IN THE lead-up to next week’s AFLW Draft, we’re breaking down some of the available prospects in each area. Today we take a look at the utilities, both in key position and general, with a variety of players capable of playing on multiple lines.

>> GENERAL DEFENDERS
>> GENERAL FORWARDS
>> VERSATILE MIDFIELDERS
>> WINGERS
>> KPP/RUCKS

KEY UTILITIES:

Havana Harris (Bond Uni / Suns Academy / Queensland)

Height: 182cm
DOB: 01/07/2006
Key Strengths: Vertical leap, explosive speed, penetrating kick
Main Improvement: Kicking precision

Harris finished the year as number one in our Rookie Me Central Power Rankings, and though she will go lower than that due to her ties to the Gold Coast Suns Academy, few can doubt she is a quality player. Boasting elite athleticism from her speed to her leap, Harris has a penetrating kick and has played between ruck, forward and even on-ball such is her versatility. She is a player who will make an immediate impact at the top level, having already starred for Bond University in the QAFLW and won best on ground in the grand final last year.

Poppy Scholz (Glenelg / South Australia)

Height: 179cm
DOB: 31/12/2006
Key Strengths: Intercept marking, athleticism, versatility
Main Improvement: Groundballs

The sister of Port Adelaide’s Matilda looks set to head elsewhere in this year’s AFLW Draft, but wherever she plays, Scholz will catch the eye. Able to fill out on any line be it defence, attack, wing, on-ball or even ruck, Scholz is the “unicorn” in this year’s AFLW Draft given her flexibility. Incredibly, while still being amongst Top 10 conversations, Scholz is only one day away from being a bottom-ager, which indicates even further improvement. Will control the airways and has a lovely long kick and great athleticism across the board.

Charlotte Riggs (Central District)

Height: 179cm
DOB: 02/11/2006
Key Strengths: Aerial ability, intercept marking, reading the play
Main Improvement: Decision making

Another versatile South Australian, Riggs started in defence but has been thrown forward and through the ruck as well, with an elite vertical jump. She can clunk some big marks, apply fantastic defensive pressure at ground level and reads the play exceptionally well. The Central District premiership player is still developing her decision making and kicking precision, but she does have penetration on her kicks, and her ability to intercept is a massive strength in her game, and one that will attract plenty of clubs.

TALL UTILITIES:

Lou Painter (Bendigo Pioneers / Vic Country)

Height: 174cm
DOB: 23/02/2006
Key Strengths: Kick penetration, clean hands, defensive pressure
Main Improvement: Speed

A powerful utility who can play across all three lines, Painter won the Under 16s MVP for Vic Country back in 2022, and though her bottom-age season was curtailed by an ankle injury, she bounced back to have an impact in 2024. Able to shrug off would-be tacklers out of the stoppage, Painter has a penetrating kick on both sides of her body, is clean by hand and applies enormous defensive pressure. While speed is the main question mark on the talented utility, Painter’s strengths are plentiful and she can easily have an impact in each third of the ground.

Zoe Hargreaves (Northern Knights / Vic Metro)

Height: 172cm
DOB: 03/06/2006
Key Strengths: Power, speed, contested work
Main Improvement: Kicking precision

Another powerful inside midfielder who has played up both ends as well, Hargreaves moves through congestion and breaks away from opponents with a quick first few steps, feeding the ball out to teammates or thumping it forward. While she can tidy up some precision areas with her kicking, she is strong overhead, competes at ground level, and when her side needs someone to lift in the midfield, she finds that next level. Has considerable upside, so will be one to keep an eye on anytime in the second round onwards.

Daisy Flockart (Sandringham Dragons / Vic Metro)

Height: 178cm
DOB: 23/02/2006
Key Strengths: Physicality, aerial ability, run-and-carry
Main Improvement: Kicking precision

One of the higher upside players from the State Draft Combine crop, Flockart has a terrific combination of strength and explosiveness from the stoppage, all while standing at just about key position height. While she has been trialled both up forward and down back, Flockart moves naturally out of a contest and provides some great run-and-carry around the ground which further enhances her game. Expect her to be more of a tall forward if picked up, though a midfield spot beckons in the future for the strong marking prospect.

GENERAL UTILITIES:

Grace Martin (WWT Eagles / South Australia)

Height: 163cm
DOB: 01/09/2006
Key Strengths: Contested work, groundballs, clean skills
Main Improvement: Composure

One of the draft bolters this season, Martin really worked hard on her athletic attributes over the off-season and started to turn her deficiencies into strengths. She always had the smarts and skills which helped her play in any role across the ground, but the contested ball-winning midfielder added some extra speed to her game, and became an All-Australian defender this year. One who has attracted interest across the country for her versatility and clean skills.

Claudia Wright (Claremont / Western Australia)

Height: 172cm
DOB: 30/10/2006
Key Strengths: Versatility, footy IQ, athleticism
Main Improvement: Contested work

Despite only playing one AFLW Under 18 Championships match out of six the past two years, Wright has shown enough to suggest she should land somewhere inside the top 30. With some great athleticism and footy IQ, Wright has predominantly played a half-back/wing, but also spent time up forward and more recently on-ball. A natural second possession-winner thanks to her athletic traits, Wright will be a blank canvas for clubs as she can fill in wherever is required.

Jemma Charity (North Adelaide / South Australia)

Height: 170cm
DOB: 06/06/2006
Key Strengths: Kicking, decision making, marking
Main Improvement: Speed

Unfortunately Charity did not get to reach the highs hoped of in 2024 due to a devastating knee injury early in the SANFL Women’s season. The 2023 All-Australian remains an AFLW Draft prospect thanks to her stellar junior career through the SANFLW and for the state side. She won the Under 16s MVP for South Australia a couple of years back, so has plenty of runs on the board. While not explosive, Charity has some terrific footballing nous with her skills and decision making, as well as her overhead marking.

Kyla Forbes (Calder Cannons / Vic Metro)

Height: 168cm
DOB: 07/09/2006
Key Strengths: Strength, kick penetration, goal sense
Main Improvement: Composure

Forbes started her junior career as a forward, then rotated to get some midfield minutes, before testing herself in defence for Vic Metro in 2024. It has enabled her to be the ultimate utility, having transferrable traits across all three lines. She is strong, has a powerful kick and terrific goal sense when inside 50, while being able to wheel onto that left boot regularly. She needs to tidy up her composure further, but the fact she is capable one-on-one and can play in any position provides a couple of big ticks for the Cannons prospect.

Olivia Wolter (GWV Rebels / Vic Country)

Height: 169cm
DOB: 26/11/2006
Key Strengths: Clean hands, reading the play, groundballs
Main Improvement: Production

Another player who performed strongly enough early in the season to get a call up to Vic Country, the Under 16s representative can play a variety of roles, possessing clean hands and able to win the ball both in the air and at ground level. She is not a high production player, but she does get into ball-winning positions by reading the play, and she kicked the first goal for Vic Country in the two games she played at the national championships.