Pioneers' coaches make tough decisions on playing lists for 2023

For the players that did make the Pioneers' boys or girls lists it's another stepping stone towards achieving a dream of playing in the AFL or AFLW.

The Pioneers announced their playing lists this week for the upcoming Coates Talent League seasons and respective boys and girls head coaches - Danny O'Bree and Whitney Kennedy - were impressed with the depth of talent across the club's region.

In his third year as coach, O'Bree said it was getting tougher to narrow down the final lists.

"It's the worst part of the job,'' O'Bree said of making selection calls.

"As much as we try to emphasise to each player that it's not over until you say it's over, we want to see the best players get every opportunity."

Kennedy is in her first season as coach of the girls program and she found it difficult to cut the under-18 list to 39 players.

"You're always going to disappoint some players,'' Kennedy said.

"We didn't make these decisions lightly. The girls have been here all pre-season and they've made a really good commitment to the program most of the time.

"It's a challenge and you do question yourself. I tell the girls that we don't get it right 100 per cent of the time.

"I'm human and I don't get everything right.

"The girls who weren't selected go back to community football and the door is never closed.

"There's always the option to be identified back at community level and get invited back to the program at some stage through the season."

The girls' season starts on March 19 against the Murray Bushrangers in Shepparton.

Kennedy said it was exciting to see the quality of the under-16 girls group.

"They'll play the opening two rounds in their own age group and then from round five they'll be available for selection for the under-18s,'' she said.

"We have some really good talent in our under-16s which is really exciting. I'm keen to watch them play in the first two games and then, potentially, invite some of them to train and/or play with the under-18s."

READ MORE: Check out the Pioneers' new playing kit for 2023

Under Coates Talent League rules, the Pioneers are allowed to have a handful of under-19 players in their boys' under-18 squad.

"We're only allowed to have five 19-year-olds and we have six at the moment,'' O'Bree said.

"We'll have to manage that going forward with some strict rules on how we use them."

Jacob Nihill (Sandhurst), Eli Pearce (Carlton VFL), Michael Kiraly (Essendon VFL), Charlie Barnett (North Melbourne VFL), Mitch Dodos (Kyabram) and Jed Denahy (Castlemaine) are the 19-year-olds on the list.

Of the six 19-year-olds, Dodos is the only one who hasn't been in the Pioneers' squad previously.

"Mitch is 196cm, super athletic and a really good kick of the footy,'' O'Bree said.

"He's very raw at this stage... he has plenty of potential."

The Pioneers' boys have Talent Week testing this Saturday in Melbourne, followed by a training camp on Saturday and Sunday and it concludes with a practice match against the Murray Bushrangers at Essendon's home base at The Hanger.

Their home and away season begins on March 25, with an away game against the GWV Rebels in Ballarat.

Across the under-18 boys and girls lists, BFNL clubs Golden Square (8), Sandhurst (8) and Strathfieldsaye (7) have the most representatives.

UNDER-18 GIRLS

Jenna Bannam (Woorinen)

Ava Barker (Golden Square)

Eve Cail (White Hills)

Jemika Cooper (Moama)

Eliza Coutts (Kyneton)

Emma Daley (Gol Gol)

Steph Demeo (Golden Square)

Jemmika Douglas (Nangiloc)

Cailtin Evans (Strathfieldsaye)

Keely Fullerton (Eaglehawk)

Lexi Gregor (Golden Square)

Carlee Hazlett (Woorinen)

Sienna Hobbs (White Hills)

Sam Johnston (Woorinen)

Lila Keck (Strathfieldsaye)

Kelsey Laubsch (Bambill)

Brydi Lewis (Woorinen)

Sophie McClelland (Woorinen)

Jorja Morrison (White Hills)

Lexie Moss (Eaglehawk)

Bryde O'Rourke (Strathfieldsaye)

Scarlett Orritt (Sandhurst)

Lucia Painter (Sandhurst)

Sasha Pearce (White Hills)

Nadia Peebles (Strathfieldsaye)

Charlotte Pennefather (Kyneton)

Gemma Roberts (Kangaroo Flat)

Gaby Sanford (Woorinen)

Liv Symes (Mildura)

UNDER-16 GIRLS

Lottie Adams (Red Cliffs)

Pepper Bannon (Golden Square)

Remi Baulch (Moama)

Ava Bibby (Sandhurst)

Alicia Boyd (Strathfieldsaye)

Leni Brown (Sandhurst)

Jerrah Caruso (Deniliquin Rovers)

Hannah Cochrane (Sandhurst)

Shaleah Cooper (Moama)

Maddie Dunne (Strathfieldsaye)

Mary Fisher (Eaglehawk)

Ava Franklin (Sandhurst)

Mackenzie Gard (Eaglehawk)

Eilish Grieve (Sandhurst)

Amelie Haigh (White Hills)

Ella Henery (White Hills)

Ella Jeffrey (Kyneton)

Lucy Johansen (Golden Square)

Madi Johnson (Woorinen)

Olivia Lacy (Sandhurst)

Charlotte Liddy (Eaglehawk)

Jayda Lockwood (South Bendigo)

Lily Mansfield (Golden Square)

Matilda Meersbergen (White Hills)

Lola Modoo (Mildura)

Lacey Nihill (Sandhurst)

Neve Pinner (Sandhurst)

Ella Plattfuss (Moama)

Jasmine Short (Kyneton)

Michelle Vanzyden (Strathfieldsaye)

Scarlett Ward (Strathfieldsaye)

UNDER-18 BOYS

Xavier Austin (Sandhurst)

Charlie Barnett (Kyabram)

James Barrat (Leitchville-Gunbower)

Mitch Bell (Moama)

Elijah Brown (Mildura)

Will Burke (Donald)

Hugh Byrne (Echuca)

Bailey Cain (Golden Square)

Xavier Carter (Golden Square)

Thomas Cox (Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers)

Jed Daniels (Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers)

Archer Day-Wicks (Sandhurst)

Jed Denahy (Castlemaine)

Mitch Dodos (Kyabram)

Tom Evans (Echuca)

Logan Geddes (Donald)

Dusty Geister (Irymple)

Glen Gillbee (Balranald)

Malik Gordon (Strathfieldsaye)

Joel Grace (Ouyen United)

Zac Grieve (Strathfieldsaye)

Charlie Hillier (Deniliquin)

Lachlan Hogan (Moama)

Alex Hollingworth (Irymple)

Lucas Hurse (Maryborough)

Nicholas Jephson (Kyabram)

Brodie Jones (Mildura)

Harrison Kelly (Golden Square)

Caleb Kennedy (Strathfieldsaye)

Michael Kiraly (Castlemaine)

Pala Kuma (Robinvale-Euston)

Zaydyn Lockwood (South Bendigo)

Jack McMahon (Golden Square)

Taj McMillan (Swan Hill)

Billy Meade (Golden Square)

Oliver Morris (Sandhurst)

Jacob Nihill (Sandhurst)

Sam O'Shannessy (Ouyen United)

Eli Pearce (White Hills)

Oliver Poole (Echuca United)

Tait Poyser (South Bendigo)

Harley Reid (Tongala)

Will Rohde (Echuca)

Jobe Shanahan (Moama)

Harrison Sheahan (Kyneton)

Oskar Smartt (Leitchville-Gunbower)

Tobie Travaglia (Sandhurst)

Dayten Uerata (Sandhurst)

Ryan Watson (Mildura)

UNDER-16 BOYS

Hugh Behrens (Strathfieldsaye)

Patrick Blake (Tyntynder)

Lachy Borchard (Sandhurst)

Ned Bottams (Irymple)

Zane Connick (Sandhurst)

Ethan Curran (Nyah Nyah West United)

Jonty Davis (MGYCW)

Zac De Rosa (Mildura)

Liam Gronow (Echuca)

Gus Hay (Sandhurst)

Noah Hore (Leitchville-Gunbower)

Jaidi Jackson-Leahy (Strathfieldsaye)

Darby Jones (Leitchville-Gunbower)

Charlie King (Woorinen)

Jackson Lewis (Echuca)

Archie Littore (Wentworth)

Finlay Lockhart (Sandhurst)

Jarvas Munn (South Mildura)

Jackson Needs (St Arnaud)

Tyler Norman (Kyabram)

Riley Dillon (Golden Square)

Thomas Rutledge (Kyneton)

Spenser Seward (Mildura)

Shaun Watson (Mildura Demons)

Sam Whinfield (Macorna)

Wil Bennett (Swan Hill)

Alex Wingrave (Strathfieldsaye)

Hunter Wright (Golden Square)

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