The teams have been announced for the next instalment of the Melbourne versus Western Bulldogs exhibition game rivalry, to be played this Sunday at RAMS Arena in Craigieburn (Highgate Recreation Reserve).
Twenty-seven players will take part in their first exhibition game, with the game to be played as a double header with the NAB Challenge clash between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs.
In a change for the initial exhibition matches, both teams have been selected from members of the new AFL Victoria Women’s Academy.
The Academy launched in last November, providing over 100 of Victoria’s best female footballers a nine month program that has involved a detailed training program covering areas such as kicking, strength, conditioning and nutrition at AFL club venues including Carlton, Essendon and Melbourne, as well as Maribyrnong College.
The changes to the player selection means Melbourne will field an inexperienced side featuring just nine players (eight retained) with previous AFL match experience, including captain and best & fairest Daisy Pearce (Darebin), along with the likes of Tiarna Ernst (Diamond Creek), Ellie Blackburn (Melbourne Uni) and Melissa Hickey (Darebin). New Demon recruits include Division 2 Grand Final best on ground and competition best & fairest Brooke Lochland (Montmorency) as well as Division 1 best & fairest Kate Gillespie Jones (Seaford).
Western Bulldogs will see 12 players (10 existing Bulldogs) with previous exhibition game experience, including captain Steph Chiocci (Diamond Creek), Kaitlyn Ashmore (Melbourne Uni) and Meg Hutchins (Eastern Devils). New recruits to Whitten Oval include joint Debbie Lee Medallist (best VWFL first year player) Hayley Wildes (Cranbourne) and Division 1 best & fairest runner-up Richelle Cranston (Geelong).
Darebin will provide the most players with nine, followed by Eastern Devils with eight, Melbourne Uni seven each and Diamond Creek six.
The game starts at 5:10pm on Sunday, and will be live streamed via the following link:
http://aflcommunity.com.au/index.php?id=495
The live call of the game will be provided by CrocMedia, and will include Eastern Devils president Jo Wotton as part of the call team.
The exhibition game is the first of four that will involve AFL Victoria Women’s Academy players this year, including Melbourne vs Queensland (MCG, Sunday May 22, 10:10am) and Western Bulldogs vs Western Australia (Etihad Stadium, Sunday June 5, 12:40pm).
A number of Academy players will also feature in the final exhibition game of the year on the weekend of September 2/3 between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs.
See the likely lineups and squads below:
|
MELBOURNE |
|
BP |
Nicole Hildebrand* |
Melbourne Uni |
FB |
Tiarna Ernst |
Diamond Creek |
BP |
Lauren Morecroft |
Diamond Creek |
HB |
Alicia Eva |
Melbourne Uni |
CHB |
Melissa Hickey |
Darebin |
HB |
Tahni Nestor* |
Redan |
W |
Brooke Lochland* |
Montmorency |
W |
Bree White |
VU Western Spurs |
R |
Kate Gillespie-Jones* |
Seaford |
MID |
Ellie Blackburn |
Melbourne Uni |
MID |
Daisy Pearce |
Darebin |
MID |
Elise O'Dea |
Darebin |
HF |
Melissa Kuys* |
Knox |
CHF |
Madeleine Boyd* |
Geelong |
HF |
Jess Dalpos |
Darebin |
FP |
Sarah D'Arcy* |
Eastern Devils |
FF |
Georgia Hammond* |
Darebin |
FP |
Emma Grant* |
Bendigo Thunder |
I/C |
Sarah Perkins* |
Eastern Devils |
I/C |
Ashleigh Guest* |
VU Western Spurs |
I/C |
Amelia Barden* |
Diamond Creek |
I/C |
Alicia Janz* |
Melbourne Uni |
I/C |
Danielle Hardiman* |
Cranbourne |
I/C |
Amy Harrison* |
VU Western Spurs |
|
|
|
|
WESTERN BULLDOGS |
|
BP |
Kirby Hicks* |
Diamond Creek |
FB |
Brianna Davey |
St Kilda |
BP |
Nicola Stevens* |
Melbourne Uni |
HB |
Hannah Scott |
Eastern Devils |
CHB |
Meg Hutchins |
Eastern Devils |
HB |
Karen Paxman |
Darebin |
W |
Kaitlyn Ashmore |
Melbourne Uni |
W |
Jessica Trend* |
Eastern Devils |
R |
Elizabeth Kearney* |
Eastern Devils |
MID |
Shae Audley* |
Diamond Creek |
MID |
Lauren Arnell |
Darebin |
MID |
Jamie Lambert* |
Eastern Devils |
HF |
Richelle Cranston* |
Geelong |
CHF |
Bianca Jakobsson* |
Cranbourne |
HF |
Stephanie Chiocci |
Diamond Creek |
FP |
Darcy Vescio |
Darebin |
FF |
Moana Hope |
St Kilda |
FP |
Rachelle Gastin* |
Pascoe Vale |
I/C |
Madeline Keryk |
Melbourne Uni |
I/C |
Norieul Kinross* |
Darebin |
I/C |
Phoebe McWilliams |
St Kilda |
I/C |
Pepa Randall |
Eastern Devils |
I/C |
Kimberley Ebb* |
Seaford |
I/C |
Hayley Wildes* |
Cranbourne |
*1st exhibition game
Last Modified on 04/03/2016 12:37