By Jonty Ralphsmith
Officer’s Kayla Dalgleish and Narre North Foxes junior Noah Mraz headline a strong crop of local under-18 footballers announced in the Vic Country summer training squads.
Both the boys and girls squads will take part in two high-performance training camps across December and January to prepare for the 2024 Coates Talent League season.
The players will engage in football and well-being programs and be provided with individual development plans.
Dalgleish headlines six Stingrays girls in the hub, with Dandenong the most represented region in the state.
The other Stingrays selected were powerful ruck Elli Symonds, key-position player Zoe Besanko, winger Jemaya Bresan, small forward Jemma Reynolds and 2025 prospect Matilda Argus.
Gippsland’s 2024 possible number-one pick Ash Centra has also been named in the summer training hub, alongside Power teammates Jas Sowden and 2025 prospect Ella Stoddart.
Centra, Symonds and Besanko are also part of the AFLW Academy giving them access to separate high-performance training camps.
That trio were also part of the Vic Country squad in 2023 as bottom-aged players, alongside Reynolds.
Dalgleish is an eye-catching player who averaged 18 touches and four tackles in her 12 games for Dandenong in 2023.
Stingrays coach Josh Moore offered an insight into Argus, a left-footer who broke through for a late-season game against Tasmania and had some silky moments.
“She oozes class, is a natural footballer, and has a great athletic profile,” Moore said.
“She’s shown leadership qualities and will set up play with her high footy IQ.”
Centra, who won the Gippy best and fairest this year alongside Sowden, has played across all three lines for Gippsland, with her x-factor, cleanliness and contested marking among her many strengths.
Sowden is a hard-working midfielder and Stoddart adds a point-of-difference with her rebounding off halfback.
Meanwhile, three Stingrays and two Gippsland boys were named in the boys training squad.
Alongside Mraz, a mobile key-position player who looks most settled in defence, Cooper Hynes, Harvey Langford and bottom-ager Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves were the other Stingrays named in the hub.
Mraz and Langford are also part of the AFL Academy.
From Gippsland, utility Xavier Lindsay and small forward Ricky Mentha were named alongside bottom-aged players Willem Duursma and Jobe Scapin.
Lindsay won Gippsland’s Young Gun award in 2023 off the back of a season where he played off the wing, halfback and in the midfield, averaging 24 disposals.
As part of the Academy, Lindsay will spend some time in preseason at Hawthorn while Langford will spend time at Melbourne.
Drouin’s Mentha is from the Northern Territory, so will line up for the NT Academy team for the early part of the season, before linking with Gippsland thereafter.
Duursma is the younger brother of AFL/W trio Xavier, Yasmin and Zane and played off halfback in his six late-season games while Scapin stands out with his courage and disposal.
