CAMBEWARRA'S Sophie Phillips has taken the next step to achieving her dream of playing in the AFL Women's competition by helping her NSW/ACT Rams under 18 girls side dominate their two-match series against Tasmania at the weekend.
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To prepare for the opening round matches of the 2019 NAB AFL Women's Under 18s Championships, Phillips and her Rams side took part in an intensive weekend training camp in Coffs Harbour.
"During the training camp in Coffs Harbour, we really became close as a group," Phillips said.
"So when we all met back up in Sydney, we were all keen to show what we were capable of as a team."
This showed with the Rams winning Friday's match against Tasmania 11.5-71 to 2.1-13 before backing it up on Sunday with a 13.6-84 to 2.4-16 win - with both matches being played at the Blacktown International Sportspark.
"Despite us not having played together much at all, we all came together so well and really got around each other," the Bomaderry Tiger said.
"From a personal point of view, I played in the backs on Friday and didn't have much opportunity near the ball, as we dominated the match - I still thought I played my role though.
"But on Sunday, I was really happy how I played, as they moved me into the middle.
"I went hard the whole time and was rewarded as fourth best on ground for our Rams team - I was stoked to have received that recognition."
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Phillips and players from both the Rams and Tasmania will now wait to find out if they've been selected in the combined Eastern Allies side, which will compete in round two of the 2019 NAB AFL Women's Under 18s Championships, from July 8-12 at the Gold Coast.
"To be picked in the Eastern Allies side would be a massive achievement for me and I'm under no illusions how tough of a side it will be to make," she said.
"Hopefully I did enough across the two games to make it.
"If I were to make it, it would be an incredible opportunity to play an extremely high level of footy, with the best players around the country my age.
"Any chance I get to test myself against the elite players is one I'm going to grab with both hands, as it gives me an opportunity to continue to progress as a player.
"I'm just going to enjoy any opportunity that comes my way, which hopefully leads me to achieving my dream of one day playing in the AFLW competition."
If the St John the Evangelist Catholic High School student were to make the Eastern Allies side, they would battle Central Allies (a combined South Australia and Northern Territory team) on Monday, July 8 at Metricon Stadium, before a match with Victoria Country at Southport on July 10 and Victoria Metro at Bond University on July 12 - with Queensland and Western Australia also at the tournament.