The AFL is pleased to announce a female talent search campaign will be held throughout Australia in early 2016.
The campaign is designed to give female athletes who are currently active in other sports the opportunity to test their football fitness and skills.
AFL General Manager Game and Market Development, Simon Lethlean said the testing sessions will seek new talent amongst athletes who are not currently registered as Australian football players.
“We want Australian football to be the sport of choice for female athletes and we know there are many talented footballers who have backgrounds in other sports,” he said.
“We want to engage with these players and give them the chance to enhance their football skills while expanding our talent pool as we look towards the national women’s competition in 2017.”
AFL Female Ambassador and Melbourne captain Daisy Pearce will lead the sessions with state female academy coaches. The AFL has partnered with Rookie Me to conduct the athletic testing.
“This is an exciting time for women’s football and I’m looking forward to travelling around the country and meeting the athletes,” Daisy said.
“Many of the current stars in our game have also competed at the elite level in other sports. If we find more of them through the talent search the standard of our sport can only improve.”
Athletes identified during the campaign will be offered places in female state academies (which support players already identified) and places in state league clubs.
Athletes will experience familiar Draft Combine testing; standing and running vertical jumps, agility, 20m sprint and the shuttle run (beep test).
Participants will get an opportunity to demonstrate skills including kicking, marking and hand balling as well as their decision making, spatial awareness and appetite to compete.
Female Talent Search dates
Melbourne
9am-2.30pm
Saturday 23 January
Whitten Oval
Perth
8am-1.30pm
Saturday 30 January
Trinity College
Brisbane
9am-2.30pm
Sunday 7 February
Anglican Church Grammar
Adelaide
9am-2.30pm
Sunday 14 February
Prince Alfred College
Sydney
9am-2.30pm
Sunday 21 February
St Ignatius College
Hobart
9am-2.30pm
Sunday 28 February
Newtown High School
