The Peel Thunderbirds will look to its abundance of young talent to lead them in their quest for a finals berth in season 2018, according to head coach Mark Fenton.
Two year’s ago, the Peel Thunderbirds’ youth girls team was the most successful football side in Western Australia.
Now the club’s league side will look to their standout crop of youngsters as they continue their bid to play finals footy.
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“We’ve got some really great, outstanding players coming up through our youth girls program,” Fenton said.
“They’re tracking really well and we think a number of them will feature quite heavily in our league side this year.
“If we can get some valuable games into them and they can see what it’s like to play league footy then we expect their development to go forward in leaps and bounds.”
Future AFL Women’s guns Sabreena Duffy and Courtney Hodder both made their league debuts after coming through the youth girls program last season.
The pair boasted some outstanding results, finishing third and fourth in the WA Women’s Football League best and fairest count.
Currently in the thick of a lengthy pre-season regime, the Thunderbirds are eyeing big seasons for their league, reserves and Rodgers Cup youth girls sides.
Fenton said the club had set a goal to see all teams playing finals footy in 2018.
“We want all three of our teams playing finals and being competitive in them,” he said.
“If every player at our club could experience what it’s like to play in a final and get a taste for it, then we know they’ll want to be there every year.
“It’s obviously early days and we’re still doing a lot of fitness work at the moment, but we think it’s important to have that goal and make sure there is something we’re striving for.”
Ryan Flavel will take over as the Thunderbirds’ reserves head coach in the early rounds of the season, while Steve Markham will once again be at the helm of the youth girls program.
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