THE UNIQUE challenges associated with coaching in New South Wales has caused Alicia Eva to think a bit laterally.

The Greater Western Sydney AFLW best-and-fairest winner and noted coach is leading the NSW/ACT team in this year’s NAB AFLW Under-18 Championships, which start in Darwin on Friday. 

Having previously spent time as a development coach with under-18 boys' TAC Cup side Calder Cannons in Melbourne, Eva has found the geographical spread of players a test. 

Two of the players in the NSW/ACT squad – Melisa Keenan and Eliza Cumming (sister of the Giants’ Isaac) – complete the 13-hour road trip from Broken Hill for training camps, while Brea Quinlivan comes from Albury and Brianna McFarlane lives so far north she plays her footy for Coolangatta in Queensland. 

"The girls come from far and wide. You can't access them weekly like you can in Victoria, so we get them once a month," Eva told AFL.com.au. 

"That's been really eye-opening for me. I've had to develop my coaching and build some coaching skills in terms of software and how we can do online reviews.

"I've also had to focus on how we can make sure we're developing our players from a long-distance capacity."

Weekend camps for the players progressively focused on skills, fitness and "footy IQ", with practice games helping the coaches cut down the squad while also focusing on playing style and tactics.

"I'm mindful that because we don't have access to them too regularly, I can't overcomplicate things," Eva said.

"We don't want too many midfield patterns and forward structures. It was good to get them all together and I'm really pleased with how the group's progressed." 

Series one of the championships starts on Friday, with the Northern Territory and South Australia playing at TIO Stadium. The two sides will meet again on Sunday at the same venue.

The best players from those two teams will be picked for a Central Allies team to play in the second series of the carnival on the Gold Coast in early July. 

NSW/ACT will take on Tasmania in two matches at Blacktown in Sydney next weekend. The best performed players from those matches will be selected for an Eastern Allies team, which Eva will also coach.

"I've been in the youth girls space for a number of years and this is a whole new challenge," Eva said. 

"That's part of the reason I love coaching. I love working with raw talent coming through, being able to foster their development and see how they perform on the big stage and be really challenged against the best of the best." 

Eva is also the midfield coach for the Giants’ AFL Academy squad and will continue to work with some of those players, who are slated to feed into the Giants' NEAFL side in the latter half of the year.

She took a few months off playing following the conclusion of the NAB AFLW season but will be looking to play a few games for Sydney University in the AFL Sydney competition. 

"With the academy series with the boys I've been travelling the last couple of weeks, so I haven't been able to play. I'm hoping to start playing soon, then we’ll see if I can sneak in some games in [her hometown of] Melbourne," Eva said. 

The Giants were just one win away from an AFLW Grand Final berth this season, after finishing with the wooden spoon in 2017. 

"Playing under Al McConnell was fantastic. There's so much talent in our group and we have a couple of older heads, but we also have some young exciting girls," Eva said.

"We played some really good footy together and we're hoping to go one better next year and make the Grand Final. We set our standards really high." 

NAB AFLW UNDER-18 CHAMPIONSHIPS

Series One
Northern Territory v South Australia
Friday, May 25 at 8pm, TIO Stadium Darwin 

Northern Territory v South Australia
Sunday, May 27 at 8.30am, TIO Stadium Darwin 

NSW/ACT v Tasmania
Friday, June 1 at 7pm, Blacktown International Sports Park Sydney 

Western Australia v Queensland
Saturday, June 2 at 2pm, Domain Stadium Perth 

NSW/ACT v Tasmania
Sunday, June 3 at 10am, Blacktown International Sports Park Sydney 

Western Australia v Queensland
Monday, June 4 at 8.45am, Domain Stadium Perth 

Vic Metro v Vic Country
Saturday, June 16 at 1pm, GMHBA Stadium Geelong 

GO TO AFL.COM.AU FOR SCORES AND NEWS FROM THE NAB AFLW UNDER-18 CHAMPIONSHIPS