TWO WINLESS AFL Women’s Under 18 Championships sides go head-to-head at Dingley in a battle to see who can get on the board in the 2026 carnival. Since being thrashed by South Australia, Western Australia was far better against Vic Metro, while Country went down swinging against both the Allies and Queensland. We preview tomorrow’s big game.

NEED TO KNOW

Date: Sunday, June 28
Time: 11:00am (local) | 10:30am (ACST) | 9:00am (AWST)
Venue: Kennedy Community Centre, Dingley

TEAMS:

Vic Country:

B: Georgia Garlick – Meyah Fursland – Milly Shortal
HB: Scarlett Marsh – Gabrielle Mehrmann – Beth Morris
C: Lacey Nihill – Carmela Perri – Lily Brittain
HF: Grace Dillow – Greea McKeegan – Skylah McPherson
F: Eliza Roche – Amelia Hamod – Hannah Griffiths
R: Shiloh Little – Ava Bilyk – Lily Milner
INT: Jemma Andrews – Ella Bologa – Olivia Holmes – Mia Smith-Clark – Zoe Zach

Note: Rough starting lineup based on team named

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Western Australia:

B: Mia Carlshausen – India Bonadeo – Heidi Ireland
HB: Alexis Edgley – Marie Polimeno – Lucy Gilbey
C: Summer Ajduk – Charli Bassett – Olivia McCay
HF: Caitlin Boss – Beatrice Crane – Miley Hynes
F: Mia van Kleef – Hannah Seaborn – Marley Kelman
R: Cara Dziegielewski – Lexi Strachan – Charlie Fletcher
INT: Niah Catto – Macy Fair – Makaela Grau – Jasmine Giles – Tahlia Head

Note: Rough starting lineup based on team named

>> FULL SQUAD

CHANGES

Vic Country:

IN: Lily Brittain, Olivia Holmes, Jemma Andrews, Shiloh Little
OUT: Sophie White, Evi Irving, Lila Evans, Claudia Collins

Western Australia:

IN: Macy Fair, Summer Ajduk, Olivia McCay, Jasmine Giles, Beatrice Crane
OUT: Bella Nelson, Shaya Yarran, Sienna Lilly, Avuya Nomlatyu, Rikisha Nannup

KEY MATCHUP

Ava Bilyk (Vic Country) vs. Lexi Strachan (Western Australia)

A fantastic inside battle awaits between two absolute competitors who can go forward and hit the scoreboard as well. Bilyk won the Vic Country Under 16s MVP with this age group a couple of years back and has enjoyed a wonderful top-age season, while National Academy member Strachan bounced back from a quiet game one to have a greater influence in game two and will only get better. A key midfielder for West Perth in the WAFL Women’s competition who is powerful with a raking kick.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Vic Country:

A big blow for Vic Country heading into the game is the loss of Sophie White through the ruck. The National Academy member was going to be her direct opponent Cara Dziegielewski‘s biggest challenge so the huge task in that department falls to her Dandenong Stingrays’ teammate Shiloh Little. She will have support from another Stingrays tall in Amelia Hamod.

Vic Country has a real even group across the board, but the strength is the ball use out of defence with the likes of Georgia Garlick and Scarlett Marsh both skilled distributors and were among their side’s best in the loss to Queensland last weekend. The inclusion of Lily Brittain to join fellow bottom-age Stingray Ella Bologa is a good one, while Gippsland Power’s Olivia Holmes is a promising 2027 draft prospect in ripping form. Lily Milner and Lacey Nihill provide a balance of toughness and smarts, while Carmela Perri is uncompromising around the coalface.

Western Australia:

While Dziegielewski and Strachan provide a formidable duo in the middle, the Sandgropers will finally get to see how Strachan’s co-captain Macy Fair performs, with the athletic over-ager having missed the past 12 months due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Summer Ajduk and Olivia McCay also come in after delayed starts to the national campaign, and will provide some outstanding running.

Last week double bottom-ager Caitlin Boss slotted in seamlessly, while fellow double bottom-ager Beatrice Crane makes her Under 18s debut and could play up either end. The defence has been pretty solid over the last six quarters for the Sandgropers with National Academy member Mia Carlshausen and top-age rocks Heidi Ireland and India Bonadeo both impressive. Up forward, Hannah Seaborn is a strong contested mark, while Marley Kelman looked dangerous with Niah Catto.

WHERE THE GAME IS WON

Reigning All-Australian ruck Dziegielewski will have the upper hand in the ruck battle, with the midfields likely to monitor the situation and look to read off her hands. The on-ball group is fairly even with Western Australia having top 10 talent Strachan, while Vic Country’s depth through the middle is strong, and they have plenty of big bodies that can win the clearances against some young prospects rolling through there for the Sandgropers.

Both these sides have some smart ball users out of the back half with Carlshausen and Bonadeo up one end, and Garlick and Marsh up the other, which will mean transition is definitely possible. The key will be how the teams fair going forward, as that has been where they have often come unstuck this carnival – linking up with forwards for gettable shots. Expect a lot of creative shots at goal and the team that can get more looks at goal will have an advantage.

PREDICTION:

An intriguing game that is hard to pick between the two sides. The travel factor might have Vic Country marginally on top, though Western Australia has more top-end prospects at its disposal. The ruck battle is weighted towards the visitors, and it will come down to how the midfields fair. Expect it to be a competitive game, with Vic Country perhaps lacking that extra class to go four quarters with their previous opponents, while Western Australia has had had some brilliant passages, but ultimately either started slow (game one) or faded (game two). Western Australia on paper, but expect a single-digit margin game if it becomes a scrap.