The Vic Country and Vic Metro squads for the upcoming 2019 NAB AFL Women’s Under-18 Championships have been announced, with 59 NAB League Girls players in line to potentially represent their state.

This year’s Under-18 Championships begin for Country and Metro on Saturday June 22 at Avalon Airport Oval (starting at 2pm). They will then travel to the Gold Coast for three more games from July 8-12 against Queensland, Western Australia and the Eastern Allies (NSW/Tasmania).

* See the full Vic Country and Vic Metro squads for the 2019 NAB AFL Women’s Under-18 Championships further down the page.

Vic Country will this year be coached by AFLW premiership player and current Geelong Cats ruck Aasta O’Connor, with 323-game former St Kilda AFL champion Nathan Burke taking the reins of Vic Metro.

The initial 30-player Metro squad contains several 2019 NAB AFL Women’s Draft prospects such as Gabrielle Newton (Northern Knights), Georgia Patrikios (Calder Cannons), Isabella Grant (Western Jets), Britney Gutknecht (Northern Knights) and Laura McClelland (Eastern Ranges).

The initial 29-member Country squad also features a range of highly-rated prospects like Lucy McEvoy (Geelong Falcons), Millie Brown (Murray Bushrangers) and Sophie Molan (GWV Rebels), as well as pre-listed St Kilda AFLW players Molly McDonald and Isabella Shannon (both Dandenong Stingrays).

Last year’s Country and Metro squads contained several players subsequently selected towards the top of the 2018 NAB AFL Women’s Draft, including joint Championships MVPs Nina Morrison (Geelong Falcons to Geelong AFLW) and Madison Prespakis (Calder Cannons to Carlton), as well as AFLW Under-18 All Australians Sophie Van De Heuvel (GWV Rebels to Geelong AFLW), Jordyn Allen (Dandenong Stingrays to Collingwood) and Eleanor Brown (Sandringham Dragons to Western Bulldogs).

State Talent Manager Paul Hamilton said the Championships gave Victoria’s best emerging female footballers the chance to highlight their skills on a big stage.

“The NAB AFL Women’s Under-18 Championships have the potential to put our up-and-coming female players firmly on the radar of AFL Women’s clubs,” Hamilton said.

“Our Vic Country and Vic Metro girls will have access to some of the best coaching resources in women’s football in order to develop their games and will be able to experience playing at elite-level venues against the best talent the rest of Australia has to offer.

“Travelling to the Gold Coast in July will also provide them an extra opportunity to bond with girls who share a common goal of furthering their careers within the elite talent pathway.”

The Country vs Metro under-18 match on June 22 will be part of a double-header along with an under-16 Country vs Metro clash (commencing at 12pm), with the initial squads for those teams to be announced next week.

VIC COUNTRY

VIC METRO