Thirteen of the NFL’s best juniors will compete at the 2017 NAB AFL and AFLW Under-18 Championships.
Nick Coffield (Eltham), Joel Grace (South Morang) Ethan Penrith (West Preston-Lakeside) and Jack Petruccelle (Epping) have all been selected in the Vic Metro squad, while Diamond Creek’s Marcus Lentini has been listed as an emergency.
All five are members of this year’s Northern Knights squad, with Coffield the captain of the TAC Cup side.
The 2017 Under-18 Championships kicked off over the Queen’s Birthday weekend, with Vic Metro having a bye in Round 1.
The side plays its first game this Sunday when it travels to Perth’s Domain Stadium to take on Western Australia.
Eight girls from the NFL have been selected in this year’s AFLW Under-18 Vic Metro and Vic Country squads.
Lily Brancatisano (Montmorency), Madeline Brancatisano (Montmorency), Gabrielle Newton (Montmorency), Neve O’Connor (Diamond Creek Women’s) and Madison Prespakis (Melbourne University) have all been picked in the Vic Metro squad.
Meanwhile, Chloe Brain (Darebin Falcons), Kodi Jacques (Bendigo Thunder) and Aisling Tupper (Bendigo Thunder) are all in the Vic Country team.
This year’s NAB AFL Women’s Under-18 Championships will be played over two rounds, with eight states and territories competing in Round 1, from May 12 to June 17.
Northern Territory, South Australia and Tasmania played in a tri-series during Round 1, with the best players from matches involving those three teams then selected to play for an Allies team in Round 2, which will feature six teams.
The Championships begin for Vic Country and Vic Metro this Saturday, with the two AFL Victoria teams to meet at Simonds Stadium at 2.30pm.
Round 2 runs from July 10-14, with six teams playing three games over five days. The new format is expected to enhance player welfare and provide players a broader football educational experience.
The Northern Football League congratulates all its players selected to represent Vic Metro and Vic Country this year and wishes them well for the respective Championships.
For more information on the Championships, head to http://www.afl.com.au/news/game-development/nab-afl-rising-star-program/u18s
