By Madolyn Peters
The region's top female players were put through their paces at the Brisbane Lions try outs Tuesday night.
Ahead of the inaugural 2017 AFL National Women's League marquee players Taylah Harris and Sabrina Frederick Traub and their coach, former Collingwood premiership player Craig Starcevich visited the region, scouting the next Brisbane Lion.
Our girls did not disappoint.
"I was actually pleasantly surprised,” Starcevich said.
"I know the league is very young so it's going to take a while to unearth a really big number of top end talent but I'm very happy with what we saw at the trials.”
While the women's competition is only new in the region the talent coming through the junior players shows a promising future.
"At a youth girls level we are capturing a lot of good athletes at school level,” he said.
"Most of the new ones are coming through school programs.”
The coach said the main aim of these programs was to get players from school footy transitioning into club footy.
"It's good to see that things are moving in the right direction,” he said.
"Around Australia women's footy has just been this tsunami over the last couple of years.
'I think us having the national league gives more exposure to the game as well.”
Brisbane Lions women's chief executive officer Breeanna Brock was also impressed at the try outs.
"Honestly there's a few girls in there that surprised me with the level of skills they've got,” she said.
"To have their youth girls trials first up and have that many show up... it's on par with a Brisbane talent zone.”
She said AFL in the region was looking "really healthy” especially with players like Bakers Creek Tigress Lauren Bella representing the game.
North Mackay Saints midfielder Codie Rasmussen only started playing AFL this year and went along to the trials.
"I just wanted to show them what the Mackay women's competition has,” she said.
"I was hoping a lot of girls would come to represent and put us on the map a bit.”
Last Modified on 14/09/2016 11:25