The first ever women to represent North Melbourne in the club’s historic double header at Arden Street have been named.
North’s own team will be made up of players from VFL Women’s Melbourne University Women’s Football Club (MUWFC) and a select group of players from Tasmania, who went through trials in the north and south of the state earlier in the month.
The gates at Arden Street (via Macaulay Road) will be opened at the conclusion of the JLT Community Series match, with free entry for anyone wishing to watch the women’s game.
Training is already well underway, with the players excited for the opportunity to wear the royal blue and white at Arden Street.
“It will be a pretty amazing day,” midfielder Kristen Hay told NMFC.com.au.
“Went down there last year and played a game with them last year. There are some good girls playing down there, so it will be great to have them, particularly with North’s partnership with Tasmania too.”
It will also be a family affair for Kristen, with the number 16 to line up alongside sister Elyce in the midfield this weekend.
“A lot of people are watching the AFL Women's, we’re the next step down, so hopefully we can put on a good show, and show there is plenty of depth and skill waiting to come through,” Elyce said.
“I’ve been playing since I was 13… now all these girls have so much opportunity. There’s so much talent coming through.”
The MUWFC players are very familiar with North Melbourne, as the two clubs share a special community partnership, which includes using the Arden Street facilities as a training base during the Women’s VFL season.
“North Melbourne have been really supportive of us, to even see what the AFL players get to do and see the facilities they get to use is very impressive,” Elyce added.
North will take on reigning VFL Women’s Premiers, Darebin in a match that will have plenty of feeling after MUWFC narrowly lost the 2016 Grand Final to the Falcons.
North Melbourne Women’s Team:
Loveth Ochayi (Tasmania)
Hannah Ibrahim (MUWFC)
Nicole Bresnehan (Tasmania)
Hannah Squires (Tasmania)
Catherine O’Bryan (MUWFC)
Rhiannon Burleigh (MUWFC)
Daria Bannister (Tasmania)
Prudence Cordes (MUWFC)
Meagan Kiely (Tasmania)
Jordan Mifsud (MUWFC)
Karly Tapner (MUWFC)
Rebecca Bennett (MUWFC)
Kira Price (MUWFC)
Courtney Stanley (Tasmania)
Kristen Hay (MUWFC)
Elyce Hay (MUWFC)
Maggie Cuthberston (Tasmania)
Katie Klatt (MUWFC)
Stephanie Kierce (MUWFC)
Lauren Stevenson (Tasmania)
Melissa Forge (MUWFC)
Danika Corcoran (Tasmania)
Sian Wilson (MUWFC)
Georgia Hill (Tasmania)