2025 AFLW Team Preview: Essendon
ESSENDON snuck into the 2024 AFL Women’s finals series last season, and though the Bombers fell short to Fremantle in the opening finals week, showed they are thereabouts especially considering they lost Bonnie Toogood to injury for the first half of the season.
LAST SEASON IN A NUTSHELL
Position: 8th (lost in elimination final)
Wins: 6
Losses: 4
Draws: 1
B&F: Maddison Gay
Leading Goalkicker: Daria Bannister (10 goals)
OFF-SEASON MOVES
Ins: Courtney Murphy (GWS), Grace Belloni (Eastern Ranges/AFLW Draft), Taya Chambers (East Fremantle/AFLW Draft), Holly Ridewood (Northern Knights/AFLW Draft), Sophie Strong (Tasmania Devils/AFLW Draft), Grace Brooker (rookie), Maggie MacLachlan (injury replacement player/Subiaco), Jess Verbrugge (injury replacement player/East Perth), Amelie Gladman (injury replacement player/Collingwood VFLW)
Outs: Amber Clarke (St Kilda), Ashleigh Van Loon (Sydney), Kodi Jacques, Jacqui Vogt, Lily-Rose Williamson (delisted), Paige Scott (self-delisted, drafted to Richmond), Emily Gough (inactive, ACL), Bess Keaney (inactive, pregnancy), Amelia Radford (inactive, ACL)
2025 TEAM LIST
#1 Emily Gough*
#2 Georgia Gee
#3 Daria Bannister
#4 Madison Prespakis
#5 Georgia Nanscawen
#6 Maddison Gay
#7 Grace Belloni
#8 Bonnie Toogood
#9 Brooke Walker
#10 Holly Ridewood
#11 Brooke Sheridan
#12 Elizabeth Keaney*
#13 Taya Chambers
#14 Ellyse Gamble
#15 Chloe Adams
#16 Matilda Dyke
#17 Georgia Clarke
#18 Sophie Strong
#19 Mia Van Dyke
#20 Stephanie Cain
#21 Maggie Maclachlan+
#22 Amelia Radford*
#23 Amy Gaylor
#24 Sophie Alexander
#25 Alexandra Morcom
#26 Amelie Gladman+
#27 Sophie Van de Heuvel
#28 Mia Busch
#29 Jess Verbrugge+
#30 Stephanie Wales
#32 Grace Brooker
#33 Courtney Murphy
#36 Brooke Brown
*inactive
+injury replacement players
ONES TO WATCH
Key Player: Bonnie Toogood
Breakout Potential: Amy Gaylor
New Recruit: Taya Chambers
A Bombers sit with a fit and firing Bonnie Toogood is a massive worry for any opposition, and while all of the red and black draftees should be competing for spots, readymade defender Taya Chambers immediately adds relief as a dual lockdown-offensive back with elite athleticism for a tall. Enjoying a big debut season, Amy Gaylor can go to another level in 2025 with her versatility allowing her to fill out any number of roles required of her.
2025 FIXTURE
Round 1: vs. GWS Giants | Sat Aug 16 @ Manuka Oval, 5:35pm
Round 2: vs. West Coast | Sun Aug 24 @ Windy Hill, 1:05pm
Round 3: vs. Richmond | Fri Aug 29 @ TIO Stadium, 7:15pm
Round 4: vs. Geelong | Sun Sep 7 @ Windy Hill, 3:05pm
Round 5: vs. St Kilda | Sun Sep 14 @ Windy Hill, 1:05pm
Round 6: vs. Fremantle | Sat Sep 20 @ Fremantle Community Bank Oval, 3:05pm
Round 7: vs. North Melbourne | Fri Sep 26 @ Windy Hill, 3:05pm
Round 8: vs. Melbourne | Fri Oct 3 @ Ikon Park, 7:15pm
Round 9: vs. Western Bulldogs | Fri Oct 10 @ Whitten Oval 7:15pm
Round 10: vs. Brisbane | Sun Oct 19 @ Windy Hill, 1:05pm
Round 11: vs. Hawthorn | Sat Oct 25 @ Windy Hill, 3:05pm
Round 12: vs. Sydney | TBC @ Coffs International Stadium
PREDICTION
Essendon is adding depth to its top-end talent now which makes the Bombers a very dangerous proposition. The red and black have always had the likes of Toogood and Madison Prespakis as elite talents, but now the core around them is developing, and they have topped up with some exciting young kids. If they stay fit, finals should be on the agenda, and land somewhere in that 5th-10th range.
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