WHILE the 2025 AFL Women’s Draft crop is taking full shape almost halfway through the year heading into the national championships, we cast a quick eye over 10 bottom-agers to remember ahead of next year’s draft. All should feature at some stage throughout the AFLW Under 18 Championships, and we highlighted these 10 as our top-ranked players for the 2026 AFLW Draft.

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Brylee Anderson (Eastern Ranges / Vic Metro)
Midfielder/Defender | 172cm | 25/03/2008

Vic Metro’s MVP from last season at Under 16s level, Anderson is a natural ball-winner who made her debut for Eastern early and played through her side’s run to the grand final as a rebounding half-back. In 2025, Anderson progressed into the midfield where she has largely stayed other than the occasional stint rolling back into defence. Impacts the game and competes both in the air and at ground level, while also showing she can hit the scoreboard such as her three goals against Calder Cannons a couple of weeks back. A booming kick, too.

Ava Bilyk (Geelong Falcons / Vic Country)
General Utility | 167cm | 07/07/2008

Like Anderson, Bilyk won an Under 16s MVP but with Country. The Geelong Falcons young gun had a similar career progression, starting as a half-back who sizzled passes all around ground, before spending time in a variety of roles from on-ball to the wing and even up forward. Her traits – which include some nice athleticism, elite footy IQ and skill – stand the test of time in just about any role so her capacity to be given a task and complete it is consistent. She is one of the best kicks in next year’s draft, and her speed at making decisions under pressure is very good.

Majella Day (Murray Bushrangers/Giants Academy / NSW-ACT)
Tall Forward | 175cm | 11/03/2008

New South Wales has quite a few talented prospects coming through over the foreseeable future and at the front of the queue for next year is the talented Day. She is similar to Martin in the sense she is tall, quick on the lead and reads the ball coming in so well. Already Day has been amongst the season’s leading goalkickers, booting 19 goals for the Coates Talent League Girls season, at an average of 3.2 per game for the Giants Academy and then Murray Bushrangers. Impressively, Day has also played in defence previously, though inside 50 is where she does maximum damage.

Molly Ferguson (Maroochydore/Lions Academy / Queensland)
Midfielder | 165cm | 20/04/2008

A smooth-moving midfielder with clean hands and great footy IQ, Ferguson earned All-Australian honours at Under 16s level – like most on this list – for the Lions Academy. She got her opportunity through the national championships last year as a double bottom-ager mostly up forward, though she will get more opportunities on-ball for the Maroons this year. Ferguson moves well through traffic, executes by hand or foot when in space and covers the ground exceptionally well. Maroochydore has been a breeding group for terrific female talent and Ferguson is another name to add to the list.

Georgie Fielder (Glenelg / South Australia)
Midfielder/Wing | 170cm | 28/07/2008

There is just a natural footy smarts element to Fielder who can win the ball on the inside, or go to the outside and find it there as well. With the likes of Piper Window and then Violet Patterson stepping up from Glenelg the past two years, there are shades of both of them in Fielder. She reads the ball off the ruck’s taps well, though is mostly utilised as a second or third possession winner due to her power breaking away from the stoppage. Her decision making is first class, and she was instrumental when the stakes were at their highest against Central District a month ago, spearheading the Bays’ first victory.

Emily Mableson (West Adelaide / South Australia)
Defender/Midfielder | 170cm | 05/05/2008

In what could be the strongest South Australian crop – yep even better than the group of 2023 – Mableson took the MVP honours following a rock solid Under 16s campaign in what was another trophy in the cabinet for the Croweaters. A smooth mover who has great technique, footy smarts and is described by West Adelaide mentor Bruce Dawes as a “coach’s dream”, Mableson works incredibly hard on her craft and it pays dividends on the field. She has she speed and evasion techniques to match her technical ability and can play both half-back and on-ball. The term ‘quarterback’ continually seeps into the Aussie rules vernacular these days and she can fit that role perfectly.

Bailee Martin (Oakleigh Chargers / Vic Metro)
Tall Forward | 176cm | 06/06/2008

Our choice for the number one pick at this stage in an absolutely stacked field. Martin is a goalkicking machine up forward, and while players who largely just kick goals for fun are not always considered as high as dominant midfielders, Martin is just built different. Last year’s leading goalkickers at Coates Talent League Girls level kicked 27 for the year – including finals – and Martin had caught that achievement one third of the way through the season. The Chargers tall is up to 31 from six games – an average of 5.2 per game – and if she kicked straight would easily have over 50 by now. Bags of seven and nine make the hauls of three (once) and four (three times) pale in comparison, but talk a bout a strong start to the season. Throw in her natural athletic traits both in the air and on the lead, and she is the complete forward package.

Taya Maxwell (South Adelaide / South Australia)
Key Position Utility | 184cm | 02/12/2008

What will the 184cm Maxwell become in the future? Will she be a ruck? Midfielder? Forward? Back? Doesn’t matter. She does them all well and has those rare traits that just stand out. Glenelg onballer Jess Bates recently described Maxwell as being “one of the strongest players” she had ever played against, and it is no surprise with the Panthers prospect built like a stay-at-home key tall. However the nightmare-fuelled element is the fact that at 184cm, Maxwell moves like a midfielder with her evasiveness and power to break would-be tackles then caught launch 45m kicks on either side of her body. A real problem for any opponent who can play any role and is right up there in the top few players for us next year.

Harlee McIlwain (Morningside/Lions Academy / Queensland)
Tall Forward | 176cm | 07/04/2008

Another tall forward like Martin and Day, McIlwain has some aerial ability out in front and in the contest but that is not what stands out from a point of difference. The tall is a fantastic defensive player who will lock the ball inside 50 and provide ground level support to her smaller forwards and midfielders. Having a tall like that is worth its weight in gold, and McIlwain can also hit the scoreboard too, slamming home 10 goals against the Suns Academy in the Under 16s Championships last year. Lead the Lions Academy goalkicking this year in the Talent League, and will spearhead the Queensland attack with plenty of quality alongside her.

Lexi Strachan (West Perth / Western Australia)
Midfielder | 168cm | 30/09/2008

The standout West Australian in the list, Strachan is just a natural accumulator at any level and has slotted into WAFL Women’s level with ease. Strong at the contest with an explosive burst from the coalface, the talented onballer can do a lot of damage not just around the ground, but on the scoreboard too. A booming kick, Strachan can launch the ball from long-range and given any time or space will hit targets long down the field. She throws herself at anything and shows great courage, while also having that class element on the outside too. A well-balanced midfielder who will get her opportunities up forward with the Sandgropers, though should still see time in the middle.

OTHERS IN THE MIX

Earlier we mentioned this looms as the strongest South Australian crop there has been thus far, and if this list was extended out to 20, there would be no less than seven players included, and possible even an eighth as well. Central District key position utility Miyu Endersby and Adelaide/Carlton father-daughter Polly Turner lead the talls, while from the smalls, South midfield duo Emma Charlton and Layla Vizgaudis and Norwood’s Charlee Brooksby – sister of Port’s Molly – are all in the mix. That’s only scratching the surface as well.

New South Wales may well have a handful of first round prospects with another Murray Bushrangers marking target in Rose Bell thereabouts, as is the versatile Darcie Prosser-Shaw out of the Giants, and explosive Swans half-back Charlotte Tidemann. From Queensland, Mia Geere is right there with McIlwain and Ferguson at this stage which will create some draft decisions for the Lions, while in Western Australia, Strachan’s West Perth teammate Cara Dziegielewski is already excelling at League level and should lead the Sandgropers’ ruck division this year.

From a Victorian perspective, the next prospect we had in line was the talented Alice Cunnington who is among a host of Dandenong Stingrays talents including the smooth-moving and skilful Scarlett Marsh and Ruby Geurts. Eastern’s Emily Rankin headlines plenty more Ranges in the mix, while Oakleigh midfielder Zoe Curry – also a Giants Academy member – is one to keep in mind.

Northern speedster Maddison Meagher and Western forward Kiara Boyd are other Metro members with enormous upside. From a Tasmanian perspective, Evie Ward looms as an early choice for the Apple Isle’s top prospect, while Evie Bingham is another developing youngster rated highly at the Devils.