Northern Country Women’s League will name the Youth Girls Team of the Decade at a gala function on Friday, March 1.
After the league celebrated its 10-year anniversary last year, a panel was chosen to select a squad of the best 40 players from the Youth Girls competition since its inception in 2014.
The final team will be named on Friday as region manager Shaun Connell believes recognising the best and most impactful players from the first 10 years of the Youth Girls competition is a great way to celebrate the league.
“We are thrilled to announce the squad for the Youth Girls Team of the Decade and we look forward to the gala event on March 1, where we will announce our final Team of the Decade, as well as our Coach of the Decade,” he said.
“The 10th anniversary of our Youth Girls competition is being celebrated to acknowledge the milestone.
“We will celebrate the season saunch for 2024, where we will formally welcome Barooga into the Youth Girls and women’s competitions and Rumbalara and Mansfield into the women’s competition.
“The addition of these teams into the competition supports the growth of participation in female football to more parts of our region.”
Adding these clubs to the two leagues now raises the number of teams in the Women’s League to eight (up from five) and six (up from five) in the Youth Girls competition.
To emphasise the success of the Youth Girls League, 10 players from the Team of the Decade squad have made it onto AFLW lists.
One of the brightest talents to emerge from the Youth Girls competition is Grace Egan, who, at 23 years of age, has already played 45 AFLW games at Carlton and Richmond.
Last season, the talented midfielder averaged 21.8 disposals and six tackles a game.
The NCWL will also announce the naming of the Youth Girls best-and-fairest medal.
NCWL Youth Girls Team of the Decade squad of 40:
Kate Adams (Shepparton United), Eloise Ashley-Cooper (AFLW, Finley), Charli Boschetti (Shepp United), Kasey Boschetti (Shepp United), Teagan Brett (Shepparton Bears), Millie Brown (AFLW, Mooroopna), Emily Chapman (Euroa-Seymour), Ada Chessor (Shepp Bears), Olivia Cicolini (Finley-Shepp United), Kiara Cooper (Echuca), Shaleah Cooper (Moama), Sophie Damon (Shepp Bears), Lucy Dawe (Euroa-Seymour), Hayley Doohan (Finley-Shepp Bears), Charli Dorrity (Numurkah-Northern Angels), Amy Duguid (Shepp Bears), Grace Egan (AFLW, Shepp Bears), Abby Favaro (Shepp Bears), Georgia Gall (AFLW, Euroa-Seymour), Madison Gray (Benalla-Shepp Swans), Tayissa Gray (Benalla-Shepp Swans), Payton Hearn (Moama), Reni Hicks (AFLW, Kyabram), Mikayla Jones (Finley), Aisha Kirchhofer (Echuca), Chloe Locke (Seymour), Sophie Locke (AFLW, Seymour), Claire Macgill (Shepp United), Kelsey Makar-Moylan (Shepp United), Olivia McGie (Seymour-Shepp United), Alexandra Mulcahy (Kyabram), Cody Power (Northern Angels-Shepp Bears), Jayda Richardson (Tatura-Moama), Keeley Skepper (AFLW, Benalla-Shepp United), Tahlia Sleeth (Shepp Bears), Aurora Smith (AFLW, Euroa-Shepp United), Tamara Smith (AFLW, Mooroopna), Tayla Stewart (Echuca), Isabella Symes (Benalla-Shepp Bears), Molly Tancred (Mooroopna), Britt Tancred (Mooroopna), Jade Tancred (Mooroopna), Tali Verhoeven (Northern Angels-Shepp Bears), Rebecca Webster (AFLW, Mooroopna), Ruby Williams (Shepp United)