AFL Central Vic-affiliated netballers picked in state training squads

The Victorian squads were announced on Tuesday night following a screening day at the State Netball Centre in Melbourne last Sunday.

Castlemaine is particularly well represented with four players spread among the two squads.

This year's BFNL 17-and-under co-captain Megan Wilson, midcourter Montaya Sardi and Emma Winfield were chosen in the 52-player 19-and-under squad, while midcourter Kyla Byrne was named in the 44-player 17-and-under squad.

All four players were members of the Magpies' team, which was beaten by eventual premiers Gisborne, in this year's BFNL A-grade preliminary final.

Sardi, who has been chosen in the squad subject to fitness, and Winfield were 19-and-under premiership teammates this season with Victorian Netball League club Melbourne University Lightning.

Also picked in the 19-and-under squad were Gisborne's Dasha Taylor and Colbinabbin's Matilda McIntyre.

A member of this season's BFNL 17-and-under team, Taylor was a key influence in the midcourt in the Bulldogs' 17-and-under premiership-winning season.

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McIntyre, who is based in Melbourne and played VNL at 19-and-under level with City West Falcons, was a member of the Grasshoppers' HDFNL A-grade grand final line-up, which lost to White Hills.

Named alongside Castlemaine's Byrne in the 17-and-under squad were Sandhurst 17-and-under pair Claire McGee and Harriett Whiteacre and Donald's Addison Funcke and Lainey Mortlock.

Deniliquin's Makayla Finn, who represented the North Central 15-and-under team at this month's Netball Victoria State Titles in Melbourne, was also selected in the 17-and-under squad.

Moama Football Netball Club's Hannah Richards, who played for Goulburn at the State Titles, was named in the 19-and-squad.

The squads will be pruned following two squad selection sessions on December 3 and December 10, and again after further training sessions on January 20, 21 and 28.

The Victorian 19-and-under squad will be coached by inaugural Bendigo Strikers VNL coach Tracey Brereton, who recently signed as joint A-grade coach of Nathalia, for the 2024 Murray league season.

Brereton's appointment followed a long association with Shepparton Bears in the Goulburn Valley league.

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