SWVFA under 16 girls' representative team to play North Geelong

The group has been training about two years and still hasn't played an 11-a-side match together.

They played a seven-a-side tournament in Bendigo earlier this year but it wasn't the full set-up.

Their main event - the Victorian Country Championships - was cancelled in 2020 and 2021, dashing hopes of putting their hard work into action.

But amid the disappointment a unique opportunity has emerged.

The girls will finally get to play a match together and against quality opposition.

They'll take on North Geelong Warriors under 16 girls - a metropolitan league outfit - in a friendly on Saturday at 4.30pm at Harris Street Reserve.

Coach Paul Braithwaite said the match came about because SWVFA export Molly Leslie is playing with the Warriors.

"I've developed rapport there with their coach, he wanted to come and play our girls' team," Braithwaite said.

"We've been organising for a while and COVID had an impact and we're finally going to do it."

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Braithwaite added North Geelong was going to make a weekend of the experience.

The SWVFA girls are excited for the challenge.

They get to play a high-calibre team as well as don their new representative kit for the first time.

"My girls are looking forward to seeing Geelong play at that sort of level," Braithwaite said.

"They'll be well-drilled so hopefully we can learn from them."

He noted it was also a chance for talented south-west players to see the girls' soccer pathway program in action.

Leslie, who played with Warrnambool Wolves, is a great example of a player getting scouted from the south-west.

Braithwaite added Saturday also presented as a talented-identification opportunity.

The coach said female soccer was growing in the region following a history of the girls having to play with boys' teams much of the time.

Given it's a friendly, the south-west side will field some girls who are 17 or 18 years old.

They've been with the program since they were under 16 so Braithwaite is keen to offer them the opportunity to play.

Youngsters will be coming from as far as Hamilton and Timboon for the encounter.

SWVFA is also going to have its country championship trials for under 12, 14, 16 and 18 at Harris Street on Saturday from 4pm.

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