SIX FUTURE stars, five of which are eligible for the 2026 AFLW Draft. We recap each of the AFL Women’s Under 18 Championships MVPs and what they have offered to their respective states, and can offer to clubs at the elite level.

ALLIES

Matilda Lange (Tasmania Devils)
Midfielder/Forward | 166cm | 30/01/2009

Averages: 21.3 disposals, 2.8 marks, 4.0 tackles, 6.8 clearances, 5.0 inside 50s, 2.0 rebound 50s, 0.8 goals

Lange enters the conversation as arguably the most talked-about bottom-ager in the country, and she backed that billing up with a national carnival that never dipped below best-afield contention. Already twice an Under 16s MVP, the Tasmania Devils gun spent most of her carnival rotating between attack and the middle, kicking a goal in three of her four appearances and repeatedly bailing the Allies out of trouble with her strength at ground level. Her ambidextrous disposal, clean hands under the most intense heat, and knack for snapping from tight angles set her apart, and with a full season still to run before she is even draft-eligible, she is the standout name to file away from this carnival. The genuine pick one favourite for 2027.

QUEENSLAND

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

Averages: 21.3 disposals, 2.8 marks, 7.0 tackles, 3.8 clearances, 1.8 inside 50s, 0.8 rebound 50s, 0.3 goals

Remarkable consistency was the calling card of Ferguson’s carnival. The Lions Academy midfielder is a “plug-and-play” stoppage expert who models her game on Belle Dawes, and she offered Queensland a reliable base every time she took the field, spinning cleanly out of trouble, hitting neat short passes by hand and foot, and rotating through defence when needed to add another string to her bow. Her overhead marking and composure under pressure were features throughout, and while her only quiet game arrived fittingly in the title-defining last round, that was more a product of a slowed Maroons attack than any dip in her own output. A genuine top-age riser who did not have a bad match all carnival.

VIC COUNTRY

Ava Bilyk (Geelong Falcons)
Midfielder/Forward | 169cm | 07/07/2008

Averages: 23.8 disposals, 2.5 marks, 4.5 tackles, 5.8 clearances, 3.0 inside 50s, 1.8 rebound 50s, 1.0 goals

The Vic Country Under 16s MVP two years ago, Bilyk did the double at Under 18s level, and it was an easy choice in a team that struggled until the final day. Best-on-ground in almost every appearance for a side that claimed just the one win, she was a first-possession machine at the coalface, laying the first tackle of the carnival’s opening centre bounce and never letting up from there. Her release by hand in traffic, ability to shrug tackles and burst clear, and willingness to add defensive value on top of her attacking output made her the one certainty in an otherwise inconsistent Vic Country line-up, culminating in a 31-disposal, seven-clearance, two-goal send-off in the carnival finale. One of the more damaging midfielders in the entire draft crop.

VIC METRO

Alli Allen (Northern Knights)
Defender | 172cm | 15/10/2008

Averages: 14.7 disposals, 2.0 marks, 5.7 tackles, 0.7 clearances, 1.0 inside 50s, 1.3 rebound 50s

In a Vic Metro line-up stacked with star power through the midfield and forward line, it was Allen’s unheralded work off half-back that took home the gong. A composed interceptor who reads the ball in flight as well as anyone in the competition, she repeatedly cut off opposition entries with smart positioning and courageous overhead marking, backing that up with relentless tackling pressure at ground level. Her carnival was interrupted by injury – a knock that ended one appearance early – but every time she took the field, her form kept climbing against better opposition, right through to a hard-nosed final-round showing that sealed the MVP. Toughness personified in Metro’s back six.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Emily Mableson (West Adelaide)
Defender | 171cm | 05/05/2008

Averages: 22.5 disposals, 1.3 marks, 3.8 tackles, 1.8 clearances, 4.0 inside 50s, 4.8 rebound 50s, 0.5 goals

South Australia’s Under 16s MVP two years prior, Mableson went back-to-back at the top level with a carnival that only strengthened as it went along, culminating in a match-winning bomb from the 50-metre line in the final round to seal South Australia’s unbeaten title defence. A calm, composed mover with slick skills and underrated strength through the contest, she is rarely rushed and always seems to have an extra beat of time, using it to hold up play and find the right option rather than force the issue. Her rebound work out of defensive 50 was a constant thread through the carnival, and while she is not the most explosive mover in space, her core strength to stand up in tackles more than compensates. Deservedly the best player at the carnival for the second championship running.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Cara Dziegielewski (West Perth)
Ruck | 182cm | 19/04/2008

Averages: 16.5 disposals, 3.0 marks, 5.5 tackles, 32.0 hitouts, 1.8 clearances, 4.0 inside 50s, 3.3 rebound 50s

The reigning All-Australian ruck backed up her billing with a national carnival that cemented her spot as one of the most highly touted talls in this year’s draft crop, punctuated by a tournament individual-high 44 hitouts in the carnival finale against a ruckless Allies outfit. Athletic well beyond her size, Dziegielewski’s leap allows her to compete with rucks well taller than her 182cm frame, and her craft at the stoppages consistently gave her midfielders first use of the ball. What continues to stand out is her work away from the contest – getting involved in all thirds of the ground rather than simply parking in the ruck – and her clean hands for a player of her dimensions. A multi-dimensional talent who looks set to go early in this year’s draft.