There’s a real buzz surrounding Saturday’s bumper Central West All Stars match-up between the Northern Suns and Southern Thunder, and two of the Orange Tigerettes’ representatives Jacqui Harris and Emma Clark can’t wait to take the field.
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Harris and Clark are joined by Tigerettes teammates Lyndell Bassett, Cara Jordan, Erika Lindsay, Seanna Lindsay, Nita Noble and Amy Symons in the Suns outfit, which brings the best of the best from the Orange club, the table-topping Dubbo Demons and the Parkes Panthers together.
It’s a blockbuster side, but so is the Southern outfit, which combines the two Bathurst clubs – the Bushrangers and Giants – and the Cowra Blues.
“I can’t wait,” Harris, who’s played in plenty of representative teams in other sports but not Australian rules said.
“I’m looking forward to getting together the other girls from the other clubs and playing at the higher level.”
Clark, who’s in her first year with the Tigerettes, admitted she’s a little bit nervous but also said she’s excited to see what the bumper exhibition game produces.
“It’s good to play with players from other sides,” she said.
“It’s exciting but I’m a little bit nervous too, it’s my first year of [Australian rules] but it’ll be good to play at this level.”
The clash was introduced after Northern Riverina confirmed it wouldn’t be able to field a women’s side for this weekend’s representative round, at Bathurst’s George Park, to give Central West’s women a chance at the next level.
“I hope this can become a regular thing every year, build up and be bigger and better and maybe get a Central West side together to play some other regions,” Harris said.
While the Suns’ side looks electrifying on paper with likes of Dubbo’s Lauren Hazell, the Central West compeition’s leading goal-kicker, included, the Thunder’s line-up is an imposing one too.
Its skipper Keeghan Tucker has played with the Greater Western Sydney Giants and donned a NSW-ACT guernsey in the past while former Tigerettes captain Jayarna Kay, now playing with the Giants, has also been named
Although she wants to win, Tucker says Saturday’s All Stars clash is also a magnificent way to promote the women's game.
“I’m excited about the opportunity and look forward to playing with girls from the other clubs. This is such a positive thing for the women’s [Australian rules] in the Central West,” she said.
Opening bounce in the Southern versus Northern clash at George Park 2 is at 12.45pm on Saturday, it comes after the youth girls’ game on George Park 1, which opens the huge day at 10.30am.
Maddie Dittmar, Gemma Gailey, Imogen Gailey, Grace McRae, Molly Storer and Willow Smith make up the Tigers’ contingent in the Central West youth girls’ outfit, which faces Northern Riverina likes its junior and senior men’s equivalents.
- NORTHERN SUNS: Matilda Asser ©, Alicia Clark, Lauren Hazell, Cassandra Kelly, Caroline McGrath, Trudy Sloane, Dana Taylor, Emily Warner (Dubbo Demons), Lyndell Bassett, Emma Clark, Jacqui Harris, Cara Jordan, Erika Lindsay, Seanna Lindsay, Nita Noble, Amy Symons (Orange Tigerettes), Emma Barry, Kim Dixon, Katie Hetherington, Felecity Ralph, Amy Roseby, Ashley Rosser (Parkes Panthers)
- SOUTHERN THUNDER: Alora Dickson, Abbey Hardie, Pagan Harrison-Brown, Sally Hennessy, Elise Hull, Sarah Shackleton, Sophie Thrower, Keeghan Tucker ©, Taylor Webb, Amelia Wright (Bathurst Bushrangers), Minna Annand, Olivia Flood, Chelsea Gibbs, Jayarna Kay, Katie Kennedy, Carissa Lane, Danita Lane, Monique Lewis, Nicky Smith, Tamara Thompson (Bathurst Giants), Naomi Boland, Sarah Day (Cowra Blues).
- CENTRAL WEST YOUTH GIRLS: Kaisee Bringolf, Tula Foster, Zoe Peters (Bathurst Bushrangers), Saige Davies, Sophie Dixon, Teagan Germach, Molly Mann, Dakota Nugent (Bathurst Giants), Natalie Carden, Alyssa Murray, T’Sharna Murray, Tess Roberts, Madeline Roe (Cowra Blues), Stacie Phillips, Eloise Stanbrook (Dubbo Demons), Maddie Dittmar, Gemma Gailey, Imogen Gailey, Grace McRae, Molly Storer, Willow Smith (Orange Tigers), Halle Pauley-L’Estrange (Parkes Panthers