THE DEVELOPING COVID-19 situation in Queensland has forced April's NAB AFLW Under-19 Championships to move from Gold Coast to Melbourne.

Queensland's under-19 side will not participate in the two days of play - April 12 and 15 – and will instead line up against Vic Country and Vic Metro in May.

This year's championships will also see the Woomeras (Indigenous representative side) and Medleys (multicultural team) play each other twice.

SHIFTER'S EYECATCHERS The young guns to watch at U19 championships

Venues and times of matches are still to be confirmed.

"We are so excited to have U19 representative football back in 2021 but we have to be vigilant, aware and responsible to make sure the health and safety of the community remains the priority," AFL head of talent pathways and state league competitions Tristan Salter said.

"As we continue to navigate through the evolving situations surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, we are constantly ensuring we have the contingencies in place to keep football going despite the challenges that are presented.

"Relocating the NAB AFLW U19 Championships from the Gold Coast to Melbourne is the logical decision to enable the next wave of AFLW starts the opportunity to showcase their talents.

"We are excited to be running the AFL Medleys and Woomeras programs during the Championships; we have seen how beneficial they have been to so many young multicultural and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women around the country and we can't wait to see them in action.

"On behalf of the AFL, I would like to thank all players, families, coaches and officials for their patience and understanding of the moving situation."

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The NAB AFLW Academy camp – set to be held on the Gold Coast in the days after the championships – has also been moved to Melbourne, with Queensland players to participate remotely.

The Academy is set to play a match in July.

South Australia accounted for Western Australia by six points in a warm-up NAB AFLW Under-19 Challenge match last weekend, with Vic Metro and Vic Country set to face off this Friday at Trevor Barker Oval from 12pm.

2021 NAB AFLW U19 Championships
 
Monday, April 12 
South Australia v Vic Country
Western Australia v Allies
Woomeras v Medleys
 
Thursday, April 15
Woomeras v Medleys
Vic Metro v Western Australia
Allies v South Australia
 
Sunday, May 23
Vic Country v Queensland
 
Saturday, May 29
Queensland v Vic Metro

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