AS the dust settles on the AFLW Draft, Port Adelaide has been stepping up its talent pathway for female footballers by hosting a group of some of the state’s best under 15 players as part of its Next Generation Academy set-up.

42 girls aligned to the South Adelaide, Norwood, Woodville-West Torrens and West Adelaide football clubs have been taking part in weekly sessions at the Allan Scott Power Headquarters at Alberton Oval to show them what it means to be a football professional.

Among the sessions have been mindfulness programs, sessions focussed on specific strength and conditioning for females, and skills training.

Port Adelaide Next Generation Academy (NGA) Manager Shane Grimm says it is all aimed at teaching the girls about elite standards.

“It’s about making sure these girls are as best prepared both physically and mentally to play football at the highest level,” he told portadelaidefc.com.au.

“That includes mindfulness, strength and conditioning specified for females and craft sessions to make sure their skills, technique and general behaviours are elite.”

Grimm said it was part of an AFL policy of trying to make football a first-choice sport for girls.

He said Port Adelaide was happy to expand its involvement in women’s football with an eye to the future.

“All AFL clubs have been asked to become heavily involved in the female talent pathways in their state, especially for girls aged between 11 and 16,” he said.

“We started doing this last year anyway but it is a way to help out with that female pathway, with a view to eventually having a team in the AFLW whenever that time comes.

“We’re hoping in the long-term we will have draft access to some of the girls in our NGA because it makes perfect sense.

“These girls could be the first group of players that we have into an AFLW program and they would have had a number of years involved in our program.”

The group is being coached by Naomi Maidment, who has been coaching the under 16 boys’ team at West Adelaide for the past five years.

“It’s really just to give the girls a taste of footy at the elite level, so elite behaviours, standards, teaching them a lot of off-field standards as well as developing their craft and exposing them to what elite football might look like for them,” she explained.

“Girls and women’s football is really growing but in the elite space they probably haven’t been exposed as much as the boys have, so the good thing is that they get to taste what the top level looks like.

“The good thing about the girls is that they are really raw, they’re like real sponges, they want to learn and listen and they are really quick learners.

“They get to get a good taste of all the facilities, access to a lot of the coaches and strength and conditioning staff so it’s really good for the girls and they seem to be enjoying themselves.”

Grimm said Maidment was the outstanding candidate for the job and he was thrilled that Port Adelaide could help her with her own development in an elite environment.

“We didn’t have to have a female coach involved but she’s been coaching West Adelaide’s under 16s for quite a while now and doing a really good job and we had been in discussions with her for a while,” he said.

“We just thought it was a good opportunity to not only help that female talent pathway for players but also the coaching pathway for females as well.

“She’ll be involved with some AFL training next year and might come out and help with some of the SANFL program next year as well so we see this as a start of her involvement with the Port Adelaide Football Club.”

The girls have had four sessions so far and will come back to Alberton in February to continue the program.

More on portadelaidefc.com.au...