Fifteen players from across Melbourne’s north west have been named in the initial Vic Metro squad for the 2018 NAB AFL Women’s U18 Championships.
The squad of 36, which was named on Monday night, includes six players from the Northern Knights and Calder Cannons, along with three Western Jets players.
The Northern Knights stunning form in the TAC Cup has been rewarded with six players named in the metro squad.
The Knights currently sit second on the ladder, with just one loss for the season.
Maddy Brancatisano and Neve O’Connor, who were in last year’s team, have been named in the squad again.
They are joined by fellow Knights’ Britney Gutknecht, Gabby Newton, Marnie Jarvis and Sarah Sansonetti.
Calder Cannons captain Madison Prespakis has been named in the squad for a fourth straight year.
She’s one of six Cannons named in the squad.
Carla Rendelmann, Felicity Theodore, Georgia Patrikios, Grace Dicker and Molly Warburton are the others.
Rendelmann, Patrikios and Warburton were also part of last year’s team, with Prespakis, Warburton and Patrikios were all named in the All-Australian squad last year.
Western Bulldogs fans will be watching in interest with Isabella Grant named in the squad.
Grant, who is a bottom age player, is the daughter of Western Bulldogs legend Chris Grant.
She’s one of three players Jets players named in the squad. Cleo Saxon-Jones and Elisabeth Georgostathis, who are also bottom aged players, have been named in the squad.
Northern Knights coach Marcus Abney-Hastings and Calder Cannons Paul Tilley have been named assistant coaches for the metro squad.
The under-18 national championships start next month.
