Speaking to students at the Elsternwick campus as part of International Women’s Day celebrations earlier in the year, Lion-turned-AFLW Tiger Kate Dempsey (OW2012) recalled her challenges in growing up with a desire to play what were once considered male sports.

She implored students to always be true to themselves and follow their passions.

Kate represented the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) in the first ever VAFA Women’s team and played for Richmond’s VFLW team for two years. Rewarded for her consistency, she was pre-selected (No. 85 overall) by the Club as an Academy player for the 2019 NAB AFLW Draft, making her debut against Greater Western in Wagga Wagga in round five of the 2020 season.

The talented sportswoman also played cricket for Victoria at junior level, represented the state in the sport of Futsal in national championships, and is a qualified psychologist.

It’s great to see live theatre back, especially when two of our own return with it. After wowing them on the West End, Josh Piterman (OW2003) is back in Oz and haunting the stages of the Sydney Opera House as the Phantom before a return to Melbourne later this year.

Meanwhile Ben Walter (OW2015) is part of the hugely popular stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the next instalment in J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter phenomenon. Set 19 years after the events of the 2007 novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ben plays Albus Severus Potter, the son of Harry, as he prepares to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

James Boyce (OW2017) was instrumental in Prahran Cricket Club’s first Victorian Premier Cricket First XI Premiership in 37 years, taking 4/40 in the Grand Final against Dandenong at the Citipower Centre on Saturday 17 April.

With Dandenong at 1/105 chasing 262 and well positioned to push for victory, James took three wickets in a row and four out of five to leave them at 6/168 and ultimately 24 runs short of Prahran’s total.

James played four full seasons of First XI cricket for Wesley and is one of the College’s highest-ever wicket takers, as well as Vice-Captain of Cricket in 2015/6 and 2016/7.