IN a new exciting collaborative countdown, the Draft Central has teamed up with other independent media organisations to bring a 2022 AFL Women’s Top 50 Countdown. Every weekday from now until December 17, a new player will be named starting from 50th down to 1st, stemming from a combined eight Top 50 submissions. Among those who submitted Top 50s include Siren Sport‘s Gemma Bastiani, Women’s Australian Rules Football (WARF) Radio‘s Peter Holden, and a combined Outer Sanctum team’s Top 50.

Today we kick off our countdown with number 50, Collingwood’s Ash Brazill.

Ash Brazill

Fremantle

League/s: AFLW

Season/s: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, S7, 2023, 2024

• Games [tot]: 32

• Goals [tot]: 5

• Disposals [avg]: 11.9

• Marks [avg]: 2.5

• Tackles [avg]: 2

• Cont. Poss: 6.3

• Uncont. Poss: 4.3

• Clearances: 1.3

• Inside 50s: 1.4

• Rebound 50s: 2.3

Collingwood Women’s Ash Brazill has risen to the top level of two sports simultaneously, with the Magpies defender juggling her football commitments with that of her national and international representation on the netball court. Also wearing the black and white in the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN), Brazill has shown that it is possible to maintain a high-level of quality at both sports.

In 2019, Brazill earned All-Australian honours for her work in defence, having played just the two elite level games prior to that year, but producing a sensational season. She averaged 17.8 disposals, 3.3 marks and 6.1 rebounds across six games, and was on track for another great 2020 season before tragedy struck.

Brazill went down at Marvel Stadium, rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a clash against Melbourne, cutting her season short at four games, and ruling her out of competitive action in both codes for the foreseeable future. Showing incredible toughness, Brazill returned midway through the 2021 AFL Women’s season and spent more time up the ground, kicking her first ever AFL Women’s goal in the best way possible – during a tight preliminary final against Brisbane Lions – though the last minute effort would not be enough to get her Magpies over the line.

Coming into 2022, Brazill is a player who has the capacity to do a lot of damage for the Magpies, with her penetrating kick and run and carry able to break the lines. She was one of three players to make the Top 50 with three out of eight lists containing her name, including two Top 25 entries.

DRAFT CENTRAL’S 2022 AFL WOMEN’S TOP 50

#50 Ash Brazill (Collingwood)

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Picture credit: Getty Images