awesome. Meeting some new people and playing at a high level was a really good experience.”
Stella Huxtable tries to fight through a tackle playing with the Geelong Falcons. Picture: Mike Owen/AFL Photos/Getty Images
Huxtable doesn’t waste a minute on her weekends, playing midcourt for Torquay in netball on Saturday before pulling on the footy boots for the Tigers on Sunday, when not playing with the Falcons.
The constant action is no surprise for her mother Tania, who has ferried around her other kids, including rising surfer Xavier, who recently starred in the Rip Curl Pro, for years.
Stella was also a promising surfer and won a few competitions before giving up the board.
“I am more of a footy player, I kind of gave up surfing at a younger age and left that to my brothers,” she said.
“I love my netball it is a big difference from footy. I think I fit it (all the sport) in well enough but obviously when Falcons is back on, I can’t play the netball.”