captain of the Western under-16s for the titles that get under way today.

The NSW Girls Football Championships will be decided in under-12s, 14s and 16s at Lady Cutler over the next five days and as early as Saturday a big number of players, their parents and family members started arriving in the city before the first games at 9am this morning.

While Tayla will be playing her first year in the under-16s, she was part of the under-12s for three years and had another two years with the 14s before her debut this time in the 16s.

The Year-10 student at Dubbo’s St John’s College, is looking forward to the titles with a Western side that is brimming with experience at the top level.

“It’s always exciting to make Western and to be captain in my first year is something that I’m looking forward to,” she said.

“Richard Gathercole from Orange is our coach and Karen Morris from Bathurst the manager and we’ve got a fairly experienced side, most of whom I play with in the Youth League with Western Panthers out of Bathurst.

“We’ve also been together in these Western sides at State through the various age divisions.”

Cole has elected to keep the girls fresh for the first two games today - against Metro West at 11.30am and Metro East at 3.30pm.

They’ve been training regularly but won’t be having a final hit out on Sunday.

Tayla, who will play in the centre mid field for Western, this year played for NSW Country under-15s in the Westfield National Youth Championships for Girls; while one of her Western teammates, Orange striker Meaghan Kempson also represented at that level.

Tayla is one of four Dubbo girls playing for Western this week. Indianna Asimus is in the under-12s for the second year running; while Jessica Berryman and Payge Luffman are in the under-14s.

Jessica also repped last year and Payge played Western Panthers under-14s and for NSW Country.

Eden Stoddard from Young, and formerly from Dubbo, is also a ‘veteran’ of Western sides at these same championships.