Current season, competition or edition: 2023 Coates Talent League Girls season
| |
| Formerly | TAC Cup Girls (2017–2018) NAB League Girls (2019–2022) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Australian rules football |
| Inaugural season | 2017 |
| No. of teams | 13 |
| Country | Australia |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Western Jets (1) |
| Most titles |
Northern Knights Geelong Falcons Calder Cannons Oakleigh Chargers Western Jets (1 each) |
| Official website | afl.com.au/talent-league |
The Talent League Girls (also known as the Coates Talent League Girls under naming rights and previously as the NAB League Girls and TAC Cup Girls) is an under-19 Australian rules football representative competition held in Australia. It is based on geographic regions throughout country Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne with each team representing twelve Victorian regions, while a thirteenth team from Tasmania was introduced in 2019.
The league is one of the leading competitions for female footballers to be recruited to AFL Women's (AFLW) clubs. An identical competition for male footballers, known as the Talent League Boys, is also contested on an annual basis.
History
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, with Fiona Richardson, Victorian Minister for Women, praising the league for its encouragement of women's sports. Carlton vice-captain Madeline Keryk said the competition helped equalise opportunities for boys and girls in junior football.
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. The second season was a nine-round competition culminating in a grand final. The inaugural grand finalists were the Geelong Falcons and the Northern Knights. The Falcons won 32–21, completing an unbeaten season. The competition has since grown in fixture length and incorporates a team from Tasmania. The 2020 season was abandoned due to the impact of the COVID-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.
Age eligibility
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 and AFLW Draft is 18. Since 2023 the league has been primarily by under-18 players, with a selection of under-19 players also listed.
Premiers
| Season | Premiers | Runners-up | Grand Final score | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Calder Cannons | Murray Bushrangers | None | Melbourne Cricket Ground | |
| 2018 | Geelong Falcons | Northern Knights | 4.8 (32) – 3.3 (21) | Melbourne Cricket Ground | |
| 2019 | Northern Knights | Calder Cannons | 6.3 (39) – 0.6 (6) | Melbourne Cricket Ground | |
| 2020 | No premiership awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||||
| 2021 | Oakleigh Chargers | Geelong Falcons | 11.5 (71) – 5.4 (34) | Melbourne Cricket Ground | |
| 2022 | Western Jets | Dandenong Stingrays | 7.5 (47) – 5.11 (41) | Melbourne Cricket Ground | |
Best and Fairest Award
| Season | Winner | Club | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Chloe Molloy | Calder Cannons | |
| Bridie Kennedy | Dandenong Stingrays | ||
| 2018 | Madison Prespakis | Calder Cannons | |
| Nina Morrison | Geelong Falcons | ||
| 2019 | Georgie Prespakis | Calder Cannons | |
| 2020 | Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||
| 2021 | Georgie Prespakis | Calder Cannons | |
| 2022 | Amber Clarke | Dandenong Stingrays | |