ADELAIDE reshaped its midfield through the AFL Women’s Draft by picking up a couple of Vic Metro representatives, while also adding some serious defensive pressure to the Crows’ front half of the ground.

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DRAFT HAUL

Pick 5. Chloe Bown
Pick 21. Lucy Waye
Pick 25. Olivia Gorman
Pick 39. Alicia Blizard
Pick 63. Ava Stewart

>> CLICK each player’s names for full profiles & highlights

Defensive pressure was clearly a key element for the Crows heading into the AFLW Draft, coming away with four players who add some serious front half pressure. Two Vic Metro representatives – including MVP Bown – get to relocate to the City of Churches together, while West Australian talls Blizard and Stewart, and local forward/midfielder Waye rounded out the five fresh faces.

Bown is a genuine heist at Pick 4, with the Vic Metro and overall AFLW Under 18s MVP getting past Richmond and the Giants to land in the Crows’ lap. A genuine ball-winner who can use both side of her body, the Oakleigh Chargers midfielder will be a readymade player and Rising Star contender in 2026. Likely to start forward before naturally progressing into the midfield, Bown will be a star of the future.

Her Vic Metro teammate Gorman taken at Pick 25 brings a similar inside presence, but she did spend more time forward later in the 2025 season. A product of the Northern Knights, she uses the ball well coming out of stoppages and covers the ground exceptionally too, which will help her fight for a spot early in the Crows’ season.

Waye is one of the great draft stories, having missed out on the South Australian squad as a 16 and 17-year-old, she had a remarkably strong bottom-age campaign which saw the West Adelaide talent force her way into the Croweaters lineup. There, she was consistent across her four national carnival games, and gets to remain at home, for the club she barracks for with the Crows’ second first-rounder. She brings elite defensive pressure and uses the ball efficiently as well.

The Crows’ fourth selection of the day was Blizard, a point of difference to the rest because of her potential to be a third-tall forward with elite athleticism. However, it is her groundlevel pressure that sets her aside from a lot of slightly undersized talls, with characteristics to work on such as her overhead marking, but enormous upside for the future.

Completing the fifth and final selection of not only the Crows’ haul but the overall draft, Adelaide added a second West Australian to join Blizard in the move, picking up Swan Districts tall Stewart. The developing athletic talent also adds great defensive pressure, and can play at both ends, providing defensive depth as well as being yet another tall option, and stands at 180cm too.

GRADE: A

Adelaide has a clear focus heading into the AFLW Draft and met all the needs. None of the picks were particular reaches, and the first three selections have claims to force their way into an early season debut. Bown in particular looms as a long-term asset and star of the competition, and will touch down in Adelaide for the first time tomorrow to get a feel for her new club.