Thirty-nine players that appeared in the Swisse Wellness VFL Women’s in 2018 were selected in Tuesday’s NAB AFL Women’s Draft, including Geelong’s no.1 pick Nina Morrison from Geelong Cats VFLW.
Morrison is the second straight top AFLW Draft selection from Victorian ranks following the Western Bulldogs’ Isabel Huntington (Melbourne Uni) in 2017 and was one of nine VFLW players taken in the first round of 12 picks.
Sophie Van De Heuvel (Williamstown) and Rebecca Webster (Melbourne Uni) will join Morrison at the Cats after being selected with picks 2 and 7 respectively, while Madison Prespakis (Melbourne Uni) went to Carlton with pick 3.
Jordyn Allen (Casey Demons to Collingwood), Tyla Hanks (Carlton VFLW to Melbourne), Nikki Gore (NT Thunder to Adelaide), Eleanor Brown (Southern Saints to Western Bulldogs) and Katie Lynch (Collingwood VFLW to Collingwood) were the other VFLW players to have their names called in the draft’s first round.
Hawthorn VFLW premiership player Mikala Cann was the next selected – with pick 13 to Collingwood – and will be joined in the AFLW by 2018 flag teammate and Debbie Lee Medal winner for the VFLW’s Rising Star, Jayde Van Dyk (pick 21 to Carlton).
* Visit our AFLW DRAFT WATCH hub, featuring stories on 10 AFLW draftees from the VFLW in 2018.
Overall, the Geelong Cats and Southern Saints produced the most draftees of any VFLW club with six selections each, ahead of Collingwood and Melbourne Uni with five each, Carlton with four, the Casey Demons, Hawthorn and NT Thunder with three each, the Western Bulldogs with two, and Essendon and Williamstown with one each.
Three members of the VFL Women’s Team of the Year were drafted – Sophie Alexander (Collingwood VFLW to Collingwood), Van Dyk and Rhiannon Watt (Southern Saints to Carlton) – as were all eight top-age members of the AFLW U18 All Australian team from VFLW clubs.
Nineteen of the VFLW selections graduated from TAC Cup Girls clubs earlier this year (among 20 total TAC Cup Girls selections), with the 40 total players selected from AFL Victoria’s talent competitions representing 59 per cent of the 68 overall draft picks.
See the full list of players selected from AFL Victoria’s talent competitions in the 2018 NAB AFL Women’s Draft below:
PICK | NAME | SELECTED BY | TAC CUP GIRLS CLUB | VFLW CLUB |
1 | Nina Morrison | Geelong | Geelong Falcons | Geelong Cats |
2 | Sophie Van De Heuvel | Geelong | GWV Rebels | Williamstown |
3 | Madison Prespakis | Carlton | Calder Cannons | Melbourne Uni |
5 | Jordyn Allen | Collingwood | Dandenong Stingrays | Casey Demons |
6 | Tyla Hanks | Melbourne | Gippsland Power | Carlton |
7 | Rebecca Webster | Geelong | Murray Bushrangers | Melbourne Uni |
8 | Nikki Gore | Adelaide | NT Thunder | |
10 | Eleanor Brown | Western Bulldogs | Sandringham Dragons | Southern Saints |
11 | Katie Lynch | Collingwood | Oakleigh Chargers | Collingwood |
13 | Mikala Cann | Collingwood | Eastern Ranges | Hawthorn |
14 | Olivia Purcell | Geelong | Geelong Falcons | Geelong Cats |
15 | Madeline Brancatisano | Melbourne | Northern Knights | Carlton |
16 | Abbie McKay | Carlton (Father-Daughter) | Sandringham Dragons | Carlton |
18 | Lauren Butler | Collingwood | GWV Rebels | Western Bulldogs |
19 | Madelaine Shevlin | Collingwood | Casey Demons | |
20 | Denby Taylor | Geelong | Geelong Falcons | |
21 | Jayde Van Dyk | Carlton | Hawthorn | |
24 | Georgia Clarke | Geelong | GWV Rebels | Geelong Cats |
25 | Daisy Bateman | North Melbourne | Oakleigh Chargers | Collingwood |
27 | Charlotte Wilson | Carlton | Eastern Ranges | Southern Saints |
29 | Sophie Alexander | Collingwood (Compensation) | Collingwood | |
31 | Jordann Hickey | Melbourne | NT Thunder | |
32 | Georgia Gourlay | Collingwood | Casey Demons | |
34 | Selena Karlson | Western Bulldogs | Southern Saints | |
35 | Rene Caris | Geelong | GWV Rebels | Carlton |
36 | Courtney Munn | North Melbourne | Southern Saints | |
38 | Emerson Woods | Carlton | Eastern Ranges | Hawthorn |
40 | Rhiannon Watt | Carlton | Southern Saints | |
41 | Katelyn Rosenzweig | Adelaide | NT Thunder | |
42 | Jessica Edwards | Carlton | Collingwood | |
44 | Shelley Heath | Melbourne | Dandenong Stingrays | Southern Saints |
46 | Jessie Davies | Western Bulldogs | Western Bulldogs | |
47 | Maighan Fogas | Geelong | Geelong Cats | |
48 | Danielle Ponter | Adelaide | Essendon | |
53 | Chloe Haines | North Melbourne | Melbourne Uni | |
55 | Elise Coventry | Geelong | Geelong Cats | |
56 | Libby Haines | North Melbourne | Melbourne Uni | |
60 | Madeline Keryk | Geelong | Geelong Cats | |
61 | Nicole Bresnehan | North Melbourne | Melbourne Uni | |
67 | Erica Fowler | Collingwood (Compensation) | Collingwood |
These players add to the 25 other VFL Women’s players who have been AFL Women’s listings during the off-season:
NAME | SELECTED BY | VFLW CLUB |
Chloe Dalton | Carlton (rookie) | Carlton |
Brooke Walker | Carlton (rookie) | Carlton |
Cassandra Blakeway | Geelong | Geelong Cats |
Hannah Burchell | Geelong | Geelong Cats |
Mia-Rae Clifford | Geelong | Geelong Cats |
Julia Crockett-Grills | Geelong | Hawthorn |
Kate Darby | Geelong | Geelong Cats |
Renee Garing | Geelong | Geelong Cats |
Bec Goring | Geelong | Geelong Cats |
Jordan Ivey | Geelong | Geelong Cats |
Meghan McDonald | Geelong | Darebin Falcons |
Danielle Orr | Geelong | Geelong Cats |
Hayley Trevean | Geelong | Geelong Cats |
Maddy McMahon | Geelong (rookie) | Geelong Cats |
Casey Sherriff | Melbourne | Casey Demons |
Chantel Emonson | Melbourne (rookie) | Casey Demons |
Shae Sloane | Melbourne (rookie) | Casey Demons |
Sophie Abbatangelo | North Melbourne | Melbourne Uni |
Alison Drennan | North Melbourne | Southern Saints |
Taylor Mesiti | North Melbourne | Casey Demons |
Ashleigh Riddell | North Melbourne | Melbourne Uni |
Maddison Smith | North Melbourne | Melbourne Uni |
Jessica Trend | North Melbourne | Essendon |
Bethany Lynch | North Melbourne (rookie) | Richmond |
Celine Moody | Western Bulldogs (rookie) | Carlton |