Tara Murray
Northern Knights players are buying into the journey in the Coates Talent League girls competition.
The Knights have started well with three wins after four matches. They had a bye on the weekend.
Coach Allana Dickie said the group had been really focused and it was showing in the results they were getting.
“We talk about role play,” she said. “We started before Christmas and are getting reward for effort.
“What we are working on from a team point of view is one thing to work on each week that we feel helps the results of the game as well as the learning and gelling.
“The good results are on the back of the principles we have and I’m glad to see them getting reward for effort and hard work.”
The Knights this season have a real mix of top and bottom agers with three under-19 players.
Speaking before the weekend Dickie said they were prioritising the older players earlier in the season before looking to give some of the younger players and players who will come up from their futures program an opportunity.
The is will push some of the older players into the Victorian Football League Women’s system to get that next taste of higher level football. On
“We’ll have at least one play for Carlton this week,” Dickie said the 19-year-olds.
“There could be a couple of 18 year olds who do as well with us having the bye. Some will train with Carlton this week.
“They will start to see what the next level is and challenge themselves against bigger bodies and they’re excited for the opportunity.”
Dickie was on the mark with three players making their debuts.
Zoe Hargreaves, Hannah Scott and Holly Ridewood all made their VFLW debuts, while Evie Lee played for Carlton for the first time having played three games for Darebin last year.
Dickie said the partnership between the two clubs had been really strong with the group doing some of their pre-season camp at IKON Park.
Currently the Knights have three players in the Vic Metro squad which was named in the summer.
Hargreaves and her sister Phoebe Hargreaves are joined by Marlo Graham.
Two of them are bottom agers which is a real positive for the Knights, while Zoe Hargreaves was also part of the under-23 all star side earlier in the season.
Dickie said they were hoping to see a few more girls get the opportunity to trial for the final squad.
“That happens in June,” she said. “Hopefully we’ll have a handful of both top and bottom age players.”
The Knights trained together on Tuesday night with the squad then either going to VFLW or going back to their home clubs for the night and many would play on Saturday as well.
The Knights next match is against the Bendigo Pioneers on Saturday.
