THE two sides that will face off as part of Saturday’s Under 17 Futures talent showcase match were named by the AFL today. The 2024 National Futures Girls match will take place at GMHBA Stadium from 4pm tomorrow as a curtain-raiser to the AFL Women’s night game between Geelong and Melbourne, and will don the names of Morrison (Nina, Geelong) and Prespakis (Maddy, Essendon) for this year.
Last week the full 49-player list was released of player who would take part in the program, which included some educational session across three days starting today and running until Sunday. The program provides next year’s draft prospect with an opportunity to come together in a high-performance environment and showcase their talent ahead of their draft year.
>> Under 17 Futures squad plays AFLW curtain-raiser
The match is also a great indicator for AFL Women’s Academy selectors with that Academy to be named later in the year. Today’s training session will take place at The Hangar in Tullamarine, with tomorrow’s match broadcast live and free via the AFLW website.
Among the top prospects for next year are 2024 AFLW Under 18 All-Australians Priya Bowering, Evie Cowcher, Georja Davies, Eloise Mackereth and Olivia Wolmarans, but the likely top pick Ava Usher will not be out there due to her season-ending knee injury. Subiaco’s Olivia Crane, Calder’s Chloe Baker-West and Bendigo’s Olivia Lacy were the others included in the program but unavailable due to injury.
However East Perth small forward Lucy Greenwood is a late inclusion named for Team Prespakis after being a somewhat surprising omission from the extended 49-player squad. She joins the likes of Alannah Welsh, Ella Stoddart, Monique Bessen, Chloe Bown, Alex McBride-Loane and Jordyn Allen in the side.
Team Morrison is equally stacked with talent, as Davies, Cowcher and Mackereth are alongside the likes of Mia Russo, Tayla McMillan, Sophie Eaton and Stella Huxtable. The team also has Stingrays defender Mizuki Brothwell who will almost certainly lineup on twin sister Nalu given the exhibition nature of the match.
TEAM MORRISON (white jumper)
| # | NAME | SURNAME | STATE | STATE LEAGUE CLUB | COMMUNITY CLUB |
| 1 | Marlo | Graham | VIC M | Northern Knights | Parkside |
| 2 | Mia | Russo | WA | West Perth | Wanneroo |
| 3 | Mizuki | Brothwell | VIC C | Dandenong Stingrays | Balnarring |
| 4 | Georja | Davies | QLD | Gold Coast Suns Academy | Southport |
| 5 | Rain | Dodd | VIC C | Murray Bushrangers | Wodonga Raiders |
| 6 | Sophie | Eaton | SA | Central District | Light |
| 7 | Sienna | Gerardi | WA | Swan Districts | Midvale |
| 8 | Stella | Huxtable | VIC C | Geelong Falcons | Torquay |
| 9 | Sunny | Lappin | QLD | Gold Coast Suns Academy | Southport |
| 10 | Tayla | McMillan | VIC M | Eastern Ranges | Wantirna South |
| 11 | Renee | Morgan | WA | South Fremantle | Jandakot Jets |
| 12 | Bronte | Parker | QLD | Gold Coast Suns Academy | Bond University |
| 13 | Sophie | Thredgold | SA | Sturt | Glenunga |
| 14 | Ava | Bibby | VIC C | Bendigo Pioneers | Sandhurst |
| 15 | Marika | Carlton | NT | Northern Territory Academy | Palmerston Magpies |
| 16 | Evie | Cowcher | WA | Peel Thunder | Pinjarra |
| 17 | Alira | Fotu | WA | South Fremantle | South Bunbury |
| 18 | Eloise | Mackereth | SA | Glenelg | Plympton |
| 19 | Zara | Neuwirth | VIC M | Oakleigh Chargers | Kew Comets |
| 22 | Dekota | Baron | QLD | Gold Coast Suns Academy | Southport |
| 23 | Madeleine | Quinn | NSW/ACT | Sydney Swans Academy | UTS Bats Maroubra Saints |
| 24 | Chloe | Tonkin | SA | West Adelaide | Goodwood Saints |
| 29 | Jade | McLay | VIC M | Calder Cannons | Diamond Creek Womens |
TEAM PRESPAKIS (blue and green jumper)
| # | NAME | SURNAME | STATE | STATE LEAGUE CLUB | COMMUNITY CLUB |
| 1 | Jordyn | Allen | VIC M | Eastern Ranges | Heathmont |
| 2 | Mikaylah | Antony | SA | Central District | Willaston |
| 3 | Shakaila | Gardiner-Dunn | NT | Northern Territory Academy | St Mary’s |
| 4 | Lucy | Greenwood | WA | East Perth | Coolbinia |
| 5 | Phoebe | Hargreaves | VIC M | Northern Knights | Fitzroy |
| 6 | Sarcha | Taylor | SA | North Adelaide | Broadview |
| 7 | Lily | Baxter | SA | South Adelaide | Victor Harbor |
| 8 | Monique | Bessen | SA | Sturt | Hahndorf |
| 9 | Alicia | Blizard | WA | East Fremantle | Willetton |
| 10 | Chloe | Bown | VIC M | Oakleigh Chargers | Kew Comets |
| 11 | Nalu | Brothwell | VIC C | Dandenong Stingrays | Balnarring |
| 12 | Monique | Corrigan | QLD | Brisbane Lions Academy | Bay Power |
| 13 | Annabelle | Foat | QLD | Gold Coast Suns Academy | Bond University |
| 14 | Harriet | Bingley | TAS | Tasmania Devils | Old Scotch Collegians |
| 15 | Priya | Bowering | TAS | Tasmania Devils | Lauderdale |
| 16 | Isobella | Hishongwa-Gibb | VIC M | Northern Knights | Brunswick |
| 17 | Danika | McDonald | NT | Northern Territory Academy | Federal |
| 18 | Ella | Stoddart | VIC C | Gippsland Power | Traralgon |
| 19 | Alannah | Welsh | QLD | Gold Coast Suns Academy | Southport |
| 20 | Olivia | Wolmarans | WA | Subiaco | Mt Hawthorn |
| 22 | Alexandra | McBride-Loane | VIC M | Western Jets | Maribyrnong Park |
| 23 | Isla | Wiencke | NSW/ACT | GWS Giants Academy | Belconnen |
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