Six Bathurst players picked in GWS Giants academy teams

Tegan Germech, Taylah Wade and Elly Rudd have all been named in the under 19s squad, while Tasmyn Davies, Paige Lowe and Dakota Nugent were selected for the under 17s squad.

The GWS Giants have previously had academy squads for boys players, with 2021 to be the first year they've had girls academy squads.

Brian Matherson coached Rudd and Dakota, who played for the senior women's Bathurst Bushrangers, said their selection will benefit their football.

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"It's really good. They're both really keen and love the game," he said.

"Elly is fairly new and Dakota has been playing for a few years now. They both just want to learn and do the best they possibly can. Every time at training they put in 100 per cent and they listen all the time, being like sponges, taking in everything the coaches say to them.

"Probably the big for me is that they're both respectful kids. They're kids that haven't got big heads or anything. They're team players and they don't hog the balls and dominate everything.

"They're out there as part of the team, putting in 100 per cent every time."

The remaining four players selected for the squads - Germech, Wade, Davies and Lowe - have played for the Bathurst Giants at one stage during their careers.

Matherson hopes that the the academy squads can help progress players to playing in the Australian Football League men's or women's competition one day.

"We haven't had anyone play in the AFL yet," he said.

"We've had some great junior numbers, dominating over a long time, but we've never been able to get anyone to break through. The GWS Giants Academy is really making a path for the kids now.

"There wasn't really an opportunity in the past. Basically, if kids wanted to make it they had to go down to Sydney and play with the clubs down there, to try and get an opportunity.

"There was really limited rep football. Nowadays, there's a pathway if the kids want it and there's Western Regional Academy of Sport too. They're really helping build that pathway.

"I can definitely see in the not so distant future that they'll be kids from the Central West playing in the AFL. We've had players gone down to play in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide but no one has made it to the AFL yet.

"There's been some guys close, but they've never made it. It's only a matter of time.

"The hardest thing is the standard of competition here. When you think of Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia, they're playing in 18-player comps from a young age against other talented players. Here, the competition is not as strong, so it makes it harder for them to develop, but the competition is definitely getting stronger."