By Lachlan Ellis<\/p>\n
Crosstown BFLW rivals will become teammates in this year\u2019s Coates Talent League (formerly NAB League), with seven making the Greater Western Rebels\u2019 squads, and one to play for the Western Jets.<\/p>\n
Emma Stewart and Ruby Thomas (Bacchus Marsh Cobras) have been named in the Rebels\u2019 Under 16 squad, while Chloe Oughtred (Darley Devils), Tahni Turner, Chloe Walker, Elise Cook, and Emma Smith (Bacchus Marsh Cobras) have made it into the Rebels\u2019 Under 18s.<\/p>\n
Jazzmine Dalli (Bacchus Marsh Cobras) will play for the Western Jets Under 18 side.<\/p>\n
Emma Smith said making it to the AFLW was a dream, but she would take her footy one game at a time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a bit excited and nervous, but mainly excited. I think it\u2019ll be good seeing how we develop over the year, both as a group and individually. It was definitely a surprise, I didn\u2019t get selected in interleague, V\/Line, or the Rebels squad last year, so it was a surprise to be selected,\u201d Ms Smith told the Moorabool News.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d love to play for Collingwood one day, but playing for any AFLW team would be amazing\u2026I\u2019ll just keep moving forward and see how I go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chloe Oughtred said it was something of a shock to be named in the Rebels\u2019 squad, but she was happy her training and performance had been rewarded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very excited, and keen to get started in a new program. I was pretty surprised to make the squad, I wasn\u2019t sure if I was good enough because I hadn\u2019t made the squad before. But I\u2019m very happy that my hard work paid off and I made it in,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFamily and friends have been very excited for me and very supportive\u2026they always come down to my games.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a buzz at both clubs about so many local girls making it to the next level of footy, with hopes high that they might join Bacchus Marsh\u2019s Jemima Woods in signing on with an AFLW side.<\/p>\n
Girls Football Coordinators Leanne Bassett (Bacchus Marsh) and Janelle Hoey (Darley) said they were beyond proud of the eight young women making Coates Talent League squads.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s absolutely fantastic the young talent we\u2019ve got in the local community, and supporting all the girls is what volunteers are here for, to support them in following their dreams getting to the next level, and hopefully the VFLW and AFLW,\u201d Ms Bassett said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s exciting for the club and for the girls, and I hope to see a couple of girls go on and make it to the top level.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very proud of Chloe [Oughtred] and the journey she has been on to get where she is today. She is a great role model for all our young Devils trying to reach their goals,\u201d Ms Hoey added.<\/p>\n
The Rebels\u2019 Coates Talent League Under 18 Girls campaign begins on Saturday March 18 against the Geelong Falcons at Deakin University, while the Jets will face the Tasmania Devils at Dial Park after two bye rounds.<\/p>\n
The Under 16s will play two matches across the weekends of March 18 \u2013 19 and March 25 \u2013 26.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Lachlan Ellis Crosstown BFLW rivals will become teammates in this year\u2019s Coates Talent League (formerly NAB League), with seven making the Greater Western Rebels\u2019 squads, and one to play for the Western Jets. Emma Stewart and Ruby Thomas (Bacchus Marsh Cobras) have been named in the Rebels\u2019 Under 16 squad, while Chloe Oughtred (Darley […]<\/p>\n