The dual athlete has been balancing the local Australian rules season with soccer preseason, and has just been selected in Football Wagga's representative side.

Additionally, she'll be playing with her home club, Tolland, in a curtain raiser before Wagga play Canberra Croatia's first grade side on Saturday.

Determined her injury wouldn't hold her back for long, Read has already returned to tackle football and said her hand is the least of her worries for Saturday's game.

"I got my brace off last week and I've played two footy games strapped up so it's going really well which is good news," Read said.

"It feels good to be selected, it's a great group of girls that the coaches have put together," Read said.

"I'm not sure what we're heading into in terms of the strength of the Canberra Croatia team this year, but all preseason training is good preseason training."

As momentum in the women's Australian rules competition continues to build year on year, balancing her two sports could become increasingly difficult.

Currently the summer rules season allows cross-code athletes such as Read to balance it alongside the 'first' sport.

"When it's mentioned that [the Southern NSW Women's League] might almost be strong enough for it to be a winter competition, unfortunately the bulk of the girls either come in from a soccer or a netball background," she said.

"If you were to move into the winter, you might struggle for numbers because I think the players would potentially prioritise their predominant sport.

"It would be an awesome opportunity if they did [expand] but then they would have to pick a Saturday or Sunday that would work for the bulk of the players, but it is exciting how big it's becoming and the potential it has.

"It just means there's more girls playing sport which is exciting."

This Saturday though, all her attention will be on the round ball game.

Seventeen players have been selected for the Wagga squad, and though the exhibition is in its first year, Read would like to see more chances for local players to represent the area.

With the folding of the Wagga City Wanderers women's program, Read said representative opportunities will become increasingly important for local up and coming talent.

"I think in terms of strengthening the competitive nature of the sport within the local competition, it is very exciting, but it is a tricky one," she said.

"It improves the quality of the sport here but I think for those individual players that do have to potential to maybe get a bit further with their sport, it might limit them a little bit and if they do want a career in soccer, they will potentially need to move away play at a higher level.

"Though the Canberra competition is very strong, but even that has its limits and they might need to move to places like Sydney or Melbourne to really have a chance at the next level.

"So some opportunities are missing but it will improve the quality here and I know it'll change the competition, probably for the good, this year."

Tolland's premiership winning Leonard Cup side will play Canberra Croatia's second grade at 2:30pm, before the first grade side plays Football Wagga's select side at 5pm.

Football Wagga representative women

Maree Cirillo, Nyah Brown, Felicity Kerslake, Abby Foley, Bree Lyons, Lizzie Read, Airlee Savage, Bronte Buik, Chrissy Kompos, Kandice Bertoldo, Tamara Cochrane, Brooke Gayler, Grace Cooper, Amelia Walker, Claire Foley, Elizabeth Dumpleton, Brandy Nicholson.