PORT Adelaide and Carlton have the highest supporter following of any side from the 70-odd AFLW Draft prospects asked, and not all are from the state those teams reside in. It was a well spread out group, with St Kilda being the only club without a supporter from those asked, while GWS Giants, Hawthorn and North Melbourne had the one apiece.

Port Adelaide has a trio of Top 10 potential players who have all grown up supporting the Power or have recently converted. It should come as no surprise that Poppy Scholz backs in the girls from Alberton, one of which includes her sister Matilda, while top South Australian prospect India Rasheed has always idolised Port Adelaide.

The more surprising name on the list is Victorian Emma McDonald, with the two-time Oakleigh Chargers premiership player following her dad in supporting the Power. She was not the only Victorian on the list – in what was admittedly a South Australian dominated group, as Gippsland Power’s Jasmine Sowden also barracks for Port Adelaide.

Among the other Port supporters asked, National Draft Combine invitee Grace Martin, as well as West Adelaide duo Lucy Boyd and Emma Kilpatrick, and North Adelaide pair Laela Ebert and Jemma Charity all barrack for the Pear.

Their cross-town rivals the Crows have a few less, but certainly are not short on talent with the other three South Australian AFLW Academy members – and Central District trio – Georgia McKee, Charlotte Riggs and Jasmine Evans all fans of the West Lakes club. Norwood’s Coby Morgan is another Crows supporter, while in a breakaway from the other West Adelaide players, Ruby Ballard is a fan of the tri-colours, where of course her sister Abbie plays.

Carlton has a huge following and boasts up to four potential first round prospects. The obvious one is father-daughter prospect Sophie McKay, though her Vic Metro midfield partners in Sarah Poustie and Zoe Hargreaves, as well as midfielder-forward Grace Belloni all donned the Navy Blue growing up.

Athletic utility Elli Symonds is another Carlton supporter, as is fellow tall Claire Mahony, while South Australian duo Esther Schirmer and Asha Dufour followed family ties across state lines to become Baggers.

Gold Coast is also well supported, though essentially it houses all the Suns Academy members. But on top of the likes of National Academy members Havana Harris and Tara Harrington, Victorian star and likely number one pick Ash Centra is also a Suns supporter in the women’s competition.

Brisbane AFLW Draft Combine invitees in Lilly Baker, Chloe Gaunt and Kaiya Hides all barrack for the Lions, while the same can be said for Amelie Prosser-Shaw (GWS Giants) and Swans Academy pair Emma Juneja and Ellie Veerhuis (Sydney).

Richmond is another side well supported by top-end talent with Vic Metro co-captain Sienna Tallariti headlining that group with fellow captains Holly Egan – sister of current Tiger Grace – and Holly Ridewood all fans of Punt Road. Eastern athletic talls Grace Baba and Evie Parker support the Tigers, as does Richmond NGA Jemmika Douglas and Rookie Me Central Medallist Jemma Reynolds.

Out west, Fremantle has the greater support of the sides with National Academy members Molly O’Hehir and Claudia Wright both Dockers fans, while East Fremantle defenders Taya Chambers and Natasha Entwistle, and South Fremantle ruck Kate Newson are also part of the Purple Army.

West Coast has another sister-of in Holly Britton (Jaide), while tough inside midfielder Lily Paterson is the other West Australian to nominate the blue and gold. Queensland defender Siobhan Ross grew up in Perth and supported the Eagles when she was young.

One of the biggest names in the draft – Zippy Fish – declared she did not support an individual team, instead supporting all, with Northern Territory’s Tatyana Perry in a similar boat. Though growing up to support Melbourne in the men’s competition – as well as Essendon – thanks to her uncles Aaron and Alywn Davey – she has a more holistic support of the AFLW.

Collingwood has a nice balance of supporters as one has come to expect, with National Academy member Ashley Patton and Vic Metro defender Lou-Lou Field both Magpies fans. It will not come as any surprise that father-daughter prospect Violet Patterson is also a Pies barracker, while Oakleigh duo Maggie Mahony and Abbey Vicino – who both played for the Pies’ VFLW program are also Magpie supporters.

Of the other interviewed, forward/midfielders Dandenong’s Kayla Dalgleish and Eastern’s Stasia Stevenson also nominated the Pies. The Bombers did not have as many, with the two players nominating the red sash, but one of them is a top 10 prospect in Bendigo Pioneers’ Lou Painter, while the other is Calder Cannons’ utility Kyla Forbes.

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Down the highway at the Cattery, the Falcons all lean towards the local side with Sara Howley, Seisia White and Mekah Morrissy all Geelong supporters, while GWV Rebels co-skipper Millie Lang – who played for the Cats’ VFLW side – and Oakleigh Chargers’ forward Amelie Gladman also barrack for the team.

Western Bulldogs have a couple of National Academy members barracking for them in AFLW Under 18s MVP Sierra Grieves, and Dandenong Stingrays’ skipper Zoe Besanko. Eastern Ranges captain and Vic Metro co-captain Georgie Brisbane barracks for the Hawks, while Mackenzie Williams nominated North Melbourne which makes sense given Tasmania’s link with the Roos. The Dees had a couple too with Zali Gallagher and Daisy Flockart supporting them.

AFLW DRAFT PROSPECTS BY CLUB SUPPORTED:

Note: A large portion of players supported different men’s league sides growing up, with this list containing the teams they nominated for the AFLW.

Adelaide: Georgia McKee, Charlotte Riggs, Jasmine Evans
Brisbane: Lilly Baker, Chloe Gaunt, Kaiya Hides
Carlton: Sophie McKay, Elli Symonds, Grace Belloni, Sarah Poustie, Esther Schirmer, Claire Mahony, Zoe Hargreaves, Asha Dufour
Collingwood: Ash Patton, Violet Patterson, Lou-Lou Field, Maggie Mahony, Kayla Dalgleish, Stasia Stevenson, Abbey Vicino
Essendon: Lou Painter, Kyla Forbes
Fremantle: Molly O’Hehir, Claudia Wright, Taya Chambers, Kate Newson, Natasha Entwistle
Geelong: Sara Howley, Millie Lang, Amelie Gladman, Seisia White, Mekah Morrissy
Gold Coast: Ash Centra, Havana Harris, Tara Harrington, Mia Salisbury, Nyalli Milne
GWS: Amelie Prosser-Shaw
Hawthorn: Georgie Brisbane
Melbourne: Zali Gallagher, Daisy Flockart
North Melbourne: Mackenzie Williams
Port Adelaide: India Rasheed, Emma McDonald, Poppy Scholz, Laela Ebert, Emma Kilpatrick, Lucy Boyd, Grace Martin, Jemma Charity, Jasmine Sowden
Richmond: Sienna Tallariti, Grace Baba, Holly Egan, Holly Ridewood, Jemma Reynolds, Jemmika Douglas, Evie Parker
St Kilda: Nil.
Sydney: Emma Juneja, Ellie Veerhuis
West Coast: Lily Paterson, Holly Britton, Siobhan Ross
Western Bulldogs: Sierra Grieves, Zoe Besanko
Do not support a team: Zippy Fish, Tatyana Perry