Youth Girls State Carnival

Two teams from the ACT, two from Sydney and one from the Riverina will compete in the NSW/ACT Youth Girls State Carnival in Wagga Wagga this Saturday and Sunday.

Canberra will field a North team and a South team in the Carnival and will compete against Sydney Harbour Yellow, Sydney Harbour Blue and the Riverina Cubs at Maher Oval.

The games will consist four 12-minute quarters and teams will play minimum of three games over the weekend with the Grand Final to be contested by the two highest-ranked teams.

A panel will be present to select eligible players for the NSW/ACT Development Squad.

The ACT North and South team selection process has allowed coaching staff to unlock fresh talent from the schools pathway as well as provide another opportunity to build on existing talent.

Trish Young, coach of the ACT North Team believes her team will be one to watch with their fierce attack at the ball, foot speed and hunger to win.

The competition between the ACT North and ACT South is set to heat up when they play each other with the South Team looking to match ACT North’s speed with some gut running defence after some fierce competition during training sessions.

Fresh from her All-Australian selection at the School Sport Australia National Champs in Darwin, ACT North’s Teigan Hawke is looking to go one better and be selected in the NSW/ACT Development Squad. 

Traditionally playing through the midfield, Teigan is  quick on her feet and a long kick.

Other players to watch include sister act Cassie and Kate Reid (ACT South), Tayah Mott (ACT South), Alex McKeogh (ACT North) and Zoe Mason (ACT North).

With the continued growth of Youth Girls AFL in Sydney, selecting talent for the 2013 representative teams was an easy task. 

Rookie coach Kate Lancaster will lead the young Sydney Harbour Yellow team to the State Cup.  With extensive experience, Kate will provide great direction for the team.

In her artillery are some outstanding young players and a mix of rookies, who could prove a surprise element. 

In their first year of Youth Girls football on the Central Coast, Skye Bailey and Lauren Mott will be looking forward to their first tournament.

Another player to watch from the Yellow Harbour team is Tyiesha Tyghe. In only her second year of AFL, Tyiesh captained the NSW/ACT Team at the Inaugural Kickstart Championships, earning her selection in the Boomerangs Team. 

Other players to watch in the Harbour Yellow team include young guns Angela Priftis, Ebony Carberry and Jennifer Chan.

This year’s Harbour Blue team includes some of the state’s best talent who, under the tutelage of experienced women’s coach Krissie Steen, are set to play a very competitive and flowing brand of football.

In just their second year of AFL football, Nicola Barr and Maddy Duncan have had a stellar year as integral members of the Queenwood Stars Team, winning the Schools State Championships and the local Sydney Juniors Youth Girls Competition. 

Look for this duo to pair up through the midfield and backline providing strong defence and forward movement. 

Not short on talent, other players to look out for in the Harbour Blue team include standout local player Budat Munnynggurr, the youngest player in the competition, as well as Jacqueline Gay and Chloe Arndt.

A mix of young guns from across the Riverina have come together to make up the Riverina Cubs Team. 

Coached by experience local Riverina Lions player Mel Hyland, the Cubs will return in 2013 to defend their 2012 State Cup win. 

With many representative experienced representative players in the team, the Cubs are certain to show just how skilful the girls from southern NSW are with their refined skills, hunger for the ball and desire to win.

Rookie Cub Jorja Daniel joins the team from Albury, having spent the year travelling to Victoria to play in the local Youth Girls competitions.  After being spotted in Victoria and referred to the talent pathway, we look forward to seeing Jorja on the park.

Experienced player Sophie Gaynor is one to watch during the event. She is known for her relentless attack on the ball and despite her height is not afraid to get up and take a mark at the top of the pack.

Other players to look for during the Cup include Jodie Hicks, Beth Durhum and Brooke Peel who were all part of the 2013 NSW/ACT Development program.

To find out more information on Youth Girls AFL in the Sydney region email youth.girls@sydneyharbourafl.com

For more information on youth girls AFL in Canberra go to www.seeyouatthefooty.com.au