Inverloch-Kongwak quartet line up for Gippsland at V/Line Cup

Isla Curtin, Khali Trewin, Emma Patterson and Harlow Reed represented Gippsland Power as the state’s premier under 15 carnival returned to the Latrobe Valley

FOUR Inverloch-Kongwak girls pulled on the Gippsland Power jumper at the V/Line Cup this week as the state’s premier under 15 carnival returned to the Latrobe Valley.

Isla Curtin, Khali Trewin, Emma Patterson and Harlow Reed, all from Inverloch-Kongwak Junior Football Club, were recruited to the Gippsland Power under 15 squad this year.

Isla wore number 17, Khali number nine, Harlow number 20 and Emma number 22 at the three-day carnival, held from Monday September 21 to Wednesday September 23 at Traralgon, Morwell and Moe.

The V/Line Cup is Victoria’s premier under 15 championship for country boys and girls, and for many players it is the first step towards the Talent League and, for some, the AFL or AFLW.

First played in the Goulburn Murray region in 1949, this year’s carnival was the 77th edition and the first held in Gippsland since the region hosted it from 2015 to 2018.

More than 600 players took part, with Latrobe City set to host the carnival again in 2027.

The competition has three divisions, two for boys and one for girls.

This year the field was cut to six regions to line up with the six AFL Talent League clubs players will trial for in coming years: Gippsland Power, Murray Bushrangers, Bendigo Pioneers, Geelong Falcons, Dandenong Stingrays and GWV Rebels.

Each team played two matches, with 18 games across the three days.

Gippsland’s girls side was coached by Emily Gibson.

The carnival has launched plenty of local careers, with Foster’s Xavier Duursma kicking a goal after the siren to win Gippsland Power’s first match at the 2015 V/Line Cup before going on to play in the AFL with Port Adelaide and Essendon.