Geelong Falcons Girls coach Mel Hickey is confident the grounding some of the newcomers received in the club’s under-16 squad will help their transition to the Coates Talent League.
The Falcons returned to training last week ahead of a likely season start around Easter weekend at the end of March.
“The beauty of having the 16s program (was that) we were doing a lot of similar things but just a bit pared back,” Hickey said.
“Some of the language and the game style that we were focusing on, they’ve had a taste of it.
“Hopefully, that jump, they don’t find it too big, and we can start straight away with some more advanced stuff with them.
“That’s the beauty of investing in our 16s now.”
Hickey has 50 players under her tutelage, with 37 currently making up the main list and 13 in the development squad.
She says there is the potential for those on the development list to be upgraded before the start of the season.
“Because we only had four weeks with some of them pre-Christmas, there were a few things we wanted to see when they come back and see how they went over the break with some of their testing scores,” Hickey said.
“There’s still an opportunity for some of the development girls to come into the main squad.
“And once the 16s have finished their two games and (following) Vic Country selection, they’ll come into the squad, too.”
Among those returning from the 2023 squad are Vic Country Academy members Rebekah Clottey, Sara Howley, Stella Huxtable, Mekah Morrissy, Seisia White and Kiara Woods.
Howley, the reigning Talent League best-and-fairest, won her second Falcons best-and-fairest last year and is predicted by some to be the first selection in this year’s AFLW Draft.
Also back are Hayley Peck, Chloe Bryant, Lucy Marescuk and Kirra Robinson, who all posted top-10 finishes in the Falcons’ best-and-fairest.
Potential 2025 father-daughter AFLW selections on the list include the Lappin twins – Meg and Ally – and Mackenzie Brown.
The Lappins are the daughters of former Brisbane Lions star Nigel, while Brown could attract the interest of St Kilda, where her dad Tony made 108 appearances, including the 1997 grand final loss to Adelaide.
From Leopold, Brown senior, who also played in a grand final with the Falcons in 1994, still works at the Saints and is the matchday runner for the club’s men’s team.
The fixture for the 2024 season is expected to be released by the middle of the month.
Twitter: @krockfootball
2024 GEELONG FALCONS GIRLS UNDER-18 SQUAD
MAIN SQUAD
| Luella | Aldridge | Torquay |
| Meg | Alsop | Geelong Amateur |
| Addison | Baars | Lara |
| Cavalle | Boxer | St Mary’s |
| Mackenzie | Brown | Barwon Heads |
| Chloe | Bryant | St Joseph’s |
| Caitlin | Charles | Geelong West Giants |
| Rebecca | Clottey | St Mary’s |
| Sarah | Conroy | St Joseph’s |
| Evie | Durbidge | Ocean Grove |
| Juliet | Evans | Peninsula Sharks |
| Amber | Ferrari | Geelong Amateur/Colac Imperials |
| Catherine | Gandolfo | South Barwon |
| Sara | Howley | Newtown & Chilwell |
| Stella | Huxtable | Torquay |
| Filomena | Iannuzzi | Lara |
| Ally | Lappin | Newtown & Chilwell |
| Meg | Lappin | Newtown & Chilwell |
| Chloe | Leen | Barwon Heads |
| Charlotte | Mackenzie | Geelong Grammar |
| Sienna | Mallon | Colac Imperials |
| Lucy | Marescuk | South Barwon |
| Mekah | Morrissy | Newtown & Chilwell |
| Alana | Mulvahil | St Mary’s |
| Juliet | Muscroft | Torquay |
| Kate | O’Brien | St Mary’s |
| Stephanie | O’Kane | St Mary’s |
| Hayley | Peck | Grovedale |
| Faith | Qoon | North Geelong |
| Danielle | Rhodes | Geelong West Giants |
| Kirra | Robinson | Geelong West Giants |
| Amber | Towart | Geelong Amateur |
| Tara | Trethowan | Newtown & Chilwell |
| Georgia | Tyrrell | St Joseph’s |
| Charlotte | Van Loon | St Mary’s |
| Seisia | White | St Mary’s |
| Natasha | Wilson | Geelong Amateur |
| Kiara | Woods | Geelong West Giants |
DEVELOPMENT SQUAD
| Hanna | Clarke | Torquay |
| Sophia | Crutchfield | Geelong Grammar |
| Eleanor | Deppeler | Torquay |
| Neave | Dickson | Bannockburn |
| Belle | Fletcher | Newtown & Chilwell |
| Madison | Hammond | Leopold |
| Dakota | Harrington | Newcomb |
| Rhiannan | Hetherington | Geelong Amateur |
| Imogen | Metcalfe | Geelong Grammar |
| Brodie | Mitchell | Geelong West Giants |
| Mia | Murphy | St Mary’s |
| Jemma | Oliver | South Tigers |
| Mary | Rolfe | St Mary’s |
