OUR final Overage AFLW Draft Positional Watch piece is the position there can never be too much of, and that is midfielders. Whether they are contested onballers or speedy wingers, we will aim to name a number of players who might be consisted for the Overage AFLW Draft. For this Positional Watch keep in mind that roughly half of the 500-plus nominees will be midfielders, so picking just a select group is incredibly tough. With that in mind, here are a few names to remember.

Julia Clark (North Adelaide)
03/05/2002 | 163cm | Inside/Outside Midfielder

Former state representative Julia Clark is a well-balanced midfielder who can play on the inside, or on a wing, and has the running capacity to do a lot of damage. A natural kick of the football and a player who covers the ground well, Clark has a lot of courage and is highly rated internally. Coach Krissie Steen is huge on the impact that Clark has each time she goes out there, and while there is not much of her – just 163cm – she packs a punch and puts her body on the line.

Why have they been previously overlooked?

Production and consistency.

Why pick them?

Clark is a talented player who does not make too many mistakes. She is not a massive ball-winner, though her numbers have lifted in 2023 and she has gained confidence over the last couple of seasons, which was her issue coming through the state program. Once settling into the Roosters lineup, Clark has become a mainstay, playing in defence, and then move into the midfield, where she has flourished, providing a blend of harness and skill going forward in transition.

NOMINATION: National

Jess Cox (Swan Districts)
21/03/2001 | 168cm | Midfielder/Forward

Turning 22 last month, Cox has done her apprenticeship thorough the state representative program and then at League level, and remains one of the more consistent players in the WAFL Women’s competition. As a teenager, she always had a weaponous boot and was tough as nails, but it was her athleticism and outside impact that kept her from making that next step. Over the last couple of seasons, Cox has worked hard on her power in particular, and her move to half-forward for the Swans is aimed at adding another string to her bow.

Why have they been previously overlooked?

Athleticism and outside impact.

Why pick them?

Cox has shown plenty over the last couple of seasons that she has improved the knocks on her game, without losing the areas that made her one to watch coming through the pathway. She has a penetrating kick, is as courageous as they come, and wins the ball both inside and outside, the latter of which has been a big improvement for the Swan Districts captain. As a natural leader, Cox is one who could easily slot into an AFLW club, and will be among the top WAFLW players in consideration.

NOMINATION: National

Joanne Cregg (Subiaco)
01/07/1993 | 169cm | Inside Midfielder

Making her debut this year at WAFL Women’s level, Cregg is one who immediately caught the eye from Round 1. She played at amateurs level last season in her first year moving to Australia from Ireland, where she was an accomplished Gaelic player. Taking it all in her stride, Cregg has been an ultra-impressive player this season, with her athletic traits and game sense for such an inexperienced player, very impressive. The question will be her age, but Fremantle might want to take that chance given the success of Subiaco teammate Amy Mulholland, another Irish talent.

Why have they been previously overlooked?

International Gaelic player.

Why pick them?

Cregg is ready to go and showed against quality state league opposition she can match it others. She has the athletic burst, hardness at the ball and ability to extract the football from a stoppage and get it forward. She has no issues reading the play, and while her fundamentals might need a tidy up, generally she is pretty consistent all around the board. At 29 years-old she might not have the same amount of years as someone 10 years her junior, but if drafted, she is one for the now.

NOMINATION: Western Australia

Octavia Di Donato (Carlton VFLW)
23/02/2004 | 172cm | Medium Utility

AFLW Academy member Octavia Di Donato might be the victim of being good at everything without being great at one particular role or area. Di Donato played back, forward and midfield, and if you were to assess her overall profile, most areas of her game would be above average. From her kicking to clean hands, decision making and football IQ, Di Donato is a smart player who uses the ball well. She is not overly strong, but the big question mark is, where is her best position?

Why have they been previously overlooked?

Contested work and lack of dominant position.

Why pick them?

Di Donato is the ultimate all-rounder. She can play in any position and does not make too many mistakes. There are players with elite traits who might catch the eye more, but Di Donato is the type of player who just does everything right. She is not going to be a contested beast, but a club can chuck her on the outside, at half-back or half-forward and she will get the job done. If she is not looked at tomorrow night, then the end of year draft will be another consideration for her.

NOMINATION: National

Senna Gulden (South Adelaide)
10/04/2001 | 164cm | Inside Midfielder

After making a brief splash in the SANFL Women’s for South Adelaide last season, Gulden returned to the competition for a full year in 2023. In just a short space of time, the inside midfielder has made a big impact, becoming a dominant clearance player and contested ball-winner. The sister of Sydney’s Errol might not join him at the Swans – they have no selections in tomorrow night’s draft – but she is no doubt under considerations from across the country, having even being tagged by the opposition in Round 5 of the SANFL Women’s signalling her importance.

Why have they been previously overlooked?

Exposure and kicking.

Why pick them?

Gulden is not the most polished player and still has to keep working on her kicking, but just about everything else has come together nicely. Moving to South Australia to test herself in the best state league has done wonders as she has improved with the level. A natural ball-winner and great extractor of the pill from contested situations, she is one who would be an immediate inclusion into any side needing an inside midfielder. Gulden turns 22 next week, so is still young and has plenty of time to iron out her deficiencies.

NOMINATION: National

Isobel Kuiper (Sturt)
14/05/2001 | 171cm | Inside Midfielder

After tearing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in last year’s preliminary final and missing out on the SANFL Women’s Grand Final, Kuiper made a remarkable return to action in 2023, squeezing in a Development League game in Round 3, before earning her place in the League side for Round 4. She has played three consecutive matches and it has looked like she has never left with the 21-year-old averaging 23.3 disposals, 3.7 marks, 5.0 clearances and 8.0 tackles in 2023.

Why have they been previously overlooked?

Kicking and scoreboard impact.

Why pick them?

A natural inside midfielder, Kuiper is one of the more important players in the SANFL Women’s. Coming through the state junior program a few years back, she has development into one of South Australia’s most consistent midfielders at League level. She still has her deficiencies with her kicking, but on sheer contested ball-winning, she deserves a chance. Her contest work, in particular her clearance ability is sensational, and she spreads well around the ground. Her best work is done on the inside, and Kuiper is a player who would have no issues slotting immediately into a lineup.

NOMINATION: National

Lana Schwerdt (Norwood)
09/11/2004 | 163cm | Inside Midfielder

The second ranked player in our Power Rankings last year still on the board, Schwerdt was a consistent talent in 2022, and has carried that form into 2023. Her polish and speed have been knocks in the past, but what she offers as a hard nut, like many on this list, will have her in consideration. Schwerdt is an Adelaide father-daughter eligible player, but with the Crows overlooking her last year, she has nominated nationally in a bid to get on an AFLW list.

Why have they been previously overlooked?

Kicking consistency and speed.

Why pick them?

Schwerdt is just a reliable ball-winner who while her kicking is still a work in progress, it is ahead of a lot of others on this list from an inside midfielder perspective. With time and space, Schwerdt is able to hit targets or put the ball to advantage, and while she is not going to be that explosive midfielder, she is able to still have an impact at the stoppage with a high work rate around the ground getting from contest to contest, and has clean hands at the coalface.

NOMINATION: National

Zoe Venning (West Adelaide)
04/11/2003 | 168cm | Inside Midfielder

Another pure inside midfielder, Venning is as contested as they come. Her outside game has been a question mark over the years, but in 2023, she has worked hard to find more ball in space and influence the contest further. Her kicking has also been a knock, but it is what she does within the contest, rather than outside it, that stands out compared to her peers. As a West Adelaide best and fairest winner in the past, the 19-year-old still has plenty of years left.

Why have they been previously overlooked?

Kicking and outside game.

Why pick them?

Venning is another South Australian midfielder who is an A-plus for contested work, with her deficiencies improving over time. She thrives at the coalface, is courageous and does not take a backwards step, with a high level of endurance and strong athleticism across the board. She has a point of difference in being that little bit quicker than most, but when she does not have the ball, she is sure to apply plenty of defensive pressure. Venning would have no problems stepping up to the next level, it will be whether an AFLW club overlooks her deficiencies and focuses on her strengths.

NOMINATION: National

Jessica Whelan (East Coast Eagles)
12/09/2002 | 175cm | Midfielder / Utility

Another readymade player who can play multiple positions, Whelan is one to keep in mind for tomorrow night’s draft. Standing at 175cm, she is a tall midfielder with good strength, who has worked on her game since representing the Allies at the 2021 AFLW Under 18 Championships. She can find the ball inside or out, and her versatility has been a way for the East Coast Eagles prospect to add more strings to her bow.

Why have they been previously overlooked?

Ground level work and consistency.

Why pick them?

Whelan has always shown glimpses of taking the next step and certainly has the bigger frame to make an impact. She was one of the more impressive Allies, albeit as an overager in 2021, and has since cut her teeth in AFL Sydney. Her name is consistently raised when it comes to the AFLW Draft, and as a utility who is tall without being key position, Whelan is able to fill a few holes within a list and could be one who is turned to tomorrow night. She has always been a great kick of the ball which has kept her in contention.

NOMINATION: National

Jemima Wrigley (Southern Saints)
26/08/2000 | 168cm | Defender/Midfielder

Wrigley is a New South Wales talent who has come out of the Rams’ pathway and forged a strong career with the Southern Power in the AFL Sydney competition. She captained the Power and was among those with a Draft Combine invite in the lead-up to last year’s AFLW Draft, indicating she was around the mark. Though she ultimately missed out, Wrigley remains a name that is firmly in the frame, and she has since moved to Victoria to play with Southern Saints, where she has nominated to be picked up in the state.

Why have they been previously overlooked?

Kicking consistency and opposite foot.

Why pick them?

Wrigley’s highlights are as good as any with her explosive speed and power allowing her to shrug off would-be tacklers and win the ball be it in the air or on the deck. She has natural leadership, and her offensive ability – to breakaway from the contest and get it forward – along with her defensive pressure, maker her an all-round talent. She is turning 23 later in the year, but has done the hard yards in the state leagues and is ready for a step up, which she could do without too many problems.

NOMINATION: Victoria

OTHERS NOMINATED:

Elise Barwick (South Adelaide)
Tahlita Buethke (Norwood)
Dominique Carruthers (Western Bulldogs VFLW)
Alisha Gepp (Sturt)
Erica Greet (Western Bulldogs VFLW)
Jayme Harken (Claremont)
Laitiah Huynh (Central District)
Ellie Kellock (Glenelg)
Amber Kinnane (East Fremantle)
Tesharna Maher (Norwood)
Eleri Morris (Collingwood VFLW)
Charlotte Simpson (Geelong VFLW)
Shelby Smith (Central District)
Reese Sutton (Essendon VFLW)
Caitlin Wendland (Central District)
Matilda Zander (Collingwood VFLW)

SUMMARY

There are no shortage of quality midfielders on offer in this year’s AFLW Overage Draft. Ranging from 18 year-olds up until players on the other side of 30, the 14 AFLW clubs taking part in the draft have plenty of options. It will be tough to squeeze so many deserving players into those few spots, but a number of those named in this article are tipped to be around the mark.