Sarah Moloney, Dina Gattek (Warrnambool), Kyra Clarke, Ella Friend (Horsham Saints), Jesse Bligh, Crystal Summers (Stawell Warriors), Kate Tomkins, Mitzi Adamson, Shelby Nolte (Hamilton Kangaroos), Shae De Francesco (Cobden), Elli Aitken, Victoria Jewell (Portland) and Casey Willis (South Warrnambool) will all represent the Bulldogs at the V/Line cup in Gippsland in September. 

Assistant coach Alicia Drew, who will support head coach Rhys Cahir, said the number of girls from the region in the squad was a pleasant surprise. 

“To get 13 girls out of the 24 from the DUFFL, which is only in its second year, compared to 11 of the Ballarat league that has been running a few years, it’s incredibly exciting,” she said.

“When we went through the final squad and saw how many from the region were in the squad, it’s something exciting for a competition that is so new and so fresh and it’s a full credit to the region.”

In another boost for women’s football in the region, more than half of the 24 players are bottom-aged players, which was another pleasing point for Drew.

“Fifteen of the girls will get the chance go go again next year, which shows that the talent coming through is exciting,” she said.

“Some of these girls on this list would literally be in their first year of playing football, which is pretty crazy.”

Drew said she was also excited about the equal opportunity that the girls and boys have with football programs such as the Bulldogs’ NGA.

“What’s really good now is that the pathway is now the same as the boys,” she said. “Some of them still think ‘Oh with the boys?’ But now most of them don’t think that.

“The pathways for both the boys and girls have fallen in line so quickly. This year we completely replicated the boys’ selection process for the girls. The last few years we haven't had the numbers but this year we could do it.”