ANOTHER season of SANFL Women’s action is just around the corner, and while the league year is a little later than usual, South Australian footy fans have the brand new AAMI Talent League to look forward to starting February 28. As has become an annual tradition for Rookie Me Central, we name our top juniors from the league to keep an eye on for the year ahead with the only criteria being either top-age or younger.

We continue our top 15 players to watch countdown – which will run over the three weeks to finish on the eve of the Talent League season – with powerful South Adelaide utility Taya Maxwell who is among the pick one contenders given her traits and upside.

South Adelaide Women's, South Australia GirlsRuck

Taya Maxwell

Height: 184cm

Weight: -

DOB: 02-12-2008

Positional Analysis

Maxwell is best described as a ‘unicorn’ in the way she can play any position on the field. However with her size, strength and mobility, she is incredibly difficult to stop, and someone who is already made for senior footy. Even at 16, Maxwell was able to bully older opponents around the coalface, and despite an ankle injury that curtailed her season last year, she is raring to go for a huge 2026.

2025 Stats

SANFLW | 15.7 disposals | 3.0 marks | 2.4 tackles | 4.7 clearances | 3.9 inside 50s | 1.6 rebound 50s | 2 goals (11 games)

AFLW U18s | 5.0 disposals | 7.0 hitouts | 2.0 clearances (1 game – but injured early)

Key Strengths

Maxwell is an imposing figure at 187cm. Clearly the size of a ruck, Maxwell’s ability to step into the centre square but play as a midfielder makes her a unique prospect in this year’s AFLW Draft. Even just on that alone she ticks so many rare boxes, but put in the fact she can kick off both sides of her body and launch from long-range – while being deadly precise by foot – Maxwell has all the hallmarks of being a star of the future. Even if not around the middle, she has the overhead strength and one-on-one ability to hold down a key position post at either end too.

2026

Maxwell comes into 2026 with plenty of hype and excitement, having missed out on another SANFLW flag due to injury, so is hungry to make up for lost time. She will likely play through the middle for the Panthers again, with coach Rick Watts having the luxury of rotating Maxwell with the equally mobile Soriah Moon in that ruck/rover role. Continuity is really the main goal for Maxwell to go to another level as all the traits are there, and she is ready to do it for longer.

Summary

Taya Maxwell arguably has the most upside in this year’s AFLW Draft. Already a top prospect and National Academy member, Maxwell is one of the few players who can slot into any position, and her size/mobility combination makes her a nightmare matchup. With rare skills for a tall, she only further enhances her case to potentially be the first one off the board in December.