THE 2020 NAB League Girls competition will start with a bang when the new season kicks off with a 2019 Grand Final rematch between the Northern Knights and the Calder Cannons at RMIT in Bundoora on Saturday.

The 10-round competition is the elite pathway for young girls into the NAB AFLW and this year will include more live games, a full season for the Tasmania Devils and the arrival of the NT Thunder.

Last year's NAB AFL Women’s No.1 draft pick and current Western Bulldogs player Gabrielle Newton joined Northern Knights player Jess Fitzgerald at the season launch earlier this week and said the NAB League helped her fulfil her dream.

“The NAB League competition provides the perfect opportunity for girls to become better footballers and ultimately enhances the prospect of them becoming drafted into the AFLW competition,” Newton said.

“It was my dream to become an AFLW footballer and playing with the Northern Knights last year set me up perfectly to appreciate what is required to compete in an elite competition.”

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“It is the premium pathway competition for young female talent, the standard is high, and I look forward to watching the league as a fan this season and encourage all football fans to join me.”

A total of 25 NAB League Girls players were drafted into the AFLW in 2019, including Newton, and No.2 pick Lucy McEvoy, who was awarded the round one NAB AFLW Rising Star nomination.

AFL Head of Talent Pathways & State League Competitions Tristan Salter highlighted the importance of the NAB League Girls in providing talent to the AFLW.

“The NAB League Girls competition continued to provide the majority of young draftees to the AFLW in 2019 and we’ve already seen the depth of talent with Lucy McEvoy recognised as a 2020 NAB Rising Star.”

“The interest in this competition will continue to grow and the addition of Tasmania for the full season and NT Thunder for games increases the national appeal.”

“The competition’s state-of-the-art app will stream all games live and will feature updated stats from Champion Data. It’s a great way to watch and follow the competition.”