Sport
18 February, 2025
Wimmera girls named in GWV Rebels squads for 2025 talent league season
Seven footballers from the region were selected in the squads.
Coates Talent League
Horsham
Seven footballers from the Wimmera have been selected in the GWV Rebels' under-16 and 18 girls squads for the 2025 Coates Talent League season.
Horsham's Greta Arnel and Poppy Peters (Horsham and Laharum) return to the under-18s squad, joined this year by Amaya Woodward (Horsham/Nhill) and Violet McGennisken (Horsham).
Lara Purchase (Horsham/Nhill) and Abbey Wiedermann (Horsham) return after being selected a year ago in the under-16s, while Scarlett Abbott was named after an impactful V/Line Cup campaign.
GWV Rebels girls coach Sally Riley was thrilled to see the work put in since November 2024.
"I've been really impressed by the Wimmera group," Riley said.
"There's not many girls who have been training [with the AFL Wimmera Mallee Academy] but that has not stopped them.
"The girls have put in a lot of hard work and as have our coaches in all regions."
The group has been under the guidance of satellite coach Stuart Farr before the under-18s travel to Ballarat once a week to prepare for the start of the season.
While the under-16s complete their short program in mid-March.
"It's good they're in our squad. But now the commitment really starts where it is leaving school that little bit earlier to travel down to train, to get home late and repeat every week," she said.
"When the girls are down together with the Ballarat crew [in the pre-season], they fit in seamlessly, which has been fabulous for their development."
Heading into the third year of the under-18s as a full-time program, Riley credited the work of Arnel and Peters.
"In my eyes, they've been real pioneers in the Horsham region since the female side of Coates Talent League became full-time," Riley said.
They've hardly missed a beat in terms of training and commitment. [They're] outstanding characters, and I'm excited to see them play in their top age here this year."
While Riley is excited to see what the younger group can achieve.
"The three under-16 girls, to me, are actually quite familiar in terms of having been in this role for the past three years," she said.
I've seen them at school football, V/Line trials, the under-16s last year. And then I go, crikey they're only 15 years old.
"Hopefully they feel comfortable and excited by this new challenge. But at the same time, it's not completely new to them, which is something we're really proud of as a program."
The under-18s will attend a connection day in Warrnambool on Saturday, February 22, before all talent league teams attend a fitness testing day in Melbourne on March 2.
The Rebels girls open their season on April 5.