Essendon’s training base will play host to some of the state’s best female footballers over the next few months.

The Victoria Women’s Football Academy was launched last week and will comprise more than 100 players.

The participants will engage in a nine-month program that will involve training and skills testing at AFL venues.

Essendon is playing a central role with the True Value Solar Centre to be used by the Academy in December and March.

The Bombers Head of Community, Michelle Murray, is also the Academy’s Assistant Program Manager.

“The VWFL Academy is a fantastic innovation for the future of women’s football,” she said.

“Young girls will now have a career pathway for football and with the prospect of a professional league in the future, the game will continue to grow exponentially.”

AFL Victoria hopes this is the first step towards preparing players for a future national competition.