Essendon provided a unique experience for the AFLNT U18 Girls program between games this week.

Arriving at the NEC Hangar for a Captain's Run on Saturday morning, the U18 program was welcomed by Essendon stars Maddy Gay and Steph Wales, both players having previously been involved with the AFLNT crew during a visit to Darwin.

The U18 Girls team had recently wrapped up an exciting and development-focused trip to Melbourne, where they competed in Coates Talent League clashes against Sandringham on Thursday night and the Murray Bushrangers on Sunday.

Following the Captain's Run, the AFLNT squad was treated to a planned craft session with Gay and Wales, focusing on game awareness and skill refinement. Adding to the experience, the entire Essendon AFLW team joined the session, engaging in light skills work and spending time with the youngsters.

The visit marks the second time in 2025 that Essendon has hosted an AFLNT program at the NEC Hangar. Earlier in May, the NT U18 Boys program also benefited from a session at the Club's high-performance facilities.

“It was a terrific to have AFLNT U18 Girls program join us at training on Saturday," Essendon AFLW Senior Coach Natalie Wood said.

"A couple of months ago, Maddison Gay and Steph Wales met the team when we were where in Darwin, where they able to engage with the NT girls and share their AFLW insights, so it was wonderful to be able to host them at the NEC Hangar last week.

“Maddison and Steph again led the group with further insights into an AFLW pre-season and then ran drills with both squads. There was a great display of skill and energy from the NT squad.

"With our inaugural AFLW Dreamtime game in Darwin last year and our AFLW program's involvement with recent trips to Darwin and Tiwi, I am really proud of the genuine connection that is growing between the football programs and more importantly the people.”

The AFLNT Girls team is being guided by an experienced and passionate coaching and mentoring staff, including Dale Eames, Mick McLean and Matt Campbell.

Essendon remains proud of its continued partnership with AFLNT, hosting development opportunities for Northern Territory youth in recent years.

The Club looks forward to welcoming more AFLNT programs to the NEC Hangar in future, continuing its commitment to nurturing talent and building strong community ties across the country.