2023 NAB AFL and AFLW Academy squads announced

Seven West Australians have been named as part of the intake for the 2023 NAB AFL and AFLW Academy programs. 

Local girls Georgie Cleaver, Jaime Henry, and Kaitlyn Srhoj are part of the AFLW Academy squad, while Daniel Curtin, Mitchell Edwards, Riley Hardeman and Koltyn Tholstrup complete the quartet of WA boys chosen. 

The 2023 NAB AFL Academy and 2023 NAB AFLW Academy squads each feature 30 players and include a selection of the most talented 17-year-old footballers across the country. 

The players selected will be eligible in the 2023 NAB AFL Draft and 2023 NAB AFLW Draft, following the 2023 NAB AFLW season. 

Players will participate in high-performance and personal development programs throughout the 2023 season. 

Program content will be delivered through a mixture of face-to-face and online modules. 

The 2023 NAB AFL Academy will come together for an induction camp in December, before reconvening for camps and matches in April and May. 

The 2023 NAB AFLW Academy will commence with a camp in January, which will be followed by camps in April and June, and a match. 

This is the 26th annual intake for the AFL Academy and the sixth intake for the AFLW Academy, with both squads featuring players from every state and territory across Australia. 

Among the players selected in the boys’ squad are Harley Reid, Jed Walter, and WA’s Daniel Curtain. 

Reid and Walter were both selected in the 2022 NAB AFL National Championships U18 Boys All-Australian Team after impressing for Victoria Country and the Allies respectively. 

Reid also received the Jack Collins-Alan Schwab AFL Life Members scholarship in September. 

Curtin was best on ground in the 2022 NAB AFL Futures game, which was played on the MCG as a curtain-raiser before the 2022 Toyota AFL Grand Final. 

The girls’ squad includes Shineah Goody, Brooke Barwick and Matilda Scholz, who were all selected in the 2022 NAB AFLW National Championships U18 Girls All-Australian Team while competing as bottom-aged players. 

Goody was the dominant player at this year’s Championships, winning the MVP as a 16-year-old. 

She averaged 27 disposals, five clearances and six tackles per game to lead South Australia to three wins from three matches. 

Cross-code talent Georgie Cleaver from East Fremantle has also been selected.  

The Western Australian key position player is also a talented netballer and has been a national and state representative.  

National Academy Manager Tarkyn Lockyer congratulated all players on their selection and said he was excited to work with the future stars of our game. 

“Selection in the NAB AFL and AFLW Academy is a significant achievement, and all players are thoroughly deserving of their place in the squads,” Lockyer said. 

“It is extremely pleasing to again have all states and territories represented in this year’s intake and highlights Australian Football remains the first-choice sport for our country’s most talented young athletes. 

"We are very excited about the high level of talent within this group of future stars of the AFL and AFLW, many of whom have already showcased their outstanding skills and abilities at the representative level. 

"As part of their selection in the 2023 NAB AFL and AFLW Academy, players will be given the opportunity to continue to develop on and off the field under the guidance of expert coaching, high performance and wellbeing staff. 

“They will also be given the opportunity to be part of AFL and AFLW environments by attend training sessions with AFL and AFLW clubs, which will provide first-hand experience of the standards required to make it at the highest level.”  

Both squads will be coached by Tarkyn Lockyer, who will be supported by a combination of male and female coaches who have experience working with girls and boys football programs. 

The NAB AFL and AFLW Academy are part of the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, which supports grassroots players and football communities and helps young Australians fulfil their dream of playing in the AFL. 

The NAB AFL Rising Stars Program also comprises the following elements:  

• NAB AFL/W Rising Star 

• NAB AFL/W Draft 

• NAB AFL/W Draft Combine 

• NAB AFL/W Academy 

• NAB AFL/W National Championships - U18 

• NAB AFL/W National Development Championships - U16 

NAB has proudly supported footy for over a decade, providing boys and girls with a clear pathway from NAB AFL Auskick to the big time.