THE Bendigo Pioneers' female pathway will be on show this Saturday when the club's under-19 and under-16 teams get one of their few opportunities this NAB League season to play a home game.
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Epsom-Huntly Recreation Reserve will host a triple-header of female football games - two under-19 NAB League matches and one under-16 futures game.
Pioneers coach Danny O'Bree says the spotlight of the triple-header of matches will showcase the Pioneers' pathway opportunities through the NAB League as the region's best young female talent is on show.
The Pioneers will play under-19 and under-16 matches against the Greater Western Victoria Rebels, while the day will also feature an under-19 clash between the Geelong Falcons and Murray Bushrangers.
"I think this Saturday is a really good opportunity for the football community and aspiring young female footballers and their parents to come and have a look at what is a standard of footy that is getting better every year," O'Bree said on Wednesday.
"I think it's really important for our young footballers in the region that they look up to our Pioneers' players and be inspired.
It's really important for our young footballers in the region that they look up to our Pioneers' players
"And we have a lot of inspirational stories that have come out of the girls program in its short time in terms of being a pathway into the AFLW.
"You look at Eden Zanker (Melbourne), Elizabeth Snell and Annabel Strachan (Western Bulldogs), Tara Slender (North Melbourne) and Kodi Jacques (Richmond) as players who have come through our program and are currently on AFLW lists.
"Emma Grant is an assistant with our boys program who is also now the development coach at Richmond and Cherie O'Neill, who has coached at the club previously, is now the head coach of Box Hill in the VFLW."
This Saturday will be one of only two home games the Pioneers girls will play this year - the other being against the Murray Bushrangers on March 6.
"We don't get many opportunities to play in Bendigo this season, but the good thing about this weekend is it's multiple matches," O'Bree said.
"Those who come along will get the chance to have a look at the team that just beat us last week (Murray Bushrangers), last year's grand finalists Geelong as well as the Greater Western Victoria Rebels, who are a strong team, so there's going to be a lot of good players playing.
"We'll have Octavia Di Donato, who is an AFLW Academy Squad member, playing; Paige Scott from the Rebels is another in the Academy who will be playing, and Zarlie Goldsworthy from the Bushrangers, who absolutely toweled us up last week and was the NAB League player of the week, is another who will be playing.
"There's going to be a lot of talent from the four under-19 teams that, hopefully, by the end of June will be drafted and on AFLW lists.
"I know our girls from both our under-19 and under-16 teams are all really looking forward to the chance to play at home on Saturday and, hopefully, there's plenty of support for them. It should be a good day of football."
Saturday's schedule:
10am - Geelong v Murray under-19s.
Noon - Bendigo v GWV under-19s.
2pm - Bendigo v GWV under-16s.
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