Flying under the radar of local sport has been the journey of four young Seymour girls who were fortunate enough to be chosen in a squad of 55 to represent the Murray Bushrangers in the NAB series competition.
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Three of the girls, Lucy Dawe, Emily Chapman and Chloe Locke, were chosen as part of a futures team which consists of under-16s from across the Murray region.
They have just completed a long summer of sessions and squad cuts to earn the right to play in three matches against other NAB teams.
This year they played Western Jets, Bendigo Pioneers and at the weekend met the Oakleigh Chargers.
Chloe Locke was chosen by her peers as a joint captain and was honoured to be able to lead her teammates on field this season.
The girls will now be considered to form part of the senior squad for 2020 as the futures is a lead-in to the league where nine teams across Victoria play.
The NAB league is a direct feed into the AFLW and with the VFLW is the prime recruiting zone for the AFLW teams.
The fourth girl, Sophie Locke is in the senior team and in 2018 was the first Seymour girl to make the Bushrangers under-18 list.
Sophie was also chosen by her peers to be a joint vice-captain and is currently five games into a nine-match season.
As Sophie turns 18 this year it’s her last year in the NAB competition and from here she can hopefully progress to senior standard football and continue a pathway that for girls can now start in Auskick and progress through to senior football with the newly-formed Seymour youth under-18 side allowing girls to play when just last season they weren’t able to.
