The AFLNT State Academy Women’s Territory Challenge squads have been announced ahead of the clash this Saturday at TIO Traeger Park in Alice Springs.
A Darwin representative team and an Alice Springs representative team will play in the 12.00pm game, the first of four games in a massive day of footy at Traeger Park.
The Darwin contingent will fly down Friday morning ahead of the game while the Alice Springs squad have their final selection training Wednesday night before the final team in announced.
State Academy Development Coach Jimmy Driscoll is excited about the game and says ‘this is a great opportunity for both teams to showcase their talent and their football development”.
“The Darwin team will be coached by Colleen Gwynne who needs no introduction to women’s football in the NT and NTFL women’s coach Sean O’Leary will be her assistant. Ian McAdam will coach the Pinktails and he has a lifetime of footy experience with which to lead them”
McAdam said” it is a fantastic opportunity and challenge for the Pinktails to play against quality opposition and to mix with other Territory Academy female players . The day is going to be an amazing display of Territory football , given that this is the first time the two Academies will play each other”.
Driscoll continued “Key players for Darwin will obviously be the Adelaide Crows listed players in Sally Riley, Angela Foley and Abbey Holmes, along with the added experience of Lauren O’Shea, up and coming key position player Jasmyn Hewett, and small goal sneak Machaelia Roberts.
“It’s quite an experienced team with a lot of NTFL experience and a few that are new to the game who have really impressed.”
“The Alice Springs squad still needs to be finalised however there’s proven players in the mix such as Sissy Dunn, Ebony Miller, Lateesha Jeffrey and Shoneka Abbott and they will go into the game with a quality line up’.
“I have been really impressed with the way both groups have gone about things leading up to the this and the game is reward for effort for the previous two months. Not just in a football sense, the way the girls have embraced the program as a whole is a credit to their professionalism” Driscoll said.
Territory Women’s Challenge
Pinktails vs Darwin
12:00pm Saturday 24th June 2017
Traeger Park, Alice Springs