Monique Bastiaan (above, left) and Renae Schwarze (above, right), two of Melbourne University’s up and coming Youth Girls, were recently selected for the Under 18 Victorian Youth Girls team to take on Queensland in a two match series.

The second AFL Victoria/AFL Queensland Interstate Challenge was held from September 20-22, with game one being played at Trevor Barker Beach Oval, Sandringham, whilst Bendigo’s picturesque and historic Queens Elizabeth oval hosted game two. Now an annual event, AFL Victoria and AFL Queensland intend on growing the event to include other States as their respective Youth Girls competitions grow.  

Bastiaan and Schwarze's maiden Victorian selection capped off a fantastic year for the pair: both were members of the MU U18s team that finished second in AFL Victoria’s western Youth Girls competition, and were members of AFL Victoria's inaugural Youth Girls Academy which saw them play on the MCG in July. Bastiaan was also Vice Captain for the western competition’s interleague team. Bastiaan and Schwarze are two of the club’s fourteen graduating Youth Girls who are poised to join the club’s senior ranks in 2009.