WA vs SA in the U16 National Championships Final ShowdownFriday, April 12, 2024 - 1:06 PM

WA will play their final Marsh AFL National Championships – U16s Girls match on Sunday against one of the competition’s benchmark side, South Australia, in Adelaide.

Both teams remain undefeated and had big wins over their opponents last weekend, WA coach Pia Faletti said the team is preparing for an intense game against last year’s Championship winners South Australia.

“After watching their notable win against Vic Metro, SA look to be an impressive side who will be a great challenge for the WA team,” Faletti said.

“They also like to get speed on the ball and keep it in their front half, so we will have to defend well across all parts of the field and be hungry to win the footy to halt their ball movement.”

The Championships feature 10 teams competing across two pools, with WA competing in Pool A alongside Brisbane Lions Academy, Gold Coast Suns Academy, South Australia, Victoria Country, Victoria Metro.

Pool B consists of GWS Giants Academy, Northern Territory, Sydney Swans Academy and Tasmania.

Paletti said the Championships are vital in providing development opportunities for female players while showcasing their skills on the national stage.

“It gives them a taste of the required commitment to become a player at the highest level,” she said.

“Players get to experience the expectations of a high-performance program, from training, both footy and gym, as well as off-field habits around nutrition, recovery, and mindset both at home and interstate. 

“It also challenges them to come into a team where they might only know a few people and form relationships to create shared success. 

“We've already seen a lot of growth across these areas in all players, so it will be exciting to see them build on this short program and go on to playing some confident footy at club level for the remainder of 2024 before hopefully returning to the state talent pathway in future years.”

The Championships not only benefit players but also coaches, with WA boasting an all-female coaching panel led by Faletti as head coach alongside Emily Bonser, Belinda Smith, Tiah Toth and Aimee Schmidt.

WA take on SA on Sunday at 11.30am AWST and can be live-streamed here