THE FACE of women's football, Daisy Pearce, will front an AFL-driven campaign designed to poach talented female athletes from other sports.
As the League moves closer to establishing a national women's competition in 2017, the talent-scouting mission will start early next year.
It is designed to give athletes who are involved in other sports "the opportunity to test their football fitness and skills".
Those identified during the campaign will be offered places in female state academies.
Pearce, who has captained Melbourne in all four of the women's exhibition matches against the Western Bulldogs over the past three years and won the Demons' inaugural best female player award this season, will lead the nation-wide testing sessions.
"This is an exciting time for women's football and I'm looking forward to travelling around the country and meeting the athletes," Pearce 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."
An example of talent found from outside established women's football competitions came this year when Port Melbourne local Brianna Davey was drafted with the top pick for the Bulldogs.
Davey, 20, was selected from the St Kilda Sharks after a brief but impressive football career that started in May following her omission from the Matildas squad that represented Australia at the women's soccer World Cup.
The talent search will feature similar aspects to the national state combines, with testing to include standing and running vertical jumps, agility, sprinting and the beep test.
Athletes involved will also get a chance to showcase their skills in kicking, marking, handballing and decision-making.
Game development chief Simon Lethlean said the campaign was designed to unearth new talent from athletes not 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," Lethlean 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."
Pearce, who is also an AFL female ambassador, will lead the sessions alongside state female academy coaches.
Female Talent Search dates:
Melbourne
9am-2.30pm
Saturday, January 23
Whitten Oval
Perth
8am-1.30pm
Saturday, January 30
Trinity College
Brisbane
9am-2.30pm
Sunday, February 7
Anglican Church Grammar
Adelaide
9am-2.30pm
Sunday, February 14
Prince Alfred College
Sydney
9am-2.30pm
Sunday, February 21
St Ignatius College
Hobart
9am-2.30pm
Sunday, February 28
Newtown High School
