Revised Youth Girls squad announced

54 girls were named in the original development squad, with the majority attending last week’s camp at Narabeen, put through their paces across a variety of different modes of training, including a running session with Australian sprinting champion Melinda Gainsford-Taylor.

After careful consideration the outfit has been trimmed from 54 to 35, with this revised squad set to travel south to Albury for a weekend camp on March 14/15.

Crucially, the squad will gain the invaluable experience of playing a trial match against a Victorian Country side at Lavington, on the same ground the Richmond and Port Adelaide NAB Challenge match will be held.

Following this the squad will be culled further to a final 27, who will go into camp in Canberra in April, in preparation for their National Championships campaign in Mandurah, Western Australia, in early June.

New NSW/ACT Youth Girls coach Tim Schmidt, a former Sydney Swans player, is excited by the wealth of talent in this year’s crop of girls.

“I haven’t seen a massive amount of female football recently, but I was very impressed with the fitness, skills, and enthusiasm on display at last week’s camp, it far exceeded my expectations.

“Working with the girls was an absolute pleasure and I’m really looking forward to the group’s continued progression this year, and I can’t wait for the National Championships!”

NSW/ACT Female Programs Manager Libby Sadler praised all the girls involved in this year’s program thus far.

“There was a lot of bottom age players and many from regional areas that are new to the game at the camp which was great to see,” Sadler said.

“The breadth and depth of talent is certainly growing across NSW/ACT, which is exciting for the growth of all aspects of female participation.”

The updated Youth Girls Squad is below.