JESSICA Rentsch has added another string to her footballing bow as she was named as co-captain of the Greater Western Victoria Rebels girls team along with Olivia Leonard for the 2023 season.

Rentsch, from Penshurst, was an integral player in Portland’s under-18 Western Victoria Female Football League side last year and continues to push through the football pathways.

Rentsch is on the comeback trail after breaking her leg late in the 2022 season during an exhibition game, and has worked hard to get back on the field and ready for round one, with her co-captaincy selection coming as a shock to her.

“My selection as co-captain means quite a lot and I am super-excited for the year ahead,” she said.

“I honestly cannot believe that I made the team for the first game coming back after my broken leg, let alone being selected as co-captain.”

Offering plenty of support to her teammates on and off the field, the second-year Rebels player will be using the upcoming season as a springboard towards her goal of being drafted to an AFLW club.

“I think my role in the team is (as co-captain) to support and encourage the girls to play to the best of their ability,” Rentsch said.

“I want to get the girls hyped and play with the Rebels spirit and values that we hold important.”

The Rebels narrowly lost to Geelong Falcons in Saturday’s opening round, 6.10 (46) to 6.2 (38) with Rentsch named best afield for the Rebels, while Portland’s Jenna-May Bristow kicked a goal.

Tomorrow the Rebels will host Bendigo Pioneers at Ballarat’s MARS Stadium, with the game starting at 11am.

Round one of the two-round under-16 girls’ series was also played last weekend with Portland players Marnie Mueller, Chloe Reynolds and Maddison Cotten part of the Rebels side that was soundly beaten by Geelong. The Rebels will play Bendigo tomorrow, at Ballarat at 9.30am, in round two.