The Eagles NGAW squad got the chocolates with some standout performers on both sides displaying their talents on the biggest stage in Western Australia.
AFLW stars Ali Drennan, Sanne Bakker, Emily Elkington, Zoe and Lauren Wakfer were all in attendance as mentors for the up-and-coming players, providing some productive feedback to the young girls during the quarter breaks.
The Eagles were dominant early on and managed to convert heavily on the scoreboard leading to a strong lead early at the half-time break.
Fremantle’s squad brought the heat and matched the energy in the second half in an aim to claw back the margin, but the Eagles girls maintained the lead to win in what was a strong team performance overall.
This was the first time playing on Optus Stadium for all of these girls, with Academies Coordinator Chad Morrison highlighting how important this opportunity was for them going forward.
“We’ve done this program before with these girls participating last year but this is the first time we’ve had a game out on Optus, so for the first ten or so minutes there were a few looking around at the grandstand in awe,” Morrison said.
“It’s an awesome experience and a really important one for these girls to experience what playing at a high level is like and further develop their abilities on the big stage as they progress forward in their football journeys.
“It was great to have the five AFLW players there on gameday. It’s important for our academy girls to see these role models there and engaged with them so these girls have idols to aspire to be like.”
The curtain raiser match capped off five weeks of solid training at Eagles HQ with the NGAW squad learning new skills first-hand from AFLW coaches and staff.
The team was made up of Indigenous and multicultural girls aged between 13 and 15, with all of them looking to put their best foot forward throughout the program to potentially be nominated for the national squad.
“From this program that we’ve run for the last five weeks there will be a selection for the AFL Woomeras and Medleys squad which is made up of some of the best young Indigenous and multicultural girls.
“We’ve nominated some of our girls to be part of that program and hopefully they get selected to travel to Brisbane for that.
