DUO NAMED IN AFLW ACADEMY

WRFL stars Kiera Whiley and Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner have been named in the 2023 NAB AFLW Academy.

Whiley (Caroline Springs) and Weston-Turner (Spotswood) have had impressive seasons, with both players playing in the Western Jets premiership team earlier in the year.

Whiley went on to play with the Lakers’ Senior Women’s Division 2 team, earning a spot in the WRFL Team of the Year at just 17 years old and was one of the best players in the Victoria University Polytechnic Division 2 Grand Final.

The talented young gun also represented Vic Metro in the NAB Under 17 Girls Championship.

Weston-Turner had an equally impressive year, winning the Victoria University Polytechnic Under 18 Girls Best and Fairest. She also played in Spotswood’s Grand Final Division 1 Senior Women’s team.

The duo will join 28 players from across Australia who have been picked in the 2023 intake.

The group will be coached by former Collingwood player Tarkyn Lockyer and will have camps in January, April and June as well as taking part in high-performance and development programs.

“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 representative level,” Lockyer said.

“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.”