Keeley Skepper and Zarlie Goldsworthy are leading a record seven Murray Bushrangers girls to have been invited to the AFLW Draft Combine.
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Both players were named in the Under-18 All-Australian team following their standout performances at the NAB AFLW National Championships.
Skepper, from Wodonga, was named MVP for Vic Country while Albury's Goldsworthy received the same accolade playing for the NSW/ACT Allies.
The highly-rated pair are joined on the list of potential draftees by Bushies team-mates Zara Hamilton, Grace Hay, Olivia Cicolini, Tayissa Gray and Indi Lehman.
Skepper, meanwhile, trained with Collingwood's VFLW side this week.
"They rang me up last week and said 'do you want to come and train with us and potentially play?'" she said.
"As soon as I walked in, there were AFL boys, Scott Pendlebury was there, so that was amazing.
"Once you get out on the track and in the meetings, everyone's so tight, the skills are high and you see how physical everyone is.
"It's a big step up, from Bushies to Vic Country and then VFL. You don't expect it.
"You only live once so you've got to keep going.
"It's only going to be until the end of the year and then hopefully I'll be down in Melbourne, playing VFL or AFL.
"I've got to grind now and I've got Mum to support me, she comes for drives with me, and if this is what I want to do, you have to do it (the travel)."
Skepper will play for the Under-23 All-Stars team at Melbourne's Punt Road Oval on Sunday, with Goldsworthy lining up against her as part of the AFLW Academy Australia Under-18 side.
"It's a huge honour," Goldsworthy said.
"Meeting some of the girls I've heard so much about through NAB League and the Allies comp will be very exciting.
"A couple of months ago, being drafted didn't even feel like a possibility so now that's in contention, it's really exciting.
"I've grown up watching the AFLW so to even be on the field with some of those players would be an honour.
"The fact that all of this is happening is a huge surprise and I can't wait."
Both players were consistently among the Bushies' best during a NAB League campaign which brought four wins and five losses.
"Being in that program helps you improve a lot because you're training and playing with and against some of the best in Australia," Skepper said.
"My speed and strength has definitely improved since two seasons ago, which is good to see considering I'm probably going to start playing with older and bigger bodies now.
"Playing in the national championships was a big step up from Bushies.
"I had the experience last year and didn't perform as well as I was hoping but I felt more comfortable in the team this time, I felt like I deserved to be there because of my performances in the NAB League.
"That gave me more opportunity to be myself and really showcase my skills."
To say Goldsworthy, who played elite soccer in Sydney, has hit the ground running in the world of Australian Rules, would be the understatement of the year.
"I went in with an open mind," she said.
"I had no idea what the NAB League was going to be like and I just wanted to stay positive.
"I've enjoyed it very much.
"Most of our losses were by less than a goal, which really hurt, but the girls took it on and I felt we kept playing really good football.
"The team-mates and the friendships I made, I'll hold that forever.
"The coaches kept reminding us, as the older and more experienced girls, that we were role models to the younger ones and we all held that close."
Things are moving fast but Skepper's keeping her feet on the ground.
"I've loved footy forever, so it's exciting that it's actually becoming real, hopefully, in the next couple of months," Skepper said.
"It's exciting but you can't take it for granted.
"Speaking to other girls who got drafted, they said you have to forget about that and strike the right sort of balance between knowing you're good enough and knowing there are other people who are probably better than you."
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