A RECRUITING production line is being set up to help supply AFL Women's teams in future seasons.
An elite girls' football development program, backed by the Transport Accident Commission, has been linked to the 12 Victorian-based clubs that play in the TAC Cup under-18s competition.
Girls aged 16-18 will start training with the six metropolitan and six regional TAC Cup clubs in mid-November to prepare for a series of games in March-April next year.
Selectors will pick squads from those matches to represent Vic Metro and Vic Country at an under-18 girls' carnival in July.
The girls' program will be known as the Towards Zero Youth Girls' Academy with the aim to prepare players, on and off the field, to maximise their potential and talents to join local clubs, VFL Women's competition clubs and, ultimately, the AFL Women's league.
Logo revealed for AFL Women's competition
AFL Victoria's female football talent manager Darren Flanigan is visiting each of the TAC Cup clubs for discussions on what will eventually become a girls' equivalent competition to provide a pathway into senior ranks.
"They're exciting times. We're discussing the same opportunities the boys get now and we believe the girls' version will eventually spread out to a full-season competition," Flanigan said.
"Some of the regions have had (girls') academies for some time and they will probably work on an invite-only basis for the trial matches. The ones that are new to girls' football will conduct talent searches."
Dogs marquees go from foes to teammates
Selected girls born from 1999-2001 will train weekly for six weeks until the Christmas break, returning in January to prepare for the March-April "season".
Most of the TAC Cup regions, depending on the depth of talent, will run a two-tier program that will include a development squad.
The development squad will be for girls aged 14-15 (born in 2002-03), with the focus on football skills and off-field instruction to provide the best opportunity for participants to progress to the next level.
Flanigan said the program was designed to assist girls to be recruited by high-level clubs.
"The AFL will probably have a draft combine for the best girls, like they do with the boys, in the future," he said.
