AS Season 7 of the AFL Women’s approaches, Rookie Me Central has taken a fun spin on a hypothetical match: jumper numbers. The two potential AFL Women’s teams have been split based on their jumper number at their club, and whether or not it is an even or odd number. From there, the best available teams have been selected, not accounting for those currently out injured through Season 7.

Given the amount of talent on offer, the sides have both been extended to an 18 on-field line-up with six interchange to resemble more of an exhibition contest. All the 2022 All-Australians line up for the respective teams, as well as some experienced heads and those who have changed teams. The most interesting one was Adelaide now Port Adelaide star Erin Phillips who actually went from number 13 (Team Odds) to her father’s number 22 (Team Evens).

The Evens midfield is absolutely stacked with fierce contested ball-winners, from Kiara Bowers and Ebony Marinoff, to Monique Conti, Ellie Blackburn and Madison Prespakis. The midfield depth is so strong the rotational options include Karen Paxman, Ally Anderson, Stephanie Cain, Alicia Eva and Lily Mithen. The ruck battle between Carlton’s Breann Moody and Melbourne’s Lauren Pearce would be a fascinating one, with Pearce having a pretty talented midfield at her disposal too, featuring Brisbane’s Emily Bates, GWS GIANTS’ Alyce Parker and North Melbourne’s Ash Riddell, as well as Anne Hatchard and Hayley Miller. The depth in there has forced Emma Kearney and Jaimee Lambert out to flanks. The Odds have a bench that consists of Jasmine Garner, Kirsty Lamb, Orla O’Dwyer, Dana Hooker and Amy McDonald in stacked midfield-heavy interchange that would be a strong first-choice on-ball group.

It is hard to look past the Odds’ star-studded forwardline. Featuring a nice blend of key position talent in Katie Brennan, Tayla Harris and Gemma Houghton, as well as damaging goal sneaks Cora Staunton, Courtney Hodder and Darcy Vescio, the front six would be hard to stop. The Evens defence would have a tough time trying to contain them, but the likes of Collingwood duo Stacey Livingstone and Ruby Schleicher, Brisbane’s Natalie Grider, Geelong’s Maddy McMahon, St Kilda’s Bianca Jakobsson and Melbourne’s Karen Paxman form a pretty determined back six. Carlton’s Vaomua Laloifi has also made it onto the bench.

Team Evens forwardline is a little shorter by comparison to the Odds, but still has plenty of experience and X-factor. Phillips and Daisy Pearce bring the steady head, with their grand final teammates Ashleigh Woodland and Kate Hore also in there, and the likes of Bonnie Toogood and Ebony Antonio in there with Chloe Molloy able to impact off the bench. Odds defence might have the upper hand though, featuring captains such as Kearney, Emma Swanson and Breanna Koenen back there, whilst strong aerial players Sarah Allan, Libby Birch and Kerryn Peterson (nee Harrington) would provide the intercepting capabilities.

In terms of picking a winner, it is difficult to decide, but Odds seems the more well-balanced team. Evens has the top-end midfield that would likely win the clearances, but the Odds do not really have any holes across the ground. If the Evens midfield could get on top, the experience in the forward half could do enough to get them over the line, but the Odds team is balanced across all three lines.

ODDS:

B: Breanna Koenen (Brisbane) – Sarah Allan (Adelaide) – Kerryn Peterson (Carlton)
HB: Emma Swanson (West Coast) – Libby Birch (Melbourne) – Emma Kearney (North Melbourne)
C: Anne Hatchard (Adelaide) – Ashleigh Riddell (North Melbourne) – Hayley Miller (Fremantle)
HF: Courtney Hodder (Brisbane) – Katie Brennan (Richmond) – Jaimee Lambert (Collingwood)
F: Cora Staunton (GWS GIANTS) – Tayla Harris (Melbourne) – Darcy Vescio (Carlton)
R: Lauren Pearce (Melbourne) – Emily Bates (Brisbane) – Alyce Parker (GWS GIANTS)

INT: Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne) – Gemma Houghton (Port Adelaide) – Kirsty Lamb (Western Bulldogs) – Dana Hooker (West Coast) – Amy McDonald (Geelong) – Orla O’Dwyer (Brisbane)

EVENS:

B: Nat Grider (Brisbane) – Stacey Livingstone (Collingwood) – Ruby Schleicher (Collingwood)
HB: Bianca Jakobsson (St Kilda) – Maddy McMahon (Geelong) – Karen Paxman (Melbourne)
C: Monique Conti (Richmond) – Madison Prespakis (Essendon) – Ellie Blackburn (Western Bulldogs)
HF: Daisy Pearce (Melbourne) – Bonnie Toogood (Essendon) – Erin Phillips (Port Adelaide)
F: Ashleigh Woodland (Adelaide) – Ebony Antonio (Fremantle) – Kate Hore (Melbourne)
R: Breann Moody (Carlton) – Kiara Bowers (Fremantle) – Ebony Marinoff (Adelaide)

INT: Ally Anderson (Brisbane) – Steph Cain (Essendon) – Alicia Eva (GWS GIANTS) – Vaomua Laloifi (Carlton) – Lily Mithen (Melbourne) – Chloe Molloy (Collingwood)