EARLIER this week the initial 42 player AFLW All Australian squad was revealed, which certainly raised a few eyebrows amongst the AFLW fan community. Plenty of fans raised some names of who they thought deserved a spot in that squad that perhaps did not always wrack up the numbers in the stats but were still crucial to the success of their teams this season.

Here is a list of 19 names who were all suggested by fans as unlucky to miss out.

Eloise Jones

One of the most prolific goal kickers for the minor premiers and still does not get a spot, Jones had a bit of a break out season in 2023 but it wasn’t enough to earn her a spot in the squad.

Bre Moody

Normally a regular in the All Australian Squad, it was not to be this year for Moody this year. Moody diversified her game more this year too, but it was not enough to get noticed by selectors.

Sabrina Frederick

Although hit outs are not the be all and end all of the success of a ruck, Frederick topped the hit out tally for the entire competition this season and broke the all time record and still did not get a selection in the squad.

Aine Tighe

Another tall who had a bit of a break out season, Tighe really grew in importance for the Dockers this season. Nowadays a full time forward, Tighe’s height and agility make her a tough opponent to match up on and keep quiet.

Claudia Gunjaca and Chloe Scheer

A pair of Cats who play at opposite ends of the ground but both had stellar seasons. One grew to become one of the strongest rebound defenders in the competition, the other finished in the top five in the goal kicking for the season.

Lucy Single

If there was an award for biggest break out season in 2023, Single would be a strong contender. By the time the second half of the 2023 season came around, Single had become one of the best taggers in the competition, taking on and winning against some of the biggest names of the competition.

Pepa Randall

It was a tough year for Randall’s Giants, but the star defender still had a really strong year. Coming back from injury she played an important role for the Giants on the last line of defence, leading from behind to propel her young team forward.

Tahlia Randall

Perhaps not the biggest name in North Melbourne’s forward line, Randall still provide a huge presence up there. Finishing in the top 10 for the goal kicking for the year, she was certainly unlucky to miss out on a spot in the squad.

Ash Saint

Another tall forward extremely unlucky to miss out on a spot in the squad, Saint is one of those players who perhaps has more of her story to tell away from the stats. Still high in the goal kicking but not at the summit, she was one half of Port’s two tall forward targets, and provided a crucial target for her team mates to kick to.

Kate Dempsey and Emelia Yassir

Two Tigers who play at opposite ends of the ground but are still just as crucial to the success of the Tigers as some of their bigger names. Dempsey is the epitome of someone who is consistently reliable but does not get the credit she deserves, while the lively Yassir often provided the spark up forward that the Tigers would need to really get themselves going in a match.

Grace Kelly, Tyanna Smith, Jesse Wardlaw and Nat Exon

St Kilda were perhaps the club hardest done by when it came to All Australian nominees. They doubled their win tally this season and almost made finals yet still got only one nomination.

Regardless, these four all had stellar seasons that appear to have gone unnoticed. Two came back from long term injuries this season, one was one of the trades of the season in terms of importance to their new club, and the other rejuvenated her entire career this season.

Brenna Tarrant and Ella Heads

A pair of young defenders, these two certainly had break out years and became absolute rocks in defence as the Swans shot up the ladder in 2023. Tarrant was a consistently reliable defender on the last line of defence, while Heads grew into a really strong rebound defender.

Ella Roberts

It was certainly a tough year for the Eagles, but one of their brightest shining lights was certainly Roberts. A midfield star who also starred up forward, this young star certainly did not have any second season blues.