They'll join Griffith, Charles Sturt University, Riverina Lions, Brookdale Bluebells and the Snowy Mountains Bears - who will next season partner with East Wagga-Kooringal - in the fledgling competition.

The driving force behind the formation of a North Wagga team, Sarah Harmer, is pleased with the response.

"I played netball with North Wagga for a few years and I just wanted to get involved, get us started and give our juniors somewhere to go in a few years, which is kind of what we're aiming for," Harmer said.

"Originally I have tried to get some of the old school North Wagga girls back, who live around the area, who used to play netball. They've all got families, they've been busy and left netball and we're trying to bring them back in and have a real family atmosphere."

Harmer said they've had interest from potential players across a range of AFL Riverina clubs as well as other sports who are keen to have a crack at Australian rules.

"We've got girls with strong basketball backgrounds, touch backgrounds, a bit of every sport, just keen to give it a go," she said.

Former North Wagga men's coach, Nathan Dowdle, will coach the women's team. At Thursday night training, Saints' premiership defender Matt Thomas was also lending a hand with skills and drills.

"It's learning the rules first. We've all got the ball skills but it's learning a whole new sport in a short amount of time before we start," Harmer said.

"That's why having Dowds (as coach) is the best, and a lot of the North Wagga boys are coming down and helping us."

Laura Liefting has had a little prior experience playing in a CSU exhibition competition. She had a taste of life in the centre and is itching to build on that experience.

Abbey Platt has played some school football while at Wagga High and The Riverina Anglican College. She said a love of the fitness and physicality of the game is what's drawn her to the sport.

The competition is likely to be extend to seven or eight rounds, beginning in mid-February. The draw is still being finalised but will factor in allowances for CSU, given university students aren't due back until the end of February.

AFL Southern NSW game development manager Marc Geppert said growth and interest in their youth girls and women's leagues shows there's demand for a quality competition, and is rapt to have established Farrer League clubs North Wagga and EWK getting involved.

"Our youth girls and our senior girls competitions are growing and we want to provide a quality product for them," Geppert said.

"It's no bigger a priority than our other mainstream sources of footy but with the growth, there's a real demand for it and we need to focus on it.

"It's exciting when the existing Farrer and RFL clubs put teams in. It's easier for those guys who already have committees and volunteers to get teams off the ground and our aim is to get as many existing Farrer and RFL teams going. So having North Wagga and East Wagga-Kooringal getting involved is great."

READ MORE