| Formerly | TAC Cup Girls (2017–2018) NAB League Girls (2019–2022) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Australian rules football |
| First season | 2017 |
| No. of teams | 13 |
| Country | Australia |
| Most recent champion | Eastern Ranges (1) |
| Most titles | Oakleigh Chargers (3) |
| Official website | afl.com.au/talent-league |
TheTalent League Girls (also known as theCoates Talent League Girls undernaming rights[1] and previously as theNAB League Girls andTAC Cup Girls) is an under-19Australian rules football representative competition held in Australia. It is based on geographic regions throughout countryVictoria and metropolitanMelbourne with each team representing twelve Victorian regions, while a thirteenth team fromTasmania was introduced in 2019.
The league is one of the leading competitions for female footballers to be recruited toAFL Women's (AFLW) clubs. An identical competition for male footballers, known as theTalent League Boys, is also contested on an annual basis.
The league was inaugurated in 2017, the same year as the first AFL Women's premiership season was held. All NAB League Boys clubs entered teams and shared training grounds. Reaction to the establishment was positive, withFiona Richardson, Victorian Minister for Women, praising the league for its encouragement ofwomen's sports.Carlton vice-captainMadeline Keryk said the competition helped equalise opportunities for boys and girls in junior football.[2]
The first season was a five-round competition. The Calder Cannons won all five of their matches and overcame the Murray Bushrangers on percentage to claim the inaugural premiership.[3] The second season was a nine-round competition culminating in agrand final.[4] The inaugural grand finalists were the Geelong Falcons and the Northern Knights. The Falcons won 32–21, completing an unbeaten season.[5] The competition has since grown in fixture length and incorporates a team fromTasmania. The 2020 season was abandoned due to the impact of theCOVID-19 pandemic.
The league was known as the TAC Cup Girls in 2017 to 2018, NAB League Girls in 2019 to 2022, and since 2023 it has been known as the Coates Talent League Girls.[6]
The competition was originally classified as an under-18 competition, though in 2021 the competition was classified as an under-19 competition. The draft age for both the AFL andAFLW Draft is 18.[7] Since 2023 the league has been primarily by under-18 players, with a selection of under-19 players also listed.[8]
| Season | Premiers | Runners-up | Grand Final score | Venue | Ref. | Best on Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Calder Cannons | Murray Bushrangers | None | No venue | [3] | None |
| 2018 | Geelong Falcons | Northern Knights | 4.8 (32) – 3.3 (21) | Avalon Airport Oval | [5] | Denby Taylor |
| 2019 | Northern Knights | Calder Cannons | 6.3 (39) – 0.6 (6) | Ikon Park | [9] | Jess Fitzgerald |
| 2020 | No premiership awarded due to theCOVID-19 pandemic | |||||
| 2021 | Oakleigh Chargers | Geelong Falcons | 11.5 (71) – 5.4 (34) | Avalon Airport Oval | [10] | Amanda Ling |
| 2022 | Western Jets | Dandenong Stingrays | 7.5 (47) – 5.11 (41) | Avalon Airport Oval | [11] | Amber Clarke |
| 2023 | Oakleigh Chargers | Eastern Ranges | 6.7 (43) - 5.6 (36) | Ikon Park | [12] | Sienna Tallariti |
| 2024 | Oakleigh Chargers | Eastern Ranges | 5.7 (37) - 2.7 (19) | Ikon Park | [13] | Sienna Tallariti |
| 2025 | Eastern Ranges | Dandenong Stingrays | 10.8 (68) - 4.6 (30) | Ikon Park | Tayla McMillan | |
| Season | Winner | Club | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Chloe Molloy | Calder Cannons | [14] |
| Bridie Kennedy | Dandenong Stingrays | ||
| 2018 | Maddy Prespakis | Calder Cannons | |
| Nina Morrison | Geelong Falcons | ||
| 2019 | Georgie Prespakis | Calder Cannons | |
| 2020 | Not awarded due to theCOVID-19 pandemic | ||
| 2021 | Georgie Prespakis | Calder Cannons | |
| 2022 | Amber Clarke | Dandenong Stingrays | [15] |
| 2023 | Sara Howley | Geelong Falcons | [16] |
| 2024 | Ash Centra | Gippsland Power | [17] |
| 2025 | Chloe Brown | Oakleigh Chargers | [18] |
As part of the new model, age groups for all AFL Talent Pathway Programs, including the NAB League Girls and Boys and the NAB AFL / AFLW National Championships, will be re-focussed from U16 and U18 Levels to U17 and U19 in 2021.
.svg)
