PORTLAND footballers Chloe Reynolds and Airlie Aldridge will be looking to take their play to the next level this season, as they’ve been selected to the under-18 and under-16 Greater Western Victoria Rebels girls squads respectively for 2024.

The pair will have the chance to train alongside some of finest young footballers from the south west region of Victoria, and should they earn selection in the team will play against the best country football has to offer.

Reynolds was a part of the under-16 squad last season, but the under-18 competition sees a significant step up in terms of commitment with players having the chance to play a full season for the Rebels, unlike in under-16s where they play only a handful of matches for the season.

Both girls said they were incredibly excited when they heard the news they’d been named in their respective squads.

“There was a bit of shock to be honest, I wasn’t really expecting it but super glad that I got picked,” Reynolds said.

“There’s been a lot that’s happened in the lead-up, we had a trial game back in December and another one a couple weeks ago, and over the summer holidays it’s just been a lot of training.”

Alridge, 15, reiterated a similar sentiment, saying she’s ready to take on the challenge the selection presents.

“I had a similar feeling, plenty of excitement to go along with it being really unexpected,” Aldridge said.

“We did two 2km time trials which were pretty full-on, but the training in general has been really good and I’ve learned a lot from it already,” Aldridge said.

“The experience of playing in the V-Line Cup (under-15) competition last year was really good for me.”

Reynolds was a part of the under-16 Rebels squad last year and said while it will be useful as a foundation, she realises the challenge steps up a notch this season with both a full fixture to compete in and the fact that at 16 she will be a bottom-age player.

“I see it as an opportunity, I want to play in as many games as possible and really make the most of it,” she said.

Both girls have showcased their versatility across the training and trial games so far, with the pair saying they’re capable of playing a variety of positions if the opportunity arises.

“For (Portland) I primarily play in the midfield and ruck, but I’ve also switched back into defence a bit, I’m more of a defender than a forward,” Reynolds said.

“I play either in the backline or forward, just depends really on what the coaches are looking for,” Aldridge said.

The pair will now knuckle down ahead of the season over the next couple of weeks, with Reynolds set to begin training with the group every Wednesday, while Aldridge has a pair of matches coming up in March which she has begun preparing for.