Following the announcement of the Murray Bushrangers’ under-18 boys squad, the list of 51 girls to don the black, yellow and purple in 2024 has been unveiled.
A large nucleus of the squad is comprised of Albury-Wodonga and Wangaratta-based players, though the Goulburn Valley has skin in the game with a dozen locals named on Monday night.
The 12 GV talents — up from last year’s 10 — hail from the likes of Shepparton Swans and Shepparton United (four players each), while Nathalia boasts two names among the group.
Euroa and Deniliquin each have one player set to play Bushies football in 2024.
The group is made up of girls eligible for either of the under-16 and under-18 sides, set to kick off their respective seasons in March and April.
Murray Bushrangers girls’ coach Emma Mackie was rapt with the team that’s been pulled together to contest the 2024 Coates Talent League season.
“The coaches and myself have been really impressed with the talent that we’ve got across the board,” Mackie said.
“We’ll have a really great squad this year and I think you’ll see we will be more competitive against some of the other Coates Talent League teams across Victoria.
“But I think what we’ll see is some really great individuals come out, have some strong performances and hopefully at the end of the year, we can get a couple of them drafted.”
Holly Egan (Shepparton Swans) is one of the finest prospects the region has to offer, and her name was rightly raised by Mackie when chatting about who to look out for this season.
Goulburn Valley-based players
Murray Bushrangers under-18 girls squad
Savannah Emery (Deniliquin), Leila Creevey (Euroa), Claudia Plattfuss, Olivia Thompson (Nathalia), Ellie Armstrong, Holly Egan, Zara Findlay, Payten Johnston, (Shepparton Swans), Chloe D’Elia, Charli Guppy, Matilda Henderson, Ashanti Walker (Shepparton United)
“We’ve definitely got some strong talent from that Shepparton area,” she said.
“Holly Egan, in particular, is one who’s already come in and has had an opportunity at the Vic Country level. She is in the initial Vic Country hub squad at the moment.
“She’s been doing really well. She’s really impressed me with the form she came back in after the Christmas break.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing how Holly goes throughout the season, as well as the likes of Ellie Armstrong and Payten Johnston, who will come back in as an under-19-year-old for us.
“She’ll have an opportunity to develop her skills, but also take on an important role mentoring and showing the girls what the Bushrangers program is all about.”
It’s not a stretch to say Mackie is also developing as a coach herself.
She first took charge of the Bushies in late 2022 and led the under-18 girls through a tricky season where only one win eventuated from 13 games.
But she knows good things come to those who wait.
“The first year is a bit of a whirlwind; there’s a lot to learn about what the Coates Talent League is all about,” she said.
“It’s not always about the wins and losses; it’s about developing the individuals and hopefully getting some of those girls drafted into the AFL Women’s system.
“The program’s still building and developing and, hopefully, we can continue to strengthen it this year.”