IN a new exciting collaborative countdown, Rookie Me 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 continue our countdown with number 29, Richmond Women’s Katie Brennan.

Katie Brennan

Richmond, Richmond VFLW

League/s: AFLW, Vflw

Season/s: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, S7, 2023

• Games [tot]: 60

• Goals [tot]: 71

• Disposals [avg]: 12.8

• Marks [avg]: 3.2

• Tackles [avg]: 3.1

• Cont. Poss: 5.2

• Uncont. Poss: 5

• Clearances: 1

• Inside 50s: 2.1

• Rebound 50s: 0.3

A foundation Bulldog and then foundation Tiger, Brennan is a player who has always been viewed as one of the most dangerous going around. Even when not in form, Brennan finds a way to remain active in games, and despite having a tough first season with the Tigers in 2020, bounced back to find that form again in 2021 and be a dominant target in front of the big sticks. At her most damaging in front of goal, Brennan has slotted 30 goals in 26 games, and whilst that might not seem like a lot, she often plays further afield than many key forwards, capable of roaming through the midfield if required.

Brennan’s AFLW career did not get off to the start the Marquee Dog would have liked, with an ankle injury restricting her to just two games in the inaugural season. The following year she doubled that effort with four games, but again suffered injury to her ankle after a promising start to the season. She returned at last in the season to help the Dogs to a grand final thanks to a Round 7 win over Melbourne, but was suspended for a dangerous sling tackle on Harriet Cordner and forced to miss the grand final, and subsequent premiership medal.

Following a full season in 2019, Brennan managed to get some continuity but was still not at her complete best, opting to sign with newcomer Richmond, alongside fellow Dog Monique Conti. She captained the club as she had the Dogs, and managed four games in a shortened season, playing further up the ground. Last season she returned to the forward line, where she slotted 14 goals in nine games, averaging 13.3 disposals and 3.1 marks in her most dominant season thus far. Most importantly she remained on the park, and earned herself All-Australian honours. Whilst it has been far from smooth-sailing thus far for Brennan, her ability is undoubted and the 29-year-old seems to have got that continuity and looms as a damaging forward for the Tigers in the years to come.

From a list perspectively, Brennan made it onto seven of the eight lists, including one inside the Top 20, and the rest predominantly between 25-40.

ROOKIE ME CENTRAL’S 2022 AFL WOMEN’S TOP 50

#50 Ash Brazill(Collingwood) | ARTICLE
#49 Tayla Harris (Melbourne) | ARTICLE
#48 Courtney Hodder (Brisbane) | ARTICLE
#47 Eden Zanker (Melbourne) | ARTICLE
#46 Kirsty Lamb (Western Bulldogs) | ARTICLE
#45 Tyanna Smith (St Kilda) | ARTICLE
#44 Breanna Koenen (Brisbane) | ARTICLE
#43 Dana Hooker (West Coast) | ARTICLE
#42 Georgie Prespakis (Geelong) | ARTICLE
#41 Breann Moody (Carlton) | ARTICLE
#40 Hayley Miller (Fremantle) | ARTICLE
#39 Emma King (North Melbourne) | ARTICLE
#38 Dakota Davidson (Brisbane) | ARTICLE
#37 Meghan McDonald (Geelong) | ARTICLE
#36 Stacey Livingstone (Collingwood) | ARTICLE
#35 Daisy Pearce (Melbourne) | ARTICLE
#34 Rebecca Beeson (GWS) | ARTICLE
#33 Sarah Allan (Adelaide) | ARTICLE
#32 Kerryn Harrington (Carlton) | ARTICLE
#31 Janelle Cuthbertson (Fremantle) | ARTICLE
#30 Emily Bates (Brisbane) | ARTICLE
#29 Katie Brennan (Richmond)

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Picture credit: Daniel Pockett

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