Family Ties in AAMI WA Football 16s Squad

The AAMI WA Football State 16s Girls Squad has been named for this year’s National Championships.

Selectors have identified 26 players to represent the state through the Futures Program and a Rogers Cup practice match.

Elly Lambkin, State Talent Manager – Female Academies at WA Football, has high hopes for the group.

“We have identified the 26 players that we believe are ready to compete for WA in the 16s State Championships,” Lambkin said.

“With 10 players returning from the 16s State Squad last year, the group has a depth of experience which is a positive heading into this year’s campaign.”

The selection committee has key priorities when naming the squad.

“The committee was looking for the athletes with potential to reach higher levels of football and compete with a balanced team at the Development National Championships,” Lambkin explained.

“An exciting element of the composition of the squad is the diversity of the group.

“Within the squad there are six First Nations players, two Multicultural and three regional players commuting from as far as Esperance.”

The squad also has a football flavour with the Matera name among those selected.

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“Vienna Matera is a small forward and is a niece of Peter, Wally and Phil Matera who all played at the highest level, while Trista Smoker is the daughter of Craig Smoker, who represented Melbourne in the AFL 17 times, was on the West Coast Eagles’ list and played five seasons with West Perth in the WAFL from 2005 to 2009,” she said.

Other players have emerged as contenders to play a role for WA this year.

“Two South Fremantle players Olivia Henderson and Bailee Pike have come into the squad after showing a lot of promise in the opening practice matches of the Rogers Cup,” Lambkin said.

“This is unique as the rest of the squad had been part of the AFLW Futures program run by the WA AFL clubs Fremantle and West Coast.”

The team will prepare over the next few weeks with training sessions and playing with their WAFLW clubs in the lead up to the National Championship matches on April 7 and 16 in Adelaide and Melbourne.