LAST week the 27-player AFL Women’s Academy was announced, and we have gone into detail about each and every player. Here are the top prospects who the AFL have chosen.

St KildaMidfielder, Forward

J'Noemi Anderson

Height: 171cm

Weight: -

DOB: 17-12-2004

The Northern Territory’s top AFLW Draft prospect, Anderson got a taste of Under 19s AFLW Championships with the Allies last year. A classy mover on the outside, she attacks the contest hard when required, and can play midfield or forward.

Box Hill VFLW, HawthornMidfielder

Charlotte Baskaran

Height: 162cm

Weight: -

DOB: 09-12-2004

Having impressed since she first debuted in the NAB League at the age of 14, Baskaran has a damaging kick, and her toughness defies her small stature. She is clean with ball-in-hand, has spent time as a half-back, as well as both on the wing, and inside midfield.

Essendon, Essendon VFLWMedium Utility

Amber Clarke

Height: 169cm

Weight: -

DOB: 22-12-2004

A really versatile talent who has proven she can play both in defence and attack – as well as stints in midfield – Clarke is as quick of a player as they come, and is so damaging once she gets goalside. Clocking a sub-3.2-second 20m sprint, she is eye-catching every time she goes near the ball.

GIANTS, GWS GiantsRuck Forward

Fleur Davies

Height: 185cm

Weight: -

DOB: 06-05-2004

A tall ruck/forward out of the Gold Coast Suns Academy, Davies is hoping to join sister Giselle on an AFLW list. Able to move around the ground well and be a threat forward of centre, Davies has the height to leap over opponents and plenty of upside to-boot.

West CoastMedium Utility

Octavia Di Donato

Height: 172cm

Weight: -

DOB: 23-02-2004

The versatile Bendigo Pioneers talent has shown she can play off half-back, at half-forward or through the midfield. Di Donato possesses a raking boot, and nice, clean skills that allow her to be damaging in transition. It will be fascinating to see where she spends most of her time in 2022.

Box Hill VFLW, HawthornKey Position Utility

Mackenzie Eardley

Height: 181cm

Weight: -

DOB: 13-01-2004

The top key position talent out of Victoria, Eardley honed her craft as a defender, but has always proven she is more than capable up the other end as well. She reads the ball well in flight, provides some movement out of defence, and is strong overhead wherever she plays.

North Adelaide Women's, Port AdelaideInside Midfielder, Medium Forward

Hannah Ewings

Height: 167cm

Weight: -

DOB: 17-03-2004

Despite an ankle injury curtailing her 2021 season, the North Adelaide young gun is one to watch in 2022. She will be fit and firing for Round 1 of the SANFL Women’s season, ready to dominate the midfield. A blend of hardness, skill and a powerful boot, Ewings ticks a lot of boxes across the board.

Box Hill VFLW, HawthornMidfielder

Jasmine Fleming

Height: 165cm

Weight: -

DOB: 05-11-2004

Few can match Fleming’s bloodlines with parents who played international cricket and netball, with the Oakleigh Chargers talent also splitting her time between cricket and footy. She has lovely technique by foot, and terrific athleticism, with raw ability that could still be further enhanced in 2022.

Gold CoastBalanced Midfielder

Alana Gee

Height: 170cm

Weight: -

DOB: 20-04-2004

A smooth-moving midfielder, Gee is another member of the Gold Coast Suns Academy, and the top Queensland prospect for 2022. She is clean by hand, a pinpoint kick and is able to sidestep opponents with ease. She knows how to find the ball as well, and once she gets more chances at Under 19s level, watch out.

Sydney, Sydney SwansInside Midfielder, Tall Forward

Montana Ham

Height: 179cm

Weight: -

DOB: 29-03-2004

In line to be one of the first Victorians picked given her unique stature and ability to play midfield or forward, Ham is one with a thumping boot and great clearance ability. She stands at around 180cm but can roll out of a stoppage and thump the ball deep, also possessing strong hands and a high work rate around the ground.

Sydney, Sydney SwansInside Midfielder

Cynthia Hamilton

Height: 178cm

Weight: -

DOB: 02-04-2004

Earning the Allies’ Most Valuable Player (MVP) as a bottom-ager this year, Hamilton is the top talent out of NSW-ACT. A member of the GIANTS Academy, Hamilton is a fierce onballer who can go forward and hit the scoreboard like she did at the AFLW Under 19 Championships.

Box Hill VFLW, HawthornInside Midfielder

Bridie Hipwell

Height: 174cm

Weight: -

DOB: 15-06-2004

Another inside midfielder coming out of Victoria, Hipwell has the frame to shake off would-be tacklers and provides some nice movement out of the stoppages. Strong at ground level and in the air, an ankle injury derailed the first half of her NAB League season last year, but she returned to play some good footy.

Sydney, Sydney SwansBalanced Midfielder

Sofia Hurley

Height: 166cm

Weight: -

DOB: 30-01-2004

Classy and clean, Hurley is a terrific balanced midfielder who complements Hipwell at the Dragons. She is slight compared to Hipwell, but she knows how to get out trouble, ducking and weaving with terrific evasion. Hurley is an eye-catching player out of a stoppage, and can hit targets with pinpoint precision going inside 50.

Adelaide, West Adelaide Women'sMedium Utility

Keeley Kustermann

Height: 166cm

Weight: -

DOB: 17-04-2004

Incredibly well-balanced and clean, Kustermann is traditionally a half-back who gained valuable minutes on the inside for South Australia as a bottom-ager at this year’s AFLW Under 19 Championships. Having starred for West Adelaide, she copped an injury in the final game at the championships, but managed to return for the Westies.

Southern SaintsMidfielder, Forward

Dakota Mason

Height: 170cm

Weight: -

DOB: 27-08-2004

A real surprise bolter out of the Swans Academy, Mason starred for the Under 17s Swans last season. An Illawarra talent who has played midfield and forward in the past, Mason is one who one of the newest AFLW clubs will be keeping a close eye on throughout 2022.

GIANTS, GWS GiantsBalanced Midfielder

Claire Ransom

Height: 170cm

Weight: -

DOB: 21-02-2004

Class personified. Ransom is one of the classiest players in next year’s AFLW Draft crop, and the top Tasmanian talent. Having been one of the top performers from the Apple Isle this year, she will look to go a step better in 2022, and is someone who can play both inside and outside.

Medium Forward

Ashleigh Reidy

Height: 167cm

Weight: -

DOB: 12-01-2004

An athletically-gifted forward who has great goal sense, Reidy is able to create something out of nothing. Able to play deep or high as a forward, and feasts on the crumbs at the feet of her key forwards, Reidy thinks quickly in pressure situations, and is able to step her way out of trouble.

West CoastMidfielder, Tall Forward

Ella Roberts

Height: 175cm

Weight: -

DOB: 17-12-2004

The top pick for next year’s draft at this stage, the Peel Thunder young gun has been an incredible talent for a number of year’s now. A key member of Peel’s back-to-back premierships, Roberts is equally as gifted in the air as she is at ground level. She found tons of the ball for Western Australia at the AFLW Under 19 Championships, earning herself overall tournament MVP honours as a bottom-ager.

Essendon, Essendon VFLWMedium Forward

Paige Scott

Height: 160cm

Weight: -

DOB: 25-06-2004

The enigma within the AFLW Draft crop, Scott’s ability to apply scoreboard pressure in a short time is unmatched. Even when having a quiet game, Scott only needs a quarter to turn a game off her own boot, as she did against South Australia at the AFLW Under 19 Championships. She led the goalkicking at the tournament.

Gold CoastInside Midfielder

Ella Smith

Height: 168cm

Weight: -

DOB: 27-05-2004

The hard-at-it inside midfielder is the sole Brisbane Lions Academy member from the top-age group, and a pure talent. She often wins a truckload of the ball with little fanfare, but she does all the team things, and is outstanding at contested ball, and particularly her ground level work.

West CoastRuck

Lauren Wakfer

Height: 180cm

Weight: -

DOB: 23-04-2004

The Western Australia ruck is a player who came along in leaps and bounds in 2021, and will progress more with extra experience at the top level. Wakfer was a shining light for South Fremantle in the WAFLW, and along with Reidy, showcased her ability even when the going was tough. Wakfer is also capable of doing damage up forward.

2023 ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

• Brooke Barwick, Tasmania/Tasmania Devils
• Kyanne Campbell, Northern Territory/NT Thunder
• Georgie Cleaver, Western Australia/East Fremantle
• Shineah Goody, South Australia/WWT Eagles
• Alyssia Pisano, Vic Metro/Eastern Ranges
• Lauren Young, South Australia/West Adelaide

Of the six players chosen for the bottom-age level Academy spots, South Australian young gun Lauren Young is the standout prospect. Unfortunately the South Australian MVP winner from this year’s Under 19 Championships injured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) at training, and will miss West Adelaide’s SANFLW season. It gives Shineah Goody a great chance to step up and be that other top star out of the state, with the high-upside talent not too dissimilar to Eastern Ranges’ jet Alyssia Pisano. Both are so damaging at ground level, with Pisano winning the NAB League Girls goalkicking, whilst Goody showcased her versatility in all three thirds at SANFLW level.

Northern Territory talent Kyanne Campbell is another danger around goals, producing some eye-catching performances at the recent All-Stars matches in the Top End. Western Australia’s Georgie Cleaver has proven herself at both top-level footy and netball, whilst Brooke Barwick might be the smallest player in the Academy, but packs incredible skill and hardness.