The long wait is over for players trying out for the Victoria Metro Youth Girls Squad.

After an extensive and at times agonising selection process, the squad was finalised last night – less than three weeks out from the AFL National Youth Girls Championships in Canberra.

See below for the full squad

Vic Metro will start favourite for the Championships from May 4-9 after capturing the 2013 title in Shepparton.

Last year was the first time Victoria was split into a separate Metro and County outfits for the National Championships and despite the smaller selection pool Metro still managed to overcome Western Australia in a hard-fought Grand Final.

A sizeable contingent of players who were part of last year’s title-winning side will return for another tilt this year, including book ends Alex Quigley and Katherine Smith.

Quigley was one of the leading goalkickers at the 2013 carnival and, in her fifth straight championships, will be expected to carry a significant load.

Smith will be equally important having earned her reputation as hard-nosed defender after blanketing West Australian star Kira Phillips in the 2013 Grand Final.

Midfielder Brittany Bonnici and utility Isabel Huntington are also back destined to be key players once again.

But while the star quartet and other top-age talent give the squad plenty of experience to lean on, several new faces have also been included.

Jordyn Allen and Emily Browning, both of whom are just 14 years old and still play football against the boys in the South East Junior FL, will make their debut in the Big V.

And despite their age, the duo have been backed to play crucial roles.

AFL Victoria Female Development Manager Chyloe Kurdas said it was always exciting to see girls enter the program for the first time.

“The Vic Metro representative program is about giving girls a chance to play a higher level and help them develop on and off the field,” she said.

“Last year we had Isabel Huntington make her debut at 14 and to see her grow and mature over the week and continue that throughout the past 12 months is really great.”

“No doubt it will be a little bit daunting for girls like Jordyn and Emily but the older girls will be there to help them make the most of the experience.”

Kurdas said the varying degree of experience and the depth of their squad was two of its most important features.

“We have girls like Rosie Dillon and Kayla Moore in their fourth Championship and others making their debut.”

“Selection was really difficult with so many girls who have missed out entitled to feel unlucky. The level of depth in metropolitan Melbourne continues to grow and some of these girls would have probably made the squad in past years.”

“The National Championships are always a good yardstick of how well our development program is working, so we’re looking forward to how the girls go against the best in Australia.”

Experienced TAC Cup assistant coach Wayne Siekman has been appointed head coach of Vic Metro after previously acting as an assistant to Paul Groves.

Follow their progress on twitter @aflvic or via Facebook HERE

First name Surname Suburb Age Jordyn Allen Rye 14 Amy Arundel Hawthorn East 17 Caitlyn Balshaw Deer Park 17 Jessica Bartolo Keilor East 18 Deanna Berry Whittlesea 16 brittany bonnici wallan 17 Emily Rose Browning Cranbourne North 14 NIamh Clarke Elwood 17 Taylah Clayton Berwick 16 Katelyn Cox Cranbourne East 16 Rosie Dillon Blackburn 18 Georgia Fisher Yarragon 17 Georgia Gee Beaconsfield 15 Georgia Gourlay Frankston 15 Lauren Hojnacki Berwick 17 Isabel Huntington South Melbourne 15 Madison Lister Melton 15 Matilda Lucas-Rodd Richmond 18 Kayla Moore Sunbury 18 Liz Muir Mornington 18 Courtney Musico South Morang 17 Alex Quigley Sunbury 18 Carleen Ryan Hampton Park 16 Katherine Smith Blackburn 16 Karly Tapner Cranbourne 18 Amanda Tessari Werribee 18 Georgia Walker Rye 16 Emergencies Prudence Cordes Glenroy 16 Taylah O’Hagan Beaconsfield 16 Genevieve Lawson Tavan West Preston 18