Swans salute in NSW/ACT U22 Summer Series
SYDNEY Swans Academy have won another NSW/ACT Under 22 Women’s Summer Series after defeating GWS Giants Academy by 45 points in a fitting conclusion to the round-robin series. Both Academies had comfortably beaten the Under 22 representative sides from AFL Sydney and AFL Canberra in the lead-up, with everything on the line in the final […]
2026 AFLW Draft Q&A: Maddison Meagher
EXPLOSIVE winger Maddison Meagher is hard to miss on the field once she has the ball, with her ability to burn off opponents and breakdown opposition defensive zones a regular occurrence. The Northern Knights top-ager played a key role on the outside for her side last season, and also got a chance to shine at […]
Preseason Q&A: Noah Williams (Geelong Falcons)
GEELONG Falcons midfielder Noah Williams put his name in lights with a best on ground performance in last year’s National Futures game. The diminutive ball winner has cut his teeth in several roles but feels most at home on-ball, where he aims to replicate the ruthlessness of Luke Hodge and Joel Selwood. Williams spent a […]
2026 AFLW Draft Q&A: Tayla Olivieri
WESTERN Jets ball magnet and reigning best and fairest winner Tayla Olivieri has come a long way since having to convince her sister and parents for her to play football. The small but tough onballer had a breakout 2025 season and is ready to go to another level in 2026 as she stands tall in […]
2026 AFLW Draft Q&A: Sophie White
DANDENONG Stingrays ruck Sophie White enjoyed representing Vic Country as a bottom-ager and her performances impressed selectors enough to secure a spot in the National Academy squad. White comes into 2026 as one of the top talls for her state and is looking to build on that strong 2025 form. We spoke to White at […]
2026 AFLW Draft Q&A: Ava Bilyk
GEELONG Falcons utility Ava Bilyk is a natural footballer with great smarts, decision making and skills, while having the ability to play anywhere on the field. The Vic Country Under 16s MVP had an injury-interrupted bottom-age campaign, but is ready to make her mark on the field in 2026. We spoke to Bilyk at the […]
2026 AFLW Draft Q&A: Lara Williams
EASTERN Ranges top-ager Lara Williams has played across all three lines along her journey, but the predominant forward-turned-defender at the Ranges is ready to make 2026 her year. Having plenty of ups and downs along the way, Williams is fully focused on making every post a winner entering her top-age campaign. We spoke to Williams […]
Knapp the name to note in Talent League
EASTERN Ranges midfielder Jordan Knapp is primed for a big season according to his teammates. A total of 41 top-age (2026 draft eligible) prospects from the Vic Country and Metro summer squads were surveyed at Saturday’s Talent League preseason testing event, asked for a teammate to watch for 2026. >> ONES TO WATCH: South Australia […]
Preseason Q&A: Blake Justice (Calder Cannons)
AFTER the recent success of its recent Next Generation Academy (NGA) graduates, Essendon will be buoyed by the emergence of current member Blake Justice. After an impressive bottom-age campaign which yielded 15 Talent League appearances, the 17-year-old is seeking to play every game this year. Justice has cut his teeth as a utility across the […]
Scouting Notes: 2026 U22 Women’s Summer Series R2 – Academy sides
AFTER another two big wins by the NSW/ACT Academies in the Under 22 Women’s Summer Series, we take a look at some of the Giants Academy and Swans Academy members who impressed at Henson Park over the weekend. The Giants crushed AFL Canberra with a triple-digit scoreline, while the Swans ran out 75-point winners over […]
