HAMILTON trio, Paige Kissel, Jedah Huf and Jess Rentsch received some great news earlier in the week when they found out they had been selected in the Greater Western Victoria (GWV) Rebels Under-19 Girls squad to compete in the 2022 NAB League Girls season.

They were selected on the back of some strong performances in the two practice games and some good results at the NAB League Girls testing day which was held in Melbourne last weekend.

The NAB League talent pathways program allows girls to be given a variety of opportunities both at NAB League, State Championships and within the Australian Academy to further their knowledge and skills in the hope of one day playing at a higher level, either at AFLW or VFLW.

Paige has been in the Rebels program for a number of years now and having undertaken her schooling at Ballarat Grammar last year, she already knew what to expect.

She first began in the Futures squad a few years ago when she was bottom age and moved up through the ranks to earn her spot in the regular team last season managing to play six NAB League matches, kicking four goals.

The 17-year-old said that after being in the team last year, she knew she would again get the opportunity to train with the side during pre-season and prove herself again.

“I worked hard to get into the team, so it wasn’t that much of a shock … (the practice matches) went good, I was put in the backline, midfield and forward line and kicked two goals,” she said.

Paige said the testing day at Latrobe University in Bundoora went well and she was pleased with the improvements she made on last year’s results.

“It was my second year of doing that, so it wasn’t new to me, but I think I did better than last year, so it was good - I wanted to beat 15 in the yo-yo test, and I got 15.4 I think,” she said.

The NAB League Girls season kicks off on January 22 when a team will be selected from the main squad of 36 to play round one against Gippsland Power at Latrobe University in Bundoora.

“It’s a little bit scary but I’m excited to get out there and play, we are all very new, it’s such a new group so we’ll have to see how it goes,” she said.

“(My goal is) just to have fun and enjoy it because it is my last kind of push in junior sport, (that) is my goal and I’ll see where it takes me.”

Jedah said hearing that she made the squad was a huge shock and something she had never expected with her limited football experience.

“I was shocked and excited because I obviously didn’t think I was going to get in … I really had no idea what I was doing because I haven’t played footy since Under-12s at Penshurst,” she said.

“Because I’m not going to be here next year, I’ve sort of got nothing holding me to a certain sport because I’m going to a new place, so I thought I might as well try something new.”

Jedah is tall and was used in key positions during the practice games such as ruck, centre half-forward and centre half-back.

She said she had been enjoying the busy training schedule which included running around with the Rebels boys’ team each Monday night.

“I love training with the boys because it is higher intensity and you get into it more than with the girls,” she said.

The 17-year-old said she it was really helpful having a couple of other good friends in the squad who she could lean on for any advice.

She said she was looking to do her best in the upcoming season and see what eventuated from it.

“It makes it a lot easier (having Jess and Paige there), for travel as well because you can carpool, but yeah you have someone that you know down there and it’s not all new faces,” Jedah said.

“I’m a bit nervous if I’m going to make it in the playing squad, we are all in (the 36-person squad) but you might not get to play, it’s not guaranteed.

“I will see how this year goes because at the moment I’m enjoying it.”

Jess is one of the youngest ones that made the squad having just turned 16 only about a month ago, but that won’t stop her from setting big goals for the year ahead.

She said the group was all together after training when they found out they been selected and was ecstatic to hear the news – she has now shifted her focus to gaining selection in the first game.

“I was pretty happy as most people probably would be … it is a competition and an elite competition, so you have to prove yourself to get into that team,” Jess said.

After taking out the league best and fairest in the Under-18s for the Hamilton Kangaroos, getting invited to try out for Rebels and then making the Rebels squad, it has been a whirlwind of a last month for the young gun.

She is now training everyday of the week in the hope that in a months’ time when the first game rolls around, she will be rewarded with a spot in the team.

“I got the email late to say that I was invited to the Rebels, it was only five days before the first practice game and I hadn’t probably touched a footy in two months,” she laughed.

 “(I knew I had) to get my fitness levels up to where they were, they’re still probably not up to where I was at, but they are definitely improving doing something every day and we’ve got a good summer program that we have to follow.”

Jess detailed her training program in the lead up to the game and hoped some extra sessions could be the difference in her getting a spot in the team.

“You kind of get the weekend off (of training) but I’ll probably still end up doing something, just something every day of the week - I’m very hard on myself and competitive so I try to show my best.

“If I make it (the team in round one), I’ll be stoked and just keen to play, it’ll be good and a lot of fun to finally get back into it.”

For the time being, training is keeping the three of them busy as they travel down to Ballarat each week to train under head coach, David Loader.

Training starts back up on January 12 with the team jumper presentations planned for the 19th, before the first game on the 22nd.