Greater Western Victoria Rebels girls' coach David Loader says COVID-19 is already making life harder than usual ahead of the start of the NAB League season on Saturday.
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There are 15 players unavailable from their under-19 and futures squads for two games against the Gippsland Power owing to COVID-related issues and other commitments such as holidays.
Recently the Wimmera had six players named in the under-19 squad - Paige Glover (Horsham Demons), Jemma Thomas (Horsham Demons), Olivia Brilliant (Horsham demons), Ella Caris (Horsham Saints), Alexis Hawker (Lake Wendouree, formerly Kaniva) and Darcie Landrigan (Horsham Demons).
Mjay Jones (Horsham Demons) and Daisy Sudholz (Redan, from Horsham) were the Wimmera's representatives named in futures squad.
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Loader said teams may name between 22-24 players. As of Wednesday the Rebels had 47 players available, just enough to have a bench in each team.
"It is what it is, this is the COVID world," he said.
Loader said, like the AFLW, sides will monitor if they have enough players each week and if they don't, games may be postponed, as Brisbane and the Western Bulldogs endured in round two.
Loader said that of the 62 players selected in the NAB League (36) and futures (26) squads, only 31 were available to train last week.
"You want to do full ground stuff, you want to work with your NAB League defensive eight or whatever you've got in that area ... you might only have three of them at training," he said.
"It's becoming more and more difficult to just get body of work in to players.
"Your coaching has to be more specific, 'okay what can we give them to take home to try and build them over the time when we can't see them?'"
COVID-affected scheduling has hit the squads too, with Loader and his coaching staff scheduled to see the girls and boys squads far less than in other years.
"You used to get three training nights a week for eight weeks before Christmas, well you don't get that anymore," he said.
"Now you get a month in with the boys two nights a week and three weeks with the girls once a week."
Despite all of the problems that COVID has presented to the Rebels, Loader said there is plenty to be excited about as the season approaches.
From last season's preliminary final squad, he said 10 players have returned, but there is an exciting crop of new talent that will don the Rebels' guernsey.
"The new players have been really impressive, as have the girls that have stuck on," he said.
"I think we've got 14 debutants at NAB League this weekend and then of course there's 23 or 24 girls that will debut in the futures game as well."
Of the 10 returning players, some names stick out, including NAB AFLW Academy member Paige Scott, Kalani Scoullar and midfielders Tahlia Meier and Lilli Condon, among others.
Loader said Meier, Condon and Chloe Stevens, the squad's three 19-year-olds, will be players to watch.
"Kalani Scoullar, she was a state ruckman last year, so she's a really good player. Paige Scott's in her draftable year this year," he said.
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"I won't be surprised if we find another one or two ... someone like Molly Walton had a great year for us last year, Olivia Leonard had a great year for us.
"We've found a girl like Jedah Huf ... just runs in straight lines and kicks the ball okay ... these are the sort of girls that might just bob up."
He added that because of the lack of footy that's been played over the last two years, there will be surprise packets in both squads in 2022.
FIXTURE
Round one vs Gippsland Power, Saturday January 22
Round two vs Bendigo Pioneers, Saturday January 29
Round three vs Murray Bushrangers, Sunday February 6
Round four vs Tasmania, Saturday February 12
Round five vs Dandenong Stingrays, Saturday February 19
Round six vs Oakleigh Chargers, Saturday February 26
Round seven vs Geelong Falcons, Ballarat, Sunday March 6
Round eight BYE
Round nine vs Western Jets, Saturday March 19
Round 10 vs Sandringham Dragons, Sunday March 2
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