2025 Anytime Fitness Women’s Rising Star – Jacinta Baxter

“Being able to play in the VAFA alongside my friends for the love of the game has been fantastic. I’ve been able to play with a lot of freedom, and that allowed me to get the best out of myself.”

Caulfield Grammarians are celebrating back-to-back VAFA Anytime Fitness Rising Star winners after Jacinta Baxter followed in the footsteps of 2024 winner, Charlie Anderson, to collect the award in 2025.

Like Charlie, Jacinta is also a proud Caulfield father-daughter. Her dad, Clint, booted 6 goals in the Fields’ 1990 Under 19 premiership team before focusing on athletics and becoming a national champion in the Under 20 3000-metre steeplechase the following year.

He made a comeback of sorts last season, running out for the Fields’ Reserves in his fifties, while Jacinta’s late uncle Brent was also a champion of the club, playing 197 games, including 2 premierships and a Big V jumper in 1994.

Continuing the Baxter family history means a lot to Jacinta, who attended Caulfield Grammar Wheelers Hill from Prep all the way through to Year 12.

“Dad’s got a lot of passion for the club, and my uncle was down there for many seasons too, so it’s very special to us,” said Jacinta.

“I’m really proud to have that association. Dad loves being in and around the club. He sees a lot of guys he’s known over the years, so it’s been fantastic for him to stay involved.

“And to follow Charlie (Anderson), who won the Rising Star last year, is great for our club and speaks volumes about our program. Charlie is obviously a fantastic footballer, so it’s been really awesome to win the Award the year after she did.

“Obviously, it’s something I’m very honoured to win. There’s some great talent out there in the VAFA, so it’s lovely to receive that kind of recognition. 

Jacinta progressed through the Glen Waverley Rovers’ junior program before spending two seasons with Vermont’s Under 16s in 2021-22. She also played three seasons of Coates League for Oakleigh Chargers from 2022-24, along with three VFLW games for Collingwood in 2024-25.

The 19-year-old midfielder had an outstanding first season in the VAFA, also winning the Fields’ Best & Fairest in a team that secured the minor premiership, before ultimately falling 5 points short on Grand Final Day.

“I’ve played quite a few positions over the years. I was mainly a high forward at Oakleigh and Collingwood, but I spent most of this season with the Fields as an inside midfielder, with some time on the wing as well. Being able to play in the midfield has been exciting for me.”

Jacinta polled coaches’ votes in 11 of her 14 matches, and coach Dani Di Stefano couldn’t have been happier with her young charge.

“JB had an excellent season. We saw almost immediately just how special she is and the impact she would have on our club. At only 19 years of age, her competitiveness and desire to improve have lifted the group’s standards even further in 2025,” said Di Stefano.

“JB’s work rate is immense. I’ve never seen anyone work so hard up and down the ground for four quarters. Her ability to continually burst through the contest and work hard for her teammates late in games is what we love most about her on the field.

“Off the field, she is an absolute delight. JB always turns up to training and games with the biggest smile on her face, and her excellent manners and respect for every player, coach and volunteer in our program is noticed by all. 

“JB is incredibly coachable – always willing to do whatever she can for the team, and always looking for feedback to improve her game.

“JB is our second consecutive father-daughter Anytime Fitness Rising Star. We are really proud of the program we are creating, where young people can really thrive and develop into true community leaders. I just know that JB is a future leader of this club, and I can’t wait to continue to watch her flourish.”

Jacinta was also the only Rising Star-eligible player to be selected for the Big V Women’s team for the game against Perth in July, stepping up with 8 disposals in the final quarter when the game was on the line.

Jacinta reflected, “It was fantastic, and absolutely a highlight of my footy journey so far.”

“The Gala Night, in particular, was fantastic. After chatting with the girls, we all felt a strong responsibility to represent the Big V with everything we had. It was great to learn about the history of those who came before us.

“Game day itself was so exciting – the atmosphere was unreal. We were all nervous, but really excited to get the win. It was great to be able to play with girls that we usually play against. Then, being able to see them out on the field as opposition in the weeks afterwards was quite funny.

“I’ve really enjoyed making new friends in my first season in the VAFA. I’ve made a lot through Caulfield Grammarians, which has given me a whole new social network.

“I’m very appreciative to the club – all our players, staff and coaches for the way they’ve embraced and welcomed me. They created an environment where I can purely enjoy my football. I’ve never enjoyed my footy as much as this – just playing for the pure love & passion was really great for me.

“I found good consistency by playing at such a great club that is so much fun to be with.”

Enjoyment has been the key for Jacinta this season after she decided to “rip off the Band Aid” and focus solely on playing VAFA full-time rather than also dividing her time with the VFL.

“I loved my time in the VFLW. It was a fantastic experience to be in a professional environment at Collingwood in many ways, but I reached a point where I decided to prioritise my love & enjoyment of the game.

“Being able to play in the VAFA alongside my friends for the love of the game has been fantastic. I’ve been able to play with a lot of freedom, and that allowed me to get the best out of myself.

“My priority now is on enjoying my footy, so that’s been the biggest win for me for this. Winning an Award like this out of that has been great as well. But it was always about enjoyment first.

Jacinta also paid tribute to her biggest fans.

“I’d also like to thank my family for all their support through my footy journey, for always being there, cheering from the sidelines. I’m very lucky to have that.”

Jacinta is finishing her second year studying Psychology at Deakin University and is considering Sports Psychology as a possible career option in the future.

But when it comes to her footy, she isn’t thinking too far ahead.  

“No, I haven’t really looked too far forward. The premiership is something to chase. I’ve been lucky to win a couple at Oakleigh, and they were great experiences. We all have a lot of belief in our program. It’s obviously not the result we wanted at the end of the Grand Final, but we’re optimistic going into next season. We’ve got a lot of drive towards that, and we now want it even more.”

The VAFA congratulates Caulfield Grammarians’ Jacinta Baxter on adding her name to the prestigious list of Rising Star winners, and we look forward to following her footballing journey in the seasons to come.