The third season of AFLW starts this week, with the league expanding to ten teams.
This means we get an even greater pool of players to watch and analyse, as the competition continues to grow. With the new conference-style system in play, many will be interested to see how the season plays out, and whether it creates a tighter competition.
With the competition ramping up, here are nine players everyone should be keeping an eye on in 2019.
Kiara Bowers – Fremantle – Midfield
The 27-year-old marquee has been desperately unlucky over the first two editions of AFLW, missing both seasons due to a troublesome knee.
Bowers’ class is obvious – she is a five-time WAWFL best-and-fairest winner, often spoken about in the same ilk as Daisy Pearce in women’s footy circles prior to the advent of AFLW due to her ball-winning ability.
Bowers may start the season playing on a forward flank as she gets used to the pace of the game but, in what will hopefully be her first full season, Bowers only further strengthens Fremantle’s strong on-ball brigade.
Sophie Alexander – Collingwood – Forward
After a strong VFLW season for the Magpies, Alexander is set to make her AFLW debut in 2019. Coming from a basketball background, Alexander has a lot of great attributes in a key forward, but it’s her ability to win the ball at ground level that will perhaps excite fans the most.
She kicked the most goals for Collingwood in the VFLW, while also ranking above average in inside 50s and score involvements. Expect her to slot straight in and be and handful immediately for opposition clubs, while still allowing for the Magpies to play Sarah D’Arcy a little higher up the ground.
Renee Garing – Geelong – Midfield
AFLW fans will love Garing. Coming from a netball background, Garing stands out as a player that will work hard all day with or without the ball and seemingly never get tired.
Her numbers in the VFLW last season were crazy – averaging 27 disposals, 18 contested possessions and 9.4 tackles per game. Of course, as seen across the first two seasons of the competition, these numbers aren’t indicative of a immediate AFLW dominance, however Garing’s desire and hunger will win fans over immediately.
She won’t receive most of the attention – that will go to number one draft pick Nina Morrison – but the 30-year-old could be a member of the Team of the Year come season’s end.
Jessica Foley – Adelaide – Ruck
Foley has come on from her days as a dead-eye three-point shooter at Duke more than a decade ago, with the former Australian basketballer becoming a dominant force in the SANFLW last season.
In nine games, the 183cm Crow averaged 18 disposals, 12 contested possessions, two contested marks and 25 hitouts per game, with an impressive hitout-to-advantage rate of 25 per cent.
Clearly, the bonus here with Foley is her athleticism and ability to move around the ground, which is a different style to Rhiannon Metcalfe, who is a bona fide workhorse.
It remains to be seen how the Crows go about it, but Foley should be in the team every week, even if she ends up playing as a forward or even pushing up to the contests.
Maddy Collier – GWS Giants – Midfield
A breakout contender, Collier has had a relatively nondescript first couple of seasons in AFLW. Playing just four games in 2018 after a solid 2017, Collier enjoyed a really nice season with the Bombers in VFLW, developing her overall game to become better equipped for the big league.
Seemingly ready for more minutes and greater midfield time, Collier has all the attributes to standout for the Giants, with her ball use and ability to get involved in scoring chains a positive. Where second-year blues may have been a factor, Collier’s third season should show why she is truly a player to watch in the future. Fans should keep tabs.
Katie Brennan – Western Bulldogs – Forward
This may be cheating, but fans everywhere are longing for an uninterrupted season for Katie Brennan. Putting behind any injuries and controversies that have followed her in the last 12-24 months is paramount for the star of the competition, who could easily sweep all awards if she plays every game.
Katie Brennan (right) of the Bulldogs celebrates a goal. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
The Bulldogs’ captain is one of the fittest talls in the AFLW and has a habit of being able to hit the scoreboard through sheer work-rate. Everyone knows what Brennan can produce, we’re just waiting to see the tangible results.
Jasmine Garner – North Melbourne – Forward
Again, it’s not as big a call as the others, but North Melbourne have landed an absolute beauty with Garner. She collects a lot of the ball, she takes marks, she hits the scoreboard, she’s good at ground level and she is an elite tackler.
Garner is a true team player and her versatility within attack immediately improves the potency of North Melbourne’s offense. If you didn’t get to see much of Garner in the first two seasons, she’s one you’ll want to be following.
Olivia Purcell – Geelong – Midfield
Taken with the 14th pick of last year’s national draft, Purcell is one of the more decorated junior footy players going around. At u18s level, Purcell was an elite ball-winner and great in clearance situations, while being able to hit the scoreboard, albeit somewhat inaccurately
Despite what the numbers may suggest, Purcell will be a strong tackler and pressure player for the Cats in their first season, and her ability to get the ball moving forward will be a key feature. Purcell and Morrison will be the big-name duo of the competition for years to come.
Madison Prespakis – Carlton – Midfield
Prespakis could be one of the top ten players in the competition this season. Seemingly destined to be a top-level footballer even when the competition wasn’t there, Prespakis is simply a dominant force who can do it all.
Of course, it will be extremely different for the 18-year-old in the AFLW, with an adjustment period perhaps required. If Daniel Harford unleashes her straight into the midfield from the outset, however, look out.
It’s difficult for young players to be so well-balanced in contested and uncontested situations, but Prespakis’ ability to play any role in the midfield while hitting the scoreboard with metronomic regularity makes her a must-watch player.
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