PORT ADELAIDE has recommenced its under 15 female Next Generation Academy after the program was temporarily put on pause.

The academy kicked off in November last year but was put on hold in early 2022 to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 to the club’s senior football programs.

Led by AFLW Academy coach Naomi Maidment, the NGA program includes 29 players from Norwood, South Adelaide, West Adelaide and Woodville-West Torrens.

As well as access to the club’s facilities for training, the program involves education sessions covering a broad range of topics from media and wellbeing to fitness, nutrition and general life skills about balancing full-time sport with work and life.

The group had its first session of the year on Wednesday night at Alberton Oval. 

Maidment said she was pleased to get the group back together and pick up where things left off late last year. 

“It’s great for the club and particularly our women’s football program that we are able to continue the academy and see out what we started last year,” Maidment said.

“We have some great young talent coming through which is exciting to see and important to nurture.

“It’s a really exciting time for the players coming through who can see the pathway and AFLW is getting closer.”

The academy will have three weeks of training and education sessions before a competitive hit-out against the Crows academy side at Alberton Oval in late April.