VICTORIA Metro claimed the 2024 Marsh AFL National Championships – U18 Girls title.
Metro won all three matches and was the only undefeated team at this year’s Championships to secure its first U18 Girls title since 2019.
It capped a great year for the Victoria Metro program, who also claimed the 2024 Marsh AFL National Championships – U18 Boys title.
Metro secured this year’s title with a 21-point win over reigning champions South Australia at RSEA Park in the penultimate match of the Championships. The victory followed impressive wins over the Allies and Victoria Country in the opening two matches.
Victoria Metro co-captain Sierra Grieves was awarded the competition best and fairest award after producing a dominant campaign to lead her team to the title.
The powerful and speedy midfielder from the Western Jets in the Coates Talent League averaged 28.3 disposals (16 contested), 6.7 clearances and four tackles across three matches and also took out Victoria Metro’s MVP award.
Grieves polled 18 votes to claim the best and fairest by one vote from Victoria Country midfielder Sara Howley, with 2023 best and fairest winner and Queensland star Havana Harris third on 14 votes.
South Australian forward Eloise Mackereth (12 votes) finished fourth, while Queensland ruck Georja Davies and Victoria Metro forward Grace Belloni rounded out the top five on 11 votes.
STANDINGS
TEAM | WON | LOST | PTS |
Victoria Metro | 3 | 12 | |
South Australia | 2 | 1 | 8 |
Queensland | 2 | 1 | 8 |
Victoria Country | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Allies | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Western Australia | 3 |
The best and fairest voting panel included AFL Talent Ambassador Kevin Sheehan (chair), Paul Hamilton (AFL National Talent Development & Competitions Manager), Tarkyn Lockyer (Marsh AFL National Academy Manager), Jess Smith (AFL National Female Talent Manager) and AFLW club recruiters Matthew Burton (Carlton), Ed Clark (Collingwood), Katrina Gill (Adelaide), Joseph Molluso (Essendon) and Michael Swann (Brisbane Lions).
The panel also selected the 2024 Marsh AFL National Championships – U18 Girls All Australian team.
ALL AUSTRALIAN TEAM
Please click here to read profiles on each player selected in the All Australian team, compiled by Kevin Sheehan.
TEAM MVP AWARDS
The team MVP award winners were selected by the coaching staff of each program.
Allies: Isla Wiencke (GWS Giants Academy/Belconnen Magpies)
Queensland: Georja Davies (Gold Coast SUNS Academy/Southport Sharks)
South Australia: Esther Schirmer (South Adelaide/Christies Beach)
Victoria Country: Sara Howley (Geelong Falcons/Newtown & Chilwell)
Victoria Metro: Sierra Grieves (Western Jets/Yarraville Seddon Eagles)
Western Australia: Evie Cowcher (Peel Thunder/Pinjarra)
RESULTS
Allies 2.7 (19) def by Victoria Metro 17.11 (113)
Allies
Best: Priya Bowering, Ellie Hall, Emma Juneja, Mischa Barwin, Imogen Brown, Isla Wiencke
Goals: Ashley Patton, Emma Stark
Victoria Metro
Best: Grace Belloni, Georgie Brisbane, Sierra Grieves, Emma McDonald, Sophie McKay, Sarah Poustie
Goals: Georgie Brisbane 5, Grace Belloni, Emma McDonald 4, Chloe Bown, Sierra Grieves, Georgia Knight, Sarah Poustie
Details: Saturday, June 29 at Blacktown International Sportspark
Queensland 7.11 (53) def Victoria Country 4.8 (32)
Queensland
Best: Georja Davies, Mia Salisbury, Kaiya Hides, Dekota Baron, Havana Harris, Siobhan Ross
Goals: Alannah Welsh 2, Dekota Baron, Havana Harris, Lilu Hung, Zimra Hussain, Sunny Lappin
Victoria Country
Best: Sara Howley, Jemmika Douglas, Lucia Painter, Jemma Reynolds, Sasha Pearce, Stella Huxtable
Goals: Kayla Dalgleish 2, Zoe Besanko, Olivia Wolter
Details: Sunday, July 7 at Brighton Homes Arena
Queensland 5.6 (36) def by Allies 8.3 (51)
Queensland
Best: Nyalli Milne, Kaiya Hides, Raffael Baviello, Mia Salisbury, Siobhan Ross, Amelia Ella
Goals: Sunny Lappin, Alannah Welsh 2, Lilu Hung
Allies
Best: Madeleine Quinn, Tatyana Perry, Isla Wiencke, Ellie Veerhuis, Taylor Smith, Taya White
Goals: Ava Read 2, Priya Bowering, Emma Juneja, Amelie Prosser-Shaw, Emma Stark, Lucy Thompson, Isla Wiencke
Details: Saturday, July 13 at Brighton Homes Arena
Victoria Metro 15.6 (96) def Victoria Country 9.9 (63)
Victoria Metro
Best: Georgia Knight, Sierra Grieves, Maggie Mahony, Zoe Hargreaves, Abbey Vicino, Holly Ridewood
Goals: Georgia Knight 5, Abbey Vicino 3, Grace Belloni, Georgie Brisbane 2, Amelie Gladman, Marlo Graham, Sophie McKay
Victoria Country
Best: Sara Howley, Ashley Centra, Sasha Pearce, Seisia White, Claire Mahony, Ella Stoddart
Goals: Ashley Centra, Claire Mahony, Seisia White 2, Sara Howley, Stella Huxtable, Mekah Morrissy
Details: Sunday, July 14 at Marvel Stadium
South Australia 15.10 (100) def Allies 3.4 (22)
South Australia
Best: India Rasheed, Klaudia O’Neill, Esther Schirmer, Jasmine Evans, Eloise Mackereth, Grace Martin
Goals: Georgia McKee, Klaudia O’Neill, India Rasheed 3, Eloise Mackereth 2, Ruby Ballard, Jasmine Evans, Emma Kilpatrick, Charlotte Riggs
Allies
Best: Ellie Veerhuis, Marika Carlton, Isla Wiencke, Mischa Barwin, Emma Juneja, Amelie Prosser-Shaw
Goals: Mischa Barwin, Ava Read, Emma Stark
Details: Thursday, July 18 at Thebarton Oval
Western Australia 2.4 (16) def by Queensland 7.6 (48)
Western Australia
Best: Evie Cowcher, Zipporah Fish, Sabella Banks, Lily Paterson, Renee Morgan, Alicia Blizard
Goals: Alicia Blizard, Noa McNaughton
Queensland
Best: Georja Davies, Havana Harris, Mia Salisbury, Neive Ryan, Annabelle Foat, Mia Geere
Goals: Dekota Baron, Alannah Welsh 2, Amelia Ella, Mia Geere, Sunny Lappin
Details: Saturday, August 3 at Pentanet Stadium
Victoria Metro 9.4 (58) def South Australia 5.7 (37)
Victoria Metro
Best: Sierra Grieves, Lou-Lou Field, Scout Howden, Sarah Poustie, Holly Ridewood, Sienna Tallariti
Goals: Georgia Knight 3, Grace Belloni, Sierra Grieves, Emma McDonald, Sophie McKay, Stasia Stevenson, Abbey Vicino
South Australia
Best: Esther Schirmer, Laela Ebert, Bianca Portaro, Grace Martin, Violet Paterson, Lucy Boyd
Goals: Monique Bessen, Asha Dufour, Sophie Eaton, Georgia McKee, Charlotte Riggs
Details: Sunday, August 11 at RSEA Park
Victoria Country 10.3 (63) def Western Australia 5.1 (31)
Victoria Country
Best: Sara Howley, Alexis Gregor, Lucia Painter, Mekah Morrissy, Elli Symonds, Jemmika Douglas
Goals: Ashley Centra, Sienna Hobbs 2, Sara Howley, Lucia Painter, Ella Stoddart, Elli Symonds, Seisia White, Olivia Wolter
Western Australia
Best: Sabella Banks, Natasha Entwistle, Noa McNaughton, Olivia Wolmarans, Alicia Blizard, Kate Newson
Goals: Alicia Blizard 3, Olivia Wolmarans 2
Details: Sunday, August 11 at RSEA Park
South Australia 11.5 (71) def Western Australia 7.8 (50)
South Australia
Best: Mikaylah Antony, Charlotte Riggs, Eloise Mackereth, Sophie Eaton, Laela Ebert, Violet Patterson
Goals: Eloise Mackereth 4, Georgia McKee, Klaudia O’Neill 3, Shae Archbold
Western Australia
Best: Olivia Wolmarans, Evie Cowcher, Natasha Entwistle, Taya Chambers, Lucy Greenwood, Lily Paterson
Goals: Lucy Greenwood 3, Olivia Wolmarans 2, Alicia Blizard, Alira Fotu
Details: Saturday, August 24 at Thebarton Oval
