THE FUTURE of AFL Women’s will be on display on Sunday at Ikon Park with the two teams locked in for the Futures Girls showcase match. An annual event, the clash is designed to provide fans with a look into the following year’s AFLW Draft crop, and are named after current AFLW players.
For this year, the two teams are aptly named Vescio and Conti after Darcy Vescio and Monique Conti, two players no stranger to running around on Ikon Park. Vescio will lineup for the Blues on the ground on Saturday, while Conti will be following the Futures match when her Tigers take on Geelong at the venue from 1pm.
Kicking off from 10am, the game will only feature players born in 2008 and therefore eligible for the 2026 AFLW Draft. Players were nominated by state talent programs, national selectors and AFLW club recruiters. The contest is used as a key game in selecting the 2026 AFLW National Academy.
Four All-Australians from the AFLW Under 18 Championships will feature in the game, with South Australia’s Emma Charlton, Allies’ Majella Day, Western Australia’s Cara Dziegielewski and Vic Metro’s Bailee Martin. All players involved will train at the Hangar in Tullamarine on Saturday morning in preparation for the Sunday showcase.
South Australian head coach Brad Snell will coach Team Vescio, with Phoebe McWilliams, Mickayla Ward and Chad Wingard as his assistants, while Geelong Falcons coach Tash Heffernan will lead Team Conti with Vic Metro head coach Jarrad Donders, Queensland head coach Emma Zielke and Claremont premiership player Matilda Sergeant the assistants.
Rookie Me Central’s full preview of the match will come tonight.
TEAM VESCIO (white jumpers)
| # | NAME | STATE | STATE LEAGUE CLUB | COMMUNITY CLUB |
| 1 | Stephanie Aguinaldo | QLD | Gold Coast Suns Academy | Broadbeach |
| 2 | Summer Browning | QLD | Gold Coast Suns Academy | Tweed Coast |
| 3 | Leni Lockyer | VIC M | Oakleigh Chargers | Kew Comets |
| 4 | Bridie Neale | VIC M | Eastern Ranges | Heathmont |
| 5 | Hope Taylor | SA | South Adelaide | Happy Valley |
| 6 | Frances Walsh | NSW/ACT | Sydney Swans Academy | Glebe |
| 7 | Evie Ward | TAS | Tasmania Devils | Lauderdale |
| 8 | Aiyana Pritchard | QLD | Brisbane Lions Academy | University of Queensland |
| 9 | Darcie Prosser-Shaw | NSW/ACT | GWS Giants Academy | Baulkham Hills |
| 10 | Milly Shortal | VIC C | GWV Rebels | North Ballarat |
| 11 | Brylee Anderson | VIC M | Eastern Ranges | Healesville |
| 12 | Jorja Davey | NT | NT Academy | Palmerston |
| 13 | Grace Dillow | VIC C | Gippsland Power | Woodside |
| 14 | Heidi Ireland | WA | Peel Thunder | Collie |
| 15 | Ruby Lynch | SA | Woodville-West Torrens | Henley |
| 16 | Marie Polimeno | WA | South Fremantle | Fremantle City Dockers |
| 17 | Lexi Strachan | WA | West Perth | Ocean Ridge |
| 18 | Rose Bell | NSW/ACT | GWS Giants Academy Murray Bushrangers | Lavington |
| 19 | Grace Tracey | NSW/ACT | Sydney Swans Academy | East Coast Eagles |
| 22 | Kate Alexander | SA | Norwood | Golden Grove |
| 23 | Bailee Martin | VIC M | Oakleigh Chargers | East Malvern |
| 24 | Polly Turner | SA | North Adelaide | Hectorville |
| 25 | Sophie White | VIC C | Dandenong Stingrays | Mt Eliza |
TEAM CONTI (blue and green jumpers)
| # | NAME | STATE | STATE LEAGUE CLUB | COMMUNITY CLUB |
| 1 | Evie Bingham | TAS | Tasmania Devils | North Hobart |
| 2 | Mia Geere | QLD | Brisbane Lions Academy | Wilston Grange |
| 3 | Sophia Green | VIC C | Murray Bushrangers | North Albury |
| 4 | Lakhyah Hill | NT | NT Academy | St Marys |
| 5 | Emily Mableson | SA | West Adelaide | Unley |
| 6 | Zoe Petrides | QLD | Brisbane Lions Academy | Morningside |
| 7 | Maddison Meagher | VIC M | Northern Knights | Diamond Creek Women’s |
| 8 | Scout Semple | VIC M | Eastern Ranges | Wantirna South |
| 9 | Ruby Geurts | VIC C | Dandenong Stingrays | Red Hill |
| 10 | Charlotte Tidemann | NSW/ACT | Sydney Swans Academy | Willoughby |
| 11 | Greea McKeegan | VIC C | Geelong Falcons | Torquay |
| 12 | Morgan Stevens | NSW/ACT | GWS GIANTS Academy | Tuggeranong Valley |
| 13 | Ava Bilyk | VIC C | Geelong Falcons | St Marys |
| 14 | India Bonadeo | WA | Claremont | West Coast |
| 15 | Mia Carlshausen | WA | Perth | Manning Rippers |
| 16 | Majella Day | NSW/ACT | GWS Giants Academy Murray Bushrangers | Lavington |
| 17 | Cara Dziegielewski | WA | West Perth | Yanchep District |
| 18 | Georgie Fielder | SA | Glenelg | Henley |
| 19 | Lucy Moore | SA | Woodville-West Torrens | Henley |
| 20 | Emily Rankin | VIC M | Eastern Ranges | Park Orchards |
| 21 | Kiara Boyd | VIC M | Western Jets | Aberfeldie |
| 22 | Zoe Curry | NSW/ACT | GWS GIANTS Academy Oakleigh Chargers | Turvey Park |
| 23 | Avuya Nomlatyu | WA | East Fremantle | Willetton |
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