Photo Credit: ABC

We are just under a week away from the seventh season of AFLW (Womens). In what is set to be the biggest season yet of women’s football we are seeing an 18 team comp for the first time, which is wonderful for the expansion of the game.

The new teams for season 7 include:

Essendon:

Essendon enter their first season in the women’s competition. Their first game against another AFLW debutant (Hawthorn) next Saturday night has attracted so much ticket demand that the game has been moved to Marvel Stadium. Essendon secured the services of the experienced coach Natalie Wood, who will lead the Bombers in their first season in the women’s competition.

Some key signings for the Bombers included:

Sophie Alexander, Daria Bannister, Alana Barba, Steph Cain, Ellyse Gamble, Georgia Gee, Cat Phillips, Maddy Prespakis, Bonnie Toogood, Sophie Van De Heuvel, Jacqui Vogt, Jess Wuetschner.  (Source: Womens.Afl).

Through the draft, they were able to pick up:

Amber Clarke, Paige Scott, Stephanie Wales, Mia Busch, Mia Van Dyke, Amelia Radford, Ashleigh Van Loon. (Source: Womens.Afl).

Hawthorn:

The Hawks enter their first season in the Women’s competition to be coached by AFLW premiership winning Coach Bec Goddard. For two years she coached the Adelaide Crows between 2017-18. She was the first ever coach to take a side to an AFLW premership, when she lead the Crows to their historic premiership win over the Brisbane Lions in 2017.

As mentioned Hawthorns first game has been moved to Marvel Stadium due to such high ticketing demand. It is the perfect opportunity for its rivalry with Essendon to build even further.

Some key signings Hawthorn secured for their first season included:

Kaitlyn Ashmore, Janet Baird, Jess Duffin, Aileen Gilroy, Tilly Lucas-Rodd, Akec Makur Chuot, Kate McCarthy, Sarah Perkins, Lou Stephenson. (Source: Womens.Afl).

The players who Hawthorn managed to secure in the draft included:

Jasmine Fleming, Mackenzie Eardley, Charlotte Baskaran, Bridie Hipwell, Lucy Wales, Emily Everist, Laura Elliott. (Source: Womens.Afl).

Port Adelaide:

Port Adelaide come into their first season in the women’s competition, as the second side to join from Adelaide. They will join their cross town rivals in the competition, the Crows who currently stand as the most successful club over its six seasons so far, with three premierships and four grand final appearances.

Port look forward to their historic game against West Coast next Saturday at Mineral Resources Park.

Some key signings for Port Adelaide include:

Hannah Dunn, Ange Foley, Cheyenne Hammond, Gemma Houghton, Maggie MacLachlan, Maria Moloney, Justine Mules, Ebony O’Dea, Britt Perry, Erin Phillips, Kate Surman, Indy Tahau, Jacqui Yorston. (Source: Womens.Afl).

Key draft picks they secured:

Hannah Ewings, Sarah Goodwin, Sachi Syme, Ella Boag, Yasmin Duursma, Amelie Borg, Lily Johnson. (Source: Womens.Afl).

Sydney Swans:

The Swans enter their first AFLW season, as the second team from Sydney to join the comp, along side their cross-town rival GWS. They have secured Scott Gowans as coach, who had a 79% coaching record with North Melbourne, who let him go in June 2020.

Sydney looks forward to their hosting their first ever game against St Kilda next Saturday. The match will be played at North Sydney Oval at 5:10pm.

Some key AFLW players the Swans have secured include:

Maddy Collier, Sarah Dargan, Lexi Hamilton, Brooke Lochland, Ally Morphett, Aliesha Newman, Bec Privitelli, Bella Smith, Lisa Steane, Brenna Tarrant, Alana Woodward. (Source: Womens.Afl).

The players who Sydney picked up in the draft included:

Montana Ham, Sofia Hurley, Cynthia Hamilton, Montana Beruldsen, Alice Mitchell. (Source: Womens.Afl).

• Erin Philips from Adelaide to her cross-town rival Port Adelaide.
• Niamh Kelly from West Coast to Adelaide.
• Lauren Brazzale from Carlton to Collingwood.
• Bella Smith from Collingwood to Sydney.
• Ebony O’Dea from Collingwood to Adelaide.
• Sophie Alexander From Collingwood to Essendon.
• Madison Prespakis from Carlton to Essendon.
• Bonnie Toogood from Western Bulldogs to Essendon.
• Stephanie Cain from Fremantle to Essendon.
• Gemma Houghton from Fremantle to Port Adelaide.
• Nikki Gore from Adelaide to Fremantle. 
  
• Phoebe McWilliams from Geelong to Carlton.
• Sarah Perkins from Gold Coast to Hawthorn.
• Isabel Huntington Western Bulldogs to GWS. 
  
• Kaitlyn Ashmore North Melbourne to Hawthorn.
• Tilly Lucas-Rodd St Kilda to Hawthorn.
• Sarah Perkins Gold Coast to Hawthorn.
• Charlotte Wilson Carlton to Melbourne.
• Hannah Dunn Gold Coast to Port Adelaide.
• Angela Foley Adelaide to Port Adelaide.
• Grace Egan Carlton to Richmond.
• Nicola Stevens Carlton to St Kilda.