Live stream: Top SA talents to battle it out in SANFL SA U18 Girls Academy internal trial

SA’s best under-18 footballers are gunning for spots in the AFL National Championships and will face off in a key clash on Saturday. See how to watch the girls academy match LIVE.

National championships spots will be on the line when South Australia’s top junior girls footballers go head-to-head in a crunch internal trial game at Mount Barker on Saturday.

About 40 standout SANFLW under-18s players will form two teams as the battle for positions in SA’s squad for this year’s U18 Girls AFL National Championships heats up.

The match will be exclusively live streamed on KommunityTV and The Advertiser website from 10.30am.

AFL National Academy members Lily Baxter (South Adelaide), Monique Bessen (Sturt), Sophie Eaton (Central District) and Eloise Mackereth (Glenelg) will be among the big names on show, along with National All-Stars members Mikayla Antony (Central) and Charli Hazelhurst (Norwood).

Other key players to watch out for include top-age products Sophie Thredgold (Sturt), Chloe Tonkin and Lucy Waye (West Adelaide), Imogen Trengove (Woodville-West Torrens) and Tessa Davis (Glenelg).

Elite bottom-age prospects Taya Maxwell and Emma Charlton (South), Georgie Fielder (Glenelg), Charlee Brooksby (Norwood), Miyu Endersby (Central) and Lucy Moore (Eagles) will also be out to make a statement as they eye their first under-18 championship campaigns.

SA under-18s coach and National Academy assistant coach Brad Snell (left) with top SA players Sophie Eaton (Central), Charli Hazelhurst (Norwood), Eloise Mackereth (Glenelg), Lily Baxter (South Adelaide), Mikaylah Antony (Central), Monique Bessen (Sturt) and National All-Stars physical performance coach and SA female talent physical performance coordinator Zianna Chesterfield at the National Academy v All-Stars game in Melbourne in April. Picture: SANFL

SA under-18s coach and National Academy assistant coach Brad Snell said the trial would be an important audition for players as he looks to trim his state squad from 45 to the 30 who will contest the national champs.

He will pick two even teams of about 20 players this week, with a handful of squad members unavailable through injury.

“We haven’t connected as a squad since December, so the first thing I want this weekend is for us to reconnect as a group,’’ Snell said.

“I’ve had a good look at our players at club level but now it’s about us (selectors) seeing them play against other kids their own age, 17 and 18 year olds, and seeing how they perform.

“We had a trial game in December, we’ve watched all the (SANFLW) league and development games since and now we have this trial before we make decisions on cutting 45 players down to 30.’’

Since the December trial, SA’s elite young women have competed in the SANFLW league and development competitions.

Six rounds of league football have been completed while the development league finished last Sunday, with the Tigers beating the Panthers in the grand final.

Central District’s Sophie Eaton handballs while representing the AFL National Academy Girls team against the All-Stars in Melbourne in April. Picture: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Snell said he had encouraged his squad members to show what they’ve got in Saturday’s trial at Mount Barker’s Summit Sports Park, starting at 10.30am.

“A lot of our selection criteria has been based on what we’ve seen at club level, so it’s not a matter of everything being on the line this week, but these types of trials give the girls the chance to show that bit of brilliance that we might not have seen before and that can make a difference with selection,’’ he said.

“When they are playing league footy, some of these girls are on and off the bench a bit and don’t get full game time, so this game will give them the opportunity to showcase their true capabilities.

“I’ll be telling the girls to just go for it and be their true selves and that it’s not about how many mistakes they might make.

“I want them to show us a bit of brilliance, go for their marks and goals and really enjoy themselves, because the last thing I want to see at this age is for them to go into their shells.’’

Bulldogs player Mikayla Antony warms up for the All-Stars before their exhibition match against the AFL National Academy Girls team last month. Picture: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Snell is in his second year as SA under-18s coach after guiding his side to runner-up behind Victoria Metro at last year’s national championships.

He believes his squad is “slightly stronger’’ than last year’s with some “unbelievable’’ bottom-age players selected.

“Our under-16s won their age group title by a long way last year and there is some unbelievable talent which has progressed to the under-18s, so I think we’ll have a really well balanced group of top and bottom-agers this year,’’ Snell said.

The U18 girls national championships will be played from Saturday, June 22 to Sunday, August 10, and again feature six teams.

Joining SA will be Victoria Metro, Victoria Country, Western Australia, Queensland and the Allies, which will comprise players from New South Wales, ACT, Northern Territory and Tasmania.