- Ash Centra pulls off tricky move during pregame warmup
- Footy stars of all stripes have been trying to imitate the move
No.1 draft pick Ash Centra has sparked a viral trend with her pre-game ball-handling trick – and some of the AFL’s biggest male footy players can’t figure out how to do it.
The 19-year-old phenom scored with her first kick against Carlton in the AFLW season opener on Thursday night, but she also gained plenty of fans before the match.
While warming up at Ikon Park, pregame footage showed the Collingwood midfielder scoop up a ball, hold it behind her back and bounce it through her legs while maintaining her stride.
The move, which Centra looks to have performed many times before, has taken the footy world by storm, with fans raving about it and players trying to replicate it.
Nick Daicos and his Collingwood teammates attempted the move before their match against Adelaide on Saturday night, but none of them could pull it off as well as Centra.
Hawthorn coach and footy great Sam Mitchell also tried the move while standing and couldn’t quite get the hang of it.
Ash Centra inadvertently sparked a trend with her slick pre-game ball-handling trick before the first AFLW match of the season last Thursday night
The 19-year-old phenom is tipped to be the next big thing in footy – and she has the skills to back that up
The No.1 draft pick impressed in her highly anticipated AFLW debut on Thursday night
North Melbourne and Saints players also had a crack at it but with very mixed results.
Fans voiced their amazement when they first saw Centra’s between-the-legs bounce.
‘That’s the first time I’ve seen something done in AFLW that I can’t do,’ one wrote.
‘She has some serious skills,’ added another.
‘That is elite,’ wrote a third.
However, fans weren’t impressed with the men’s attempts.
‘Just focus on the basic skills,’ one wrote after seeing North Melbourne stars try to copy Centra.
‘Finals footy in our junior comp this weekend and I saw so many young boys trying to do it! Love this!’ another commented after seeing Collingwood stars make their attempts.
Nick Daicos (pictured) might be one of the biggest stars in the men’s game but he struggled to pull off Centra’s bounce trick
Beyond her tricks with the ball, Centra’s game is built upon composure, clean hands and excellent decision-making.
Centra says she was surprised to be named the No.1 pick last year at the Marvel Stadium event.
‘Collingwood, they weren’t locked in picking me,’ Centra told AFL.com.au.
‘But I had some positive talks with them prior to the draft. And yeah, obviously it’s always a nerve-wracking time being in a room full of your peers and just lots of people.
‘(It) was quite intimidating, but no, at the end it was really worth it.’
The ball-magnet says she likes to have her headphones on before a match to get laser-focused.
‘I put a lot of pressure on myself, and I set high standards, but there’s a lot of unnecessary internal pressure I put on myself, as well as the external,’ Centra said.
‘I’ve had a really supportive network back at Gippy (Gippsland Power) and having them as an outlet has really helped.
‘Looking back at the year, I can definitely say I’m a little bit of an introvert and have got that feedback from my teammates. But once you cross that line, all you want to do is play for the team and win. But before games, I like to keep to myself.
‘I love Rihanna, I love Taylor Swift on different occasions. And some rap, too, to hype me up.’
