Next Gen matches kick off with first ever girls comp

Many of Victoria’s most promising young Indigenous and multicultural footballers are part of the AFL Next Generation Academy (NGA) program matches taking place in coming weeks.

For the first time ever, girls are part of the NGA program, with 100 girls from multicultural and indigenous backgrounds representing seven NGA programs aligned to AFL clubs.

All NGA matches in 2023 are available to watch live and on-demand, all free, via the AFL Victoria Facebook page – see links below.

The NGA program, targeted at 12-15 year-olds, is a joint initiative between the AFL and AFL clubs aimed at the attraction, retention and development of Indigenous and multicultural players (both male and female), whilst growing overall participation and the talent pool in these under-represented segments of the community.

Each club has a designated region to conduct their NGA and/or Club Academy programs.

Recent AFL players to come out of the NGA system have included the Western Bulldogs' Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (pick 1, 2020), Gold Coast Suns' Mac Andrew (pick 5, 2021) and St Kilda's Mitchito Owens (pick 33, 2021).

2023 NGA PROGRAM MATCHES IN VICTORIA

GIRLS

Wednesday 12 April

Ford Park, Bellfield (Oval 1)

9am: Melbourne 3.0 (18) v Richmond 3.2 (20)

10am: Carlton 4.6 (30) v Essendon 0.1 (1)

11am: St Kilda 4.3 (27) v Collingwood 3.3 (21)

1pm: Carlton 2.2 (14) v St Kilda 2.5 (17)

2pm: Melbourne 3.0 (18) v Essendon 1.0 (6)

3pm: Carlton 4.1 (25) v Collingwood 1.0 (6)

Watch replays of matches from Oval 1: https://fb.watch/jS2b_6ARuz/

Ford Park, Bellfield (Oval 2)

9am: Collingwood 1.1 (7) v Hawthorn 3.4 (22)

10am: St Kilda 4.2 (26) v Richmond 2.3 (15)

11am: Melbourne 0.0 (0) v Hawthorn 1.4 (10)

1pm: Essendon 1.0 (6) v Hawthorn 2.9 (21)

2pm: Richmond 4.1 (25) v Collingwood 0.1 (1)

Watch replays of matches from Oval 2: https://fb.watch/jS2brufGJA/

BOYS

Wednesday 19 April (East Conference)

Ford Park, Bellfield

9.30am: Melbourne v Richmond

10.30am: Collingwood v Hawthorn

11.30am: St Kilda v Richmond

1.30pm: Hawthorn v Melbourne

2.30pm: Collingwood v St Kilda

Thursday 20 April (West Conference)

Skinner Reserve, Braybrook

9:30am: Essendon v Carlton

10:30am: North Melbourne v Western Bulldogs

11:30am: Geelong Cats v Essendon

1:30pm: North Melbourne v Carlton

2:30pm: Western Bulldogs v Geelong Cats

All boys matches will be live streamed free on the AFL Victoria Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/aflvic