Georgia McKee Draft Profile

Central District Women'sForward-Midfielder

#5

Georgia McKee

height: 160cm

weight:

D.O.B: 24-04-2006

Leagues: SANFL Women's League, AFLW U18 Championships, AFLW U17 Championships

Snapshot
Analysis
Summary

SNAPSHOT: “A prestigious star at Under 16s level, McKee suffered a heartbreaking ACL injury to miss her bottom-age season before bouncing back to impact up forward for both Central District and South Australia.”

Georgia McKee without a doubt is one of the most naturally gifted footballers in this year’s AFLW Draft. The talented small will divide recruiters as to where she falls with a number of factors playing a part, but few could deny that her best football is easily inside the Top 10 of this year’s AFLW Draft.

McKee is one of those players who has spent a lot time playing the code. She played for Elizabeth as soon as she could run around all the way back in 2012 aged six. By the time 2016 had finished, McKee had already played 66 games of junior football. She moved across to Glenunga where she impressed for the Under 12s quickly becoming a classy goalkicker up forward even for the Under 14s as a 12-year-old.

By 2020, with many others unable to play football, McKee slotted 37 goals in 12 games for the Rams’ Under 16s side in a dominant season. A year later she went up to Under 17.5s and it mattered little, playing between Division 1 and 2, booting 40 goals in 15 games. Her form saw her gain a place in the Under 17 Championships for South Australia, playing both games and showing promising signs as one to watch for the future.

In 2022, McKee burst onto the SANFLW scene for Central District, made the South Australian state side and incredibly still played local footy, this time for Golden Grove Under 17.5s. She kicked 21 goals from 14 games in the SANFL Juniors, while booting 11 goals from 10 games for the Bulldogs at SANFLW level – including a match-winning performance in Round 3 against West Adelaide – and two hauls of three goals for the Croweaters at the national championships.

Just as she loomed large ahead of the 2023 season, disaster struck and McKee was ruled out of her bottom-age year with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. She was made to watch on as both Central District and South Australia won respective trophies. Returning in 2024, McKee had an interrupted start still rehabilitating from the knee.

In and out of the Bulldogs’ side playing purely as a small forward, McKee had lost some of that explosive speed and athleticism that made her such a dominant player. In saying that, she still managed to kick six goals from four games, while stepping up for her state and booting seven goals in three games. The lack of exposure and a few question marks over the lasting impacts of the knee injury are what has produced an air of unpredictability about her draft position.

PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS:

STRENGTHS:

+ Goal sense
+ X-Factor
+ Scoreboard impact
+ Forward craft
+Dual-sided
+ Footy IQ

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Conditioning
- Consistency

PROFILE:

If you're talking natural footballing ability, then Georgia McKee is one of the best players in the AFLW Draft. Her work inside 50 including her forward craft, goal sense and footy IQ makes her so damaging at ground level. She can take a mark, but does her best work once the ball is on the deck, crumbing and sidestepping opponents with ease.

Her work inside 50 is made all the more impressive - and difficult if you're the defender - by McKee's ability to use both feet. She is one of the best non-preferred ball users in the draft crop, not only able to hit passes off her left, but kick ridiculous goals from the boundary off her non-preferred and look entirely natural doing so.

It is an element in her game that is far superior to just about anyone else in the draft crop, and the best version of McKee is right up there with the best players in this draft crop. The main question mark is whether or not that best version will be there consistently enough. She showed in the South Australian Under 18s trial game against the SANFLW Under 23s that her ability to take over a game is still there, winning MVP in that match.

Against the Allies and Western Australia, McKee took her opponents to the cleaners on more than a few occasions with her ground level work, forward craft and incredible nous to turn on a dime and put it on the right then the left and leave her defender dumbfounded about what more they could have done.

Unfortunately for McKee, her opportunities have been limited, and her recovery from the ACL has not completely brought her back to her dominant best that saw her win All-Australian honours in 2022 as a double bottom-ager, and be one of the brightest young stars in the SANFLW.

Losing that level of fitness she had pre-ACL has impacted her from spending more time through the middle, and therefore she has just been the stay-at-home forward other than a handful of games throughout the season. Once she can get her conditioning back up with a full preseason - given her delayed start to 2023 - then she has the potential to return to her damaging best.

The passionate Crows fan and member of Adelaide's Academy would love nothing more than to join the tri-colours and play alongside some of her heroes. Still needing to build up her fitness and find her best football consistently again, McKee could go anywhere from the first round to mid-draft depending on which clubs will take the plunge. Being of a smaller size, she can get outmarked one-on-one, but if she can bring the ball to ground then it will be a nightmare for any opponent trying to guard her.

If McKee can develop at the rate she was as a double bottom-ager, then she can undoubtedly be a match-winner at the elite level, and some of her tricks are just out of this world. The consistency and determination to knuckle down and take her game to the next level will be key, with the talented small more than capable of being a human highlight reel at any level she plays.

DRAFT RANGE: 15-35

SUMMARY:

Georgia McKee is the most difficult player to predict a draft range for, with her natural ability putting her inside the Top 10 without a doubt. However the less exposure this year and question marks around consistency and other factors might see her go lower than what her talent suggests. If Adelaide is able to secure the Crows Academy young gun at a later selection, it will be a huge bargain for the club.

SANFL Women's League

Season	Team	K	HB	D	M	T	CLR	I50	R50	GL	GM	K	H	D	M	HO	T	G	DC
2022	Central District Women's	98	25	123	25	32	12	27	6	11	9	10.9	2.8	13.7	2.8	0.0	3.6	1.2	65
2023	Central District Women's	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2024	Central District Women's	13	4	17	3	8	0	3	0	6	4	3.3	1.0	4.3	0.8	0.0	2.0	1.5	25
Total	-	111	29	140	28	40	12	30	6	17	13	8.5	2.2	10.8	2.2	0.0	3.1	1.3	90

AFLW U18 Championships

Season	Team	K	HB	D	M	CP	UP	T	CLR	I50	R50	GL	GM	K	H	D	M	T	G	DC
2022	South Australia Girls	38	15	53	9	0	0	7	3	8	1	6	3	12.7	5.0	17.7	3.0	2.3	2.0	78
2024	South Australia Girls	19	4	23	8	6	17	4	0	4	0	7	3	6.3	1.3	7.7	2.7	1.3	2.3	46
Total	-	57	19	76	17	6	17	11	3	12	1	13	6	9.5	3.2	12.7	2.8	1.8	2.2	124