{"id":177404,"date":"2024-12-03T19:24:33","date_gmt":"2024-12-03T09:24:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/?p=177404"},"modified":"2024-12-03T19:27:01","modified_gmt":"2024-12-03T09:27:01","slug":"three-players-one-dream-aflw-draft-journeys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/2024\/12\/03\/three-players-one-dream-aflw-draft-journeys\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Players, One Dream: AFLW Draft journeys"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

THREE players with very different stories, taking three very different journeys to try and all achieve the same dream of reaching the AFL Women’s. In a special Rookie Me Central<\/em> production ahead of the 2024 AFLW Draft, we spoke to Isla Baldwin<\/a>, Olivia Fogarty<\/a> and Lily Jordan<\/a> post-season with the trio all draft chances 12 months ago, but each for whatever reason were overlooked and chose a different path for that second chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ‘Three Players, One Dream’ series is aimed at not just promoting some of the top players outside those in their draft year, but also finding out more about the different paths players can take when overlooked, and how to put the initial disappointment behind them to go again and strive to get better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the three-part AFLW Draft series, we speak to ex-soccer player and 26-year-old Canberra local Olivia Fogarty<\/strong> who has now spent two seasons at Ainslie having been a train-on with the GWS Giants, and now sets her sights on the VFLW having moved to Melbourne to train with Hawthorn throughout the 2024 AFLW season. Fogarty also got the chance to represent her state and further enhance her name as one of the best players from the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over-ager Isla Baldwin<\/strong> spent the season juggling her commitments between the Eastern Ranges and Carlton VFLW after being overlooked in 2023. Injury played a big part in the teenager missing out on the AFLW Draft, but instead of just focusing on one or the other, opted to play at both clubs and levels. She managed just the five games for the Ranges, but starred for the Blues, finishing equal runner-up in Carlton’s VFLW best and fairest, playing 11 games for the year through the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also a midfielder, former forward Lily Jordan<\/strong> opted against returning to the Coates Talent League, instead choosing to fully focus on her state league career. Geelong became the ideal destination thanks to getting a Deakin University offer at the nearby Waurn Ponds campus, and despite having some injury interruptions, won the Cats’ best and fairest off 11 games, laying more than 100 tackles in that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each of the three players will have feature articles, and full-length one-on-one interviews via our Rookie Me Central YouTube channel which you can view over the next few days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Rookie Me Central (@rookiemecentral)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>