By JARROD POTTER
LOCAL players; national stage.
The School Sport Victoria (SSV) Australian Football Girls’ 16-and-under team resembles a South East Juniors interleague side with five representing the league and a sixth girl currently starring in Warragul and District Junior Football League.
Emily Browning (Hampton Park), Georgia Gourlay (Cranbourne), Katelyn Cox (Cranbourne), Teagan Sheldon (Scoresby) and Taylah Clayton (Beaconsfield) will don the Victorian jumper from the local league ranks.
“I was excited as it was my first year in the team,” Clayton said.
“We should go pretty well – we’ve got a good team this year.”
Four of those players attend Hallam Senior College – with Cox, Sheldon, Clayton and Garfield’s Izzy Marsh featuring in the school academy team.
Hallam girls’ football coach Brett Alexander said it was great to have the quartet in the state roster.
“It’s great and it keeps promoting what we’re trying to do and promote girls’ footy so coming through our program here is even better,” Alexander said.
“Two of the girls in the under-18s and the girls are getting their opportunities at under-16s level so it’s good to see.”
Marsh – who plays her club football for Warragul Colts Youth Girls’ team – was joint league best-and-fairest in the Warragul competition and also represented Victoria last year for SSV under-16 Vic Country.
She thinks Western Australia will be the team to beat but is wary of all the competition having featured in the championships last year.
“WA is good and there are a number of teams that are good this year with New South Wales and Queensland probably as well,” Marsh said.
Browning, Clayton, Cox and Sheldon were also part of the Vic Metro Youth Girls team that finished second to Western Australia at the national championships in Canberra in May.
The School Sports Australia 16-and-under Australian football championships are running this week in Sydney – with our state on two-for-two after a pair emphatic wins to Victoria as the Gazette went to print on Tuesday.
Victoria defeated Queensland 15.12 (102) to 2.1 (13) with Clayton kicking three goals and Marsh featuring in the best afield and besting New South Wales 15.10 (100) to 0.0 (0).
