POWER AND SKILL

Hannah Ewings has enjoyed a full preseason this year after her 2021 AFLW Under 19 Championships were ruled out following an unfortunate ankle injury in the SANFL Women’s. One of the most promising young guns to come out of the SANFL Women’s competition, Ewings won the Breakthrough Player Award in her first season, and has caught attention since debuting at the age of 15. Winning a premiership in that first year with the Roosters and holding her own alongside current Crows star Anne Hatchard in the midfield, Ewings has a rare blend of power and skill that makes her equally unique and special as a talent. With Port Adelaide coming into the AFL Women’s next season, the Power will be keen to pick up the Roosters young gun, but the Crows will be counting their currencies to get their hands on the Whyalla teenager.

Ewings is an equal parts midfielder and forward, who has gradually earned more midfield minutes as her career has developed. Around a 70-30 split as it stands, Ewings has enjoyed a strong return to the Roosters outfit, being best afield in a number of games for North Adelaide. Her strength and power to burst from a stoppage or shrug off a would-be tackle catches the eye as much as her booming kick that can go beyond 50m. Though she has missed a few more shots on goal this season she would normally nail, she is the type of player that North Adelaide coach Krissie Steen trusts to go one-on-one in the goalsquare and she almost dragged them across the line against West Adelaide in Round 1. The one to watch from South Australia at the AFLW Under 18 Championships.

FOOTY IQ AND DECISION MAKER

One of two Western Jets players inside the Top 10 of our AFLW Draft March Power Rankings, Baskaran has long been a name touted at the top end of the 2022 AFLW Draft. Debuting as a 14-year-old and now into her fourth season in the NAB League Girls, Baskaran has gone from strength to strength. She has always been a sublime user of the ball on the outside, starting off as a half-back and then a wing. When moving inside, Baskaran was still ultra-impressive, but admitted her decision making in contested situations was something she wanted to improve in 2022. Without a doubt she has done that in spades this year, being arguably the best decision maker under pressure in the NAB League Girls. As the top-ranked Victorian prospect, Baskaran does not have many flaws to her game.

Though only standing at 162cm, Baskaran just makes every possession count. She rarely wastes a disposal, and has football IQ far superior to that of her opponents. When having the ball-in-hand, she seemingly has more time than many others, and when in space can pinpoint passes with ease. Though she is a touch undersized for the inside, she has proven she can not only play there, but succeed as well. In 2022, Baskaran has also been able to work hard forward and kick goals, matching that of her defensive ability to lay plenty of tackles. If a club is looking for a readymade talent and natural leader, few emerge better suited than the Jets captain, who has hardly put a foot wrong this season and stands out for her sheer consistency among her incredible traits.

THE ELITE RIGHT FOOT

Possessing a right foot that can cut opposition defences to shreds, the dual-sport athlete is seemingly on track to focus on her football and be among the first players picked in the Victorian pool come the AFLW Draft. A highly-touted cricketer and daughter of Australian cricket legend Damien Fleming and Australian netballer Wendy (nee O’Donnell), Fleming has been a late bloomer from a footballing sense in the sense she only made her debut in the final game of the 2021 NAB League Girls season, Playing two more matches – both finals – she won a premiership with the Chargers last season, and has backed up her performances with a sensational 2022. A midfielder who predominantly plays inside but can rest forward, Fleming can hit targets off her right foot over any distance, and with superb technique.

Though relatively new in terms of the NAB League program compared to others, Fleming has had no issues catching the eye with her sheer ball-winning, clearance ability and scoreboard impact on the regular. She does have some areas to work on such as her left foot and handballing under pressure, but Fleming’s right foot is the best there is. Fleming is also one of the most difficult players to try to contain, and though oppositions have managed to limit her influence somewhat, she just finds a way to get on top. With expansion sides coming in such as Hawthorn – who will keep a close eye on the Box Hill cricketer – Fleming will be highly sought after, and given her lesser experience, would be viewed as one with high upside for the future.

RARE VISION & BALANCE

The first of three Queenslanders in the Top 20, Alana Gee is simply an outstanding talent. The Mackay AFLW Draft prospect ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to an overall profile, with her speed, athleticism and skill among the best going around. Impressively, Gee is well balanced with ball-in-hand, but if there was one trait that really stands out, then it is her vision. Gee has outstanding 360-degree vision that enables her to assess options and make the right decisions with ball-in-hand, and can also control kicks on the outside of her boot. Though her natural skill was dampened somewhat in the wet against Oakleigh Chargers a couple of weeks back, she stepped up against Brisbane Lions Academy on the weekend and starred yet again.

Gee is the standout prospect from the Sunshine State this season, capable of winning the ball on the inside and bursting away, often utilised as the second possession winner at the stoppages. She can equally start on a wing and then receive or win the loose ball, then go forward with a high-volume of inside 50s. When given any time or space, Gee can pinpoint passes with great efficiency and is very similar to Baskaran in that way. Though under pressure, she is still continuing to build that aspect of her game, but when she takes it on she is hard to contain. Though touted as a Top 10 talent coming into the year, her couple of performances this year have seen her rise even more to be cracking into the Top 5, with the upcoming AFLW Under 18 Championships a good indicator of where she sits in comparison to those from other states.

POWER AND SIZE

The other half of the Western Jets elite duo, Montana Ham is renowned for her brute strength and clearance-winning ability amongst the Victorian prospects. Like Jets teammate and fellow AFLW Academy member Baskaran, Ham is one who has been touted as a top talent for many years, and is in her fourth season with the Jets in 2022. Few can match her high-volume ball-winning ability, and she has a trademark clearance knack where she wins the ball from the ruck and through power, takes a few big strides to bomb it long inside 50. Though the pinpoint accuracy is still an area that Ham can continue to work on, the advantage she gives her side through both clearing the contest and getting the ball deep inside 50 is almost unrivalled from that point of view.

Ham is a player who could easily be the first Victorian player taken this year given she is just a touch under 180cm and playing as a midfielder. Sometimes taller than rucks, Ham can even fill in to that role and shark it from a stoppages, but her best work is done reading the ball off hands and booting it clear. Though not quite having the skill and finesse that Baskaran has, Ham does have the sheer strength and power that makes her near-impossible to try and stop when she is bursting through opponents. Her long raking boot is one that few can match, and she has even played as a forward in her early days. Ham is as readymade as they come to step up to the top level, playing for Vic Metro in the AFLW Under 19 Championships last year, bypassing the Under 17s competition.

SPEED & VERSATILITY

Like the Western Jets, Dandenong Stingrays have two players inside our Top 10 players in the country, starting with the lightning quick Amber Clarke. Having plied her trade as a defender back in her Under 16s year and using her trademark speed then to catch the eye, Clarke has since developed her craft up the other end as a damaging forward. Touted as the quickest player in the NAB League Girls, Clarke is unstoppable when she gets goalside, and can burst away from any opponent, leaving them in her wake. With defences knowing this, she can also draw free kicks from opponents trying to illegally hold her back, which also happens when in the midfield. The on-ball role is something Clarke has increased this season after getting a taste for it in her bottom-age season.

Clarke had one of the fastest starts to the NAB League Girls competition in 2022, kicking bags of five and four goals in two of the Stingrays’ first three weeks. Remarkably, this included her spending plenty of time in the midfield, and resting forward, but in resting, Clarke kicked snag after snag. The talented goalsneak has not always nailed the ones she should, but has the licence to have a crack from just about anywhere because she certainly has the radar and capacity to hurt opposition sides on the scoreboard. With incredible upside thanks to her versatility and athleticism, it is hoped Clarke can get through a full AFLW Under 18 Championships unscathed after going down injured in the first five minutes of last year’s championships, putting a line through the rest of her 2021 season.

CONTESTED CONSISTENCY

Few could lay claim to a debut NAB League Girls season quite like Zarlie Goldsworthy, with the Albury talent having an incredible year. The midfielder/forward has racked up numbers that few could dream of, averaging a remarkable 26.3 disposals, 4.1 marks, 9.9 tackles, 6.6 inside 50s and more than a goal and a half per game average. On debut alone, the Murray Bushrangers talent slotted 4.4 from 33 disposals and five marks to earn herself our Player of the Week. Though having only kicked multiple goals once more – against Geelong Falcons the following week – Goldsworthy has kicked a goal in every single match she has played this year, and also not dipped below 23 disposals in any of those games.

Sometimes statistics can lie, but in the case of Goldsworthy, the numbers are very much an indication of her impact on the game, and she has been an incredible force through the middle bursting from a stoppage, or when forward taking a contested mark. Her contested work sets her aside from many other players, standing at a medium height of 169, she is also a mid-November birth, indicating further upside. As a kick-first player, Goldsworthy can continue to work on the execution going forward, but taking that one area of improvement out, she meets basically every other expectation. Goldsworthy is one who might not have been on many radars coming into the year, but off the back of a huge preseason, she is enjoying a massive year and would be in League Best and Fairest contention.

THE ATHLETIC TALL

The first genuine key position talent in the AFLW Draft Power Rankings for March, 2022, Mackenzie Eardley is far from a conventional tall. Though she possesses all the skills required to succeed up either end, the 181cm athlete is far more than just a marking machine. She has deceptive speed, just clocking a millisecond behind teammate Amber Clarke at the NAB League Girls Preseason Testing Day, and though she does not always have the luxury to show it on field – often under pressure in defence – she has the ability in her kitbag. Eardley has grown through the Stingrays program as a rebounding defender who is able to position herself well and intercept at will. Though over the last 12 months, she has been able to develop her forward craft, and even spend time in the middle such is her unique versatility.

For a 181cm player, Eardley has superb kicking skills over multiple distances, and as co-captain of the Dandenong Stingrays, she possesses natural leadership as well. In 2021, though she missed a couple of games in the NAB League Girls, she has run into a rich vein of form over the last few weeks, and has been able to have the luxury of pushing up the ground in the second half of matches and showcasing her offensive abilities too. Able to sidestep opponents and sell some candy, Eardley can play multiple roles, and he hands overhead are great, as are her ground ball abilities. Though she will have to compete against bigger bodies at the top level, her footy smarts and skills will be able to adapt to the top level.

BALANCE & POISE

Every year there are players that just seem to do everything right, and have few flaws to their game. In 2022, one of those players is West Adelaide’s Keeley Kustermann. The rebounding defender spent more time in the midfield progressing from last year’s AFLW Under 19 Championships with South Australia as a bottom-ager, to the SANFL Women’s now as a top-ager this season. Despite the Bloods being hit with plenty of obstacles such as injuries and Health and Safety Protocols, Kustermann has remained a constant in there. When watching Kustermann, there is little to fault about her game, and plenty to like, which is why the balanced talent enters our first AFLW Draft Power Rankings inside the Top 10.

Like her state teammate Hannah Ewings, Kustermann has impressed at SANFL Women’s level since she was 15-years-old, and has gradually added more strings to her bow each year. With ball-in-hand, Kustermann is very composed, even under pressure , and she picks the right options and executes by hand or foot. Though many of the players above her on the list possess an elite trait, Kustermann is just strong across the board, and is one of those players who you can rely on do to the right thing time and time again. She played at the AFLW Under 19 Championships last season and impressed as a bottom-ager before sustaining an injury early in the third and final game of the Croweaters campaign. Expect her to slot back into the midfield at next month’s carnival.

EVASIVE AND FIERCE

Another side with two AFLW Academy members, Sandringham Dragons’ Sofia Hurley is a great example of how a player can be impactful on both the offensive and defensive ends. From an offensive standpoint, Hurley can win the ball at the coalface, go forward and send the ball inside 50, and do so through evasive techniques out of the stoppages. She uses the ball well going forward when given time and space, which is why opposition sides often try and close her down and limit that time to enable her to use her foot skills. Though her kicking under pressure is still an area she can work on, she is clean by hand and able to distribute the ball to teammates.

From a defensive standpoint, Hurley is a high-volume tackler, averaging a massive 10.9 tackles in season 2022 in the NAB League. In her seven games, Hurley has not dropped below seven tackles per game, and she has hit double-figure tackles twice. In Round 8 against Northern Knights, Hurley amassed 32 disposals, but still laid 10 tackles, indicating that she was willing to get her hands dirty. Each year, Hurley has lifted her output even further, and she is a kick-first player who is often under pressure when she wins it, but tries to get herself out of trouble. She kicked two goals in that game as well, though hitting the scoreboard is another string she could add to her bow, with three of her four career NAB League Girls goals coming in the past three weeks. Overall, she is an exciting talent with a nice balance of traits.

SMOOTH MOVER

Tasmania’s top talent for 2022 is Claire Ransom, a balanced midfielder who has a knack for being evasive and opening up the game for her teammates. Possessing that ‘stopping time’ capability that a number of classy midfielders have, Ransom often gets herself out of trouble with a slick sidestep or spin. Though her game against Eastern Ranges was not up to her lofty standards and she did get caught or in trouble a couple of times, her ability to stand up when needed is clear. She is clean with ball-in-hand and can step into the stoppage or play off the outside, trying to drive the ball forward and help her team in transition. She is an offensively-minded player who is predominantly a second possession or handball receive talent, looking to breakaway from the congestion.

Standing at 170cm, Ransom has averaged 19.4 disposals this season, and prior to her match against the Ranges where she spent more time forward, averaged five inside 50s per game. Ransom showed her tackling pressure in a few games this season, with games of six, seven and 11 tackles. Though still having areas to work on, Ransom just has that class and poise that make her such a smooth mover, and with further development at the elite level, will be a talent to keep an eye on over the next few years.

TOUGH AS NAILS

Oakleigh Chargers’ Charlotte Taylor might have missed out on the AFLW Academy, but last year the promising bottom-age talent showed plenty to suggest she was going to be a prime mover in 2022. She played predominantly at half-back, and used her size to be able to play against talls or smalls. She is one of those rare taller inside midfielders, standing at 177cm and has picked up at least 14 disposals in each of her seven games for an average of 17.4 touches per game in 2022. A tackling machine, Taylor has laid an average of seven tackles per game this season, and produced 14 in the recent loss against Dandenong Stingrays. She works hard, and is not only a contested star, but a two-way runner who gets back to help her side’s defence.

No doubt likely to feature prominently in the Vic Metro midfield, Taylor is versatile enough to play in multiple positions, and have the contested ability in the air and at ground level to be a matchup nightmare for opposition coaches. Like most players in this region, there are still improvements to make such as her execution by foot and occasionally doing too much with ball-in-hand, but she is a player who can make things happen. If Taylor is able to get a cleaner run at the stoppages through the AFLW Under 18s Championships, then she could well stake her claim even further and be one considered with high upside given her height and strength.

ALL-ROUND MIDFIELDER

We have already mentioned a few players who just do very little wrong in their game, and Gold Coast Suns Academy captain Imogen Evans certainly falls into that category. The inside midfielder just ticks so many boxes with her ability to cover the ground, win the contested ball, work hard to spread and get it on the outside if need be, then use it well by hand or foot to open up the game and bring her teammates into the match. She possesses a good technique with her disposal, and she puts her body on the line time and time again with great courage. When assessing her profile as a whole, Evans is the type of player who can step up and play any role, and be sure to do it to a high ability.

The one area that perhaps is a little lower compared to some other midfielders is her speed, but Evans has enough strength and power to stand up in tackles, and also create enough separation through her footy smarts to be able to win the ball and have enough time to dispose of it cleanly. Not afraid of contact, nor opposition pressure, Evans is composed with ball-in-hand and can rack it up over four quarters with a high endurance level. Though she missed eight months of footy due to border closures – she hails from the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales and was unable to compete in September’s Under 17 AFLW Championships with the Suns against the Brisbane Lions Academy – her three games this year have been ultra-impressive. Evans might be another player who missed out on the AFLW Academy, but certainly has the quality to be in there, and is among the most consistent talents in the country.

HYBRID TALENT

The second Sandringham Dragons player in the Top 20, Bridie Hipwell is a hybrid midfielder/forward who has some eye-catching traits and is capable of providing a presence around the ground. Though not a massive accumulator of the ball – Hipwell averages 13.5 disposals in her six games this season – she applies good defensive pressure with five tackles per game in the NAB League Girls. Hipwell has only kicked three goals this season, but is consistently the link in the chain going forward, with at least three inside 50s per game. Though Hipwell still has some areas to work on, she looks very impressive at full flight when bursting out of a stoppage and driving the ball forward.

Looking beyond 2022, Hipwell is someone who could easily play as a lead-up forward or as a clearance midfielder, and she got a taste of the AFLW Under 19s Championships last year as a bottom-ager. Being one of the more promising Under 17s talents for Vic Metro, expect Hipwell to have a much larger role this year at the championships. The Sandringham Dragons talent is good one-on-one, and more than capable of pulling down a strong mark when in space, and though her kicks can often be rushed under pressure, she can at least put it to her forward’s advantage with her footy knowledge. As a whole, Hipwell is able to play in multiple roles, making herself very versatile, and a good size at 174cm.

OUTSIDE STAR

One of the big improvers in 2022 is South Australia’s Sarah Goodwin, with the Glenelg premiership player really stepping up this season with some phenomenal efforts. Goodwin showed promise as a bottom-age player in the SANFL Women’s benchmark team last year. In 2022, Goodwin has owned the half-back flank for the Bays, and her skill by hand or foot is among the best in the AFLW Draft. Unlike many players at her age, Goodwin does not just look to take the easy, long down the line kicks, but actually dares to dream with slicing inside 45-degree passes to open up the game. She is damaging with her disposal, and can accumulate the ball with ease against senior opponents. Though not having the AFLW Under 19s experience just yet, she is someone who has proven herself against quality opponents and would be expected to do so for the Croweaters.

Goodwin has been an outstanding talent off half-back, and the way she can add strings to her bow in the future is with more contested roles. She is a player who should remain on the outside thanks to her skills and run, but being able to experience that inside work in her top-age year – perhaps at the championships – could be another box to tick for the teenager. Regardless, she has some outstanding eye-catching traits, and her athleticism combined with her natural footballing ability make her one of the more naturally-gifted players going around in the AFLW Draft crop, and one to keep in mind over the next couple of months, particularly at the championships.

VERSATILE BALL-WINNER

One of he more impressive talents in this year’s NAB League Girls has been Dandenong Stingrays’ Charley Ryan. The third Stingray to make the list, the talented midfielder has had more than her fair share of impact forward of centre. Boasting a five-goal haul against Gippsland Power playing through the midfield but being clinical in front of goal, Ryan has slotted eight goals in seven games this season, and been a critical part of the ladder leaders’ setup. One of the many Stingrays who can roll through the midfield or rest forward, Ryan is smart, clean and good overhead, though can equally win the ball in congestion and fire it out to teammates on the outside.

Ryan is one of the better ball users in the Stingrays program, able to hit targets over multiple distances, and can use the ball in multiple situations be it coming out of the defensive half, bursting from a stoppage, or leading out from the square. Her versatility not only on-field, but also with ball-in-hand, separates her from a number of other prospects. Though she is still building ares of consistency within her game, when Ryan is on-song, she is very eye-catching and is more than capable of doing a lot of damage both herself and through her teammates, to the opposition defence.

DYNAMIC RUCK

Lauren Wakfer entered the 2022 year as one of two rucks in the AFLW Academy, and has certainly started in promising form for South Fremantle in the WAFL Women’s competition. She starred in Round 1 against a struggling West Perth side, and has been able to go forward and hit the scoreboard in her first two games. She slotted three goals in those games, then picked up a season-high 20 hitouts against Subiaco last round. Though challenged in the ruck against the Lions, Wakfer is more than just a stoppage player, capable of becoming a link in transition and offers herself as a target both on the offensive and defensive ends. The aspect that stands out the most is her athleticism for a tall, and at 180cm, she can impact the ruck against taller opponents.

Wakfer still stood out in a struggling South Fremantle side last season, then really stepped up at the AFLW Under 19 Championships as a bottom-ager. In 2022, Wakfer has added more consistency to her game, finding double-figure disposals in each of her three matches, and when not in the middle, she is pushing forward to be a target, or working back defensively to be a safe kick-out option on the flanks. She is strong overhead and can pull down contested marks, though is more than capable at ground level too. At times she can rush her kicks off a step, but Wakfer is capable of rare feats by players her size, and she is certainly not out of the contest once the ball hits the deck.

GOOD ALL-ROUNDER

Another talented player who just ticks a lot of boxes overall is Eastern Ranges vice-captain Mia Busch. Plying her trade as a rebounding defender last season, Busch is clean with ball-in-hand, and is creative when she needs to be, to roam up and down the ground to win her fair share of possessions. The running half-back has developed into a consistent midfielder in 2022, and she is stepping up in the absence of drafted captain Bridget Deed. Busch is a player teammate can rely on with ball-in-hand, and she is just really solid overall, winning the contested or uncontested ball, and trying to be involved in transitional players from defence to attack.

It is no surprise that Busch has found her best form in her past three games with more midfield time, and her game against the Stingrays saw her yield 26 touches, eight marks, seven tackles and five rebound 50s, equalling or topping her season-high efforts in each of those stats bar tackles. In the past three games Busch has played, she has racked up 20-plus disposals in each, and her defensive mindset, combined with her offensive abilities make her a really damaging player. An important aspect of a running defender is their ability to remain accountable to their opponent, and Busch certainly does that, exemplified by averaging six tackles per game. Capable of being deployed as a midfield sweeper, Busch is one who will likely be a midfield long-term, but her defensive positioning and offensive run mean she is more than able to slot onto half-back at any level.

STANDOUT RUCK-FORWARD

Whilst Wakfer might be considered a ruck-forward – though more a 70/30 split – the best pure ruck-forward in the AFLW Draft crop is Gold Coast Suns Academy’s Fleur Davies. The sister of 2021 Suns draftee Giselle, Davies rounds out the Top 20 thanks to a steep rate of improvement over the past 12 months. She has become more impactful both at centre bounces and up forward, with the latter craft improving each game. She is no longer just an athletic ruck who can rest forward and hit the scoreboard, but Davies can genuinely be more of a permanent forward if there are other ruck options in the side. Though still a standout ruck with her athleticism and 187cm size, Davies has presented well over the last few games this year.

In 2022, Davies has found the right lanes and pressed well, able to adapt to various kicks inside 50. Though not quite as consistent with her contested marking as Wakfer – she is still a very solid mark – she can pull down grabs. What sets her aside in the comparison is her more natural forward ability and her incredible work rate that sees her still finding the ball in the dying minutes as she would as if she had just run onto the field. Her work rate, athleticism and leading patterns maker her a promising talent for the Suns, and it is no surprise to see the tall in the Academy, having already taken promising strides forward. As her consistency continues to improve, she can certainly further sharpen up her game, but from a foundational level, she has plenty of tools to be a really exciting player into the future.

As versatile as they come, Octavia Di Donato is a lovely user of the ball, and is able to find it in all thirds of the ground. Starting her career as a defender, Di Donato developed into a midfielder and has even spent time forward to try and hit the scoreboard. She has an even profile across the board, and though still able to work on quarter to quarter consistency, she has a lot of tools from her movement to her disposal, that make her damaging with ball-in-hand.

Zara Hamilton is a member of the GWS GIANTS Academy, and is a player who has a lot of upside. Though her kicking needs to be tidied up, there are plenty of promising signs from the tall wing. She can play outside or inside, cover a lot of ground quickly, and accumulate the ball with ease, often sending it forward time and time again. The second Murray Bushrangers player on the list, Hamilton has recorded 20 or more disposals in five of her seven games, including a whopping 38 disposals against the GWV Rebels in Round 3. Could land inside the Top 20 given her upside, particularly if clubs back themselves to work on her kicking technique. An incredible athlete.

A pacy forward who has graduated up to the wing for the Northern Knights, Wilcox is one who provides plenty of dash for the Knights, working high up the ground to help link into attack. Her finishing and execution are areas of improvement for the talented teenager, but her run and carry, as well as her footy IQ makes her a high impact player and one with potential to develop even further. She has missed a little bit of football with a rib injury, but is hoped to return for Vic Metro’s AFLW Under 18s campaign.

Though technically the third NSW-ACT talent in the list, Cynthia Hamilton is a player who is yet to play a game for points this year, and will be very much looking forward to the AFLW Under 18 Championships kicking off next month for the Allies. Winning the Allies’ MVP award at last year’s carnival as a bottom-ager, Hamilton is hoping to join her sister Lexi in the AFL Women’s. She is tough, hits the contest hard, and can win her fair share of uncontested ball to match that of her contested work. She might be another player that can still sharpen up her kicking a touch, but her impact on the scoreboard and around the clinches is what makes her so damaging.

A hard player to rate, but Scott on talent could be anything. She won the Vic Country and AFLW Under 19s Championships goalkicking last year as a bottom-ager, as well as the GWV Rebels top gong in that regard. In 2022, things have not quite been as smooth sailing, with the Rebels struggling a bit more compared to last year. In saying that, Scott has tried to spark her side at times, but has also spent more time in the middle, and has been out after copping a knock against Oakleigh Chargers back in Round 6. Hopefully she can be back and at her best again, because few can be as impactful around goals as the talented forward.

Ash Reidy has only managed the one game thus far for South Fremantle this season, but certainly made it count with a dominant 16-disposal, six-mark and 3.4 effort against West Perth. Had she been on target, Reidy could have slotted a massive bag, but her strength in the air and at ground level was superb. Still raw in terms of her consistency, and having less runs on the board in terms of higher level contests, Reidy did experience the AFLW Under 19 Championships last season, and will be looking to play an even bigger role in 2022 for the Sandgropers.

A tough inside midfielder who can go forward and hit the scoreboard consistently, Emily Shepherd is yet another Dandenong Stingrays talent in the list. Shepherd is strong in close, and can go forward and get on the end of a scoring chain, with just her consistency by foot and in-play areas to sharpen up for the future. When running hot, Shepherd is hard to contain, and she is a difficult player to bring down when on the move. Possessing a powerful boot, Shepherd is a game-breaker and match-winner, and certainly higher on the list when at her peak.

A fourth West Australian to make the list, Stribley is one of the more impressive pure wings going around. A light-bodied, but hard-running player, Stribley is able to cover the ground with ease courtesy of a high endurance base and determined work rate. She can still sharpen up a few areas of her disposal and will be able to add strength over time, but she has the footy smarts to run along the wing and and also hit the scoreboard consistently to be a threat on the outside. One of the top performers in her bottom-age year, Stribley has been a prominent ball-winner thus far in the WAFL Women’s this season.

The Vic Under 16s star has developed into a ball-winning midfielder over the past couple of seasons, and remains a valuable prospect in the NAB League Girls. The Murray Bushrangers talent has a powerful boot, and though not always able to find her accuracy to match her penetration, Skepper certainly covers a lot of ground with her booming kick. She is not afraid to tuck the ball under the arm and take off, and has even spent time playing in defence to add another string to her bow, which suits her running and long-kicking style. A natural inside midfielder, Skepper certainly has the traits that catch the eye.

Every Power Rankings it is difficult to round out the list with just one name given the evenness of the AFLW Draft crop. But we have opted to go with another Dandenong Stingrays talent in Taylah Gatt. The speedy winger has had a terrific NAB League Girls campaign, and though she is not a high accumulator, her metres gained per possession would easily be the highest in the league. Her eight touches seem like 20 such is her impact on the game. Though still raw and still ironing out a few things, her upside and natural talent is obvious.