As we approach the end of the third AFLW season, the AFLW released their All-Australian squad of 40 for the year. Only 21 of this group will be named next Tuesday, with Adelaide – red hot favourites to win their second premiership in three years – headlining the squad with nine players in the squad of 40.
Ahead of the All-Australian team to be named, I thought I'd try my hand at who I think will make the final cut. Let me tell you, like the pieces where I have predicted the men's All-Australian team over the years,there were quite a few AFLW players that were stiff to miss out from my final team. I think Eloise Jones has had a brilliant year up forward, Elise O'Dea has been outstanding as always for the Demons and North Melbourne's Jenna Bruton has had a great year for North Melbourne – all three of them just missed out.
I'll put the squad of 40 out below before I name the final side. I'll be going with what the AFLW did last year with their All-Australian team and put in five defenders, five forwards and six midfielders, with five on the bench.
The Squad Of 40 Adelaide: Chelsea Randall, Jess Foley, Marijana Rajcic, Ebony Marinoff, Sarah Allan, Anne Hatchard, Erin Phillips, Stevie-Lee Thompson, Eloise Jones Brisbane: Ally Anderson, Nat Exon, Kate Lutkins, Jess Wuetschner Carlton: Kerryn Harrington, Gabbie Pound, Maddie Prespakis, Brianna Davey Collingwood: Ash Brazill, Jaimee Lambert Fremantle: Kiara Bowers, Kellie Gibson, Sabreena Duffy, Ebony Antonio, Gemma Houghton, Dana Hooker Geelong: Meg McDonald, Maddy McMahon Greater Western Sydney: Alyce Parker, Rebecca Beeson Melbourne: Tegan Cunningham, Lauren Pearce, Elise O’Dea, Karen Paxman North Melbourne: Emma King, Jasmine Garner, Emma Kearney, Jenna Bruton, Jess Duffin Western Bulldogs: Ellie Blackburn, Monique Conti
The Defenders
Meg McDonald – Geelong
After being cut from the Western Bulldogs in the inaugural 2017 season, Meg McDonald was brought back in by the Cats and has taken this second chance with both hands, and has arguably been one of the more feel-good stories of 2019. Playing primarily as the Cats' full back, McDonald averaged nearly 16 disposals per game and led the competition in intercept possessions, averaging 8.8 per game across her eight games this year.
Ash Brazill - Collingwood
Perhaps you could say another of the better feel-good stories of this year, Ash Brazill, a former netballer, only played two games for the Pies last year, but with the absence of Chloe Molloy to injury this year, Brazill played the role of the defensive general this season and thrived, averaging more intercepts than McDonald (10 per game), but played two less games. She also averaged 18 disposals, six rebound 50s and three marks per game across six games this season.
Jess Duffin – North Melbourne
One of the first picked for mine, Jess Duffin is just an elite talent. This year she thrived for North Melbourne in an intercepting role off half-back. Stats say a bit about her game, but if you watch her play, she's one of the best readers of the play – she's fourth in the league in intercept possessions, averaging 7.7 per game. Furthermore, Duffin averaged 17.6 disposals, 5.7 marks and nearly four rebound 50s per game this season.
Kerryn Harrington – Carlton
After playing all seven games for Carlton last year, Kerryn Harrington has had a terrific second season in the navy blue. With Bri Davey playing more up the ground this year, Harrington has stood up in defence when it has been required. She is fifth in the league for intercept possessions, averaging six per game, as well as averaging 13.3 disposals, three marks and nearly four rebound 50s per game this season.
Chelsea Randall – Adelaide
It was difficult to leave out last year's All-Australian captain as once again, she had an outstanding season, even if she missed one early on in the season. Randall is capable of both shutting players out of the game and generating the next phase of attack from half-back. Randall averaged eight intercept possessions per game this year – which is top three in the competition. She also averaged 15.4 disposals, 3.4 marks and two rebound 50s per game in seven games this year.
The Midfield
Madison Prespakis – Carlton
Not since Chloe Molloy last year have we seen a first-year player excel so well like Maddy Prespakis. Now granted, both players play different roles in their respective teams, but as a midfielder, I think Prespakis is already amongst some of the game's elite. Prespakis is averaging a tad under 20 disposals per game this year, as well as averaging three inside 50s and 2.8 tackles per game. She's a lock for the Rising Star and could poll well in the best and fairest count as well.
Kiara Bowers – Fremantle
Another who is playing her first season in the AFLW...Technically. Kiara Bowers missed the first two seasons of the AFLW because of knee injuries. After her first full year, she's established herself and perhaps proved to people outside of WA why she was branded a marquee player in her first year. As well as her abilities to find the ball, she established herself as a tackling beast, recording totals of 16, 19 and 13 tackles in the final three games of the home and away season. Bowers averaged 17.1 disposals, 11.1 tackles and 3.1 marks per game this year.
Karen Paxman – Melbourne
As you would expect from a player as outstanding as Karen Paxman, she has logged in another fantastic campaign in 2019. Renowned for winning the ball inside and out, Paxman registered averages of 20.9 disposals, 2.1 marks, 3.4 tackles and four inside 50s per game across seven games this year. Given her ability to run all day, I think a spot on the wing would be apt for someone of her ilk.
Jess Foley – Adelaide
It was a serious toss-up between Foley and Melbourne's Lauren Pearce. In the end I took Foley – just. What separated Foley from Pearce is that she was rucking for the number one team in the competition and that she has been an absolute revelation for the Crows after Rhiannon Metcalfe went down with an Anterior Cruciate Ligament during the pre-season. Foley averages 19.1 hitouts (Fourth overall), as well as averaging 14.6 disposals, four marks, four tackles and 2.9 inside 50s per game in what is just her first season. Deserves her spot, but Pearce can consider herself very unlucky.
Ebony Marinoff – Adelaide
Consider this one another of my first picked. Ebony Marinoff has transformed herself from a contested beast and a tackling machine into one of the game's elite ball-winners. Last year she averaged 16 disposals per game – this year, that average has rocketed up to 23 per game, which leads the league this year. Yes, she still is a ferocious tackler, averaging 8.5 tackles per game and she is also averaging a career-high 4.3 inside 50s per game. An outstanding year.
Emma Kearney – North Melbourne
I am going to question whether or not Emma Kearney has had the same impact this year at North that she had last year with the Bulldogs. However, I can't deny that she has had another pretty good year and thoroughly deserves her spot in the All-Australian midfield. Last year's league best and fairest winner averaged 20.1 disposals, five tackles, three marks and 3.3 rebound 50s per game this year across all seven games, as well as 6.1 clearances per game – the highest of any player this year.
The Forwards
Erin Phillips – Adelaide
Maybe a little controversial that I've put her at half-forward, but hear me out here. Erin Phillips was very damaging as a midfielder this year, but she also showed that she could go down forward and snag a goal this year. Her nine goals for the season put her equal-third on the league's goal-kicking, so I think putting her here is just fine. Furthermore, she is averaging nearly 22 disposals per game, as well as 3.5 marks, 3.1 tackles and 4.5 inside 50s per game. I'd say she'd be a favourite to take home her second league best and fairest this year.
Gemma Houghton – Fremantle
In a season where plenty of players helped the Dockers improve from a bottom-tier side to a genuine premiership chance, Gemma Houghton's development as a key forward was one player I enjoyed watching over the course of the season. Equal-third alongside Phillips in the league's goal-kicking award, as well as equal-second in the league for contested marks and averaging nine touches, 3.1 marks and 4.4 tackles per game – highlighting her defensive efforts as well.
Sabreena Duffy – Fremantle
The stats might not read too greatly on this young rising star, but if you've watched enough of Fremantle's games over the course of the 2019 season, you'll notice that Sabreena Duffy doesn't need to have a big-possession game to have a massive impact. Duffy kicked eight goals in eight games this year – which is equal-fifth in the league. Averaged also eight disposals, two tackles and two inside 50s per game, but i'll reiterate again – she makes the possessions count.
Stevie-Lee Thompson – Adelaide
I'll take this one for my most improved player in 2019, Stevie-Lee Thompson's rise has been one to remember this year. After playing last year as a defender, she went down forward in round two and never looked back – kicking four goals against Carlton and up until the preliminary final, kicked at least a goal in each game to finish as the leading goal-kicker of AFLW season three. She kicked a very accurate 13.4 off averages of nine disposals and two marks per game.
Tegan Cunningham – Melbourne
I think this time last year, she was very stiff to miss out on being named for her first All-Australian, being overlooked for Christina Bernardi. But this year, Tegan Cunningham has been just as good as she was last year, if not better. She is the only woman in the competition to average two contested marks per game – clearly one of the best grabs in the league. Kicked eight goals in seven games this season off nine disposals, four marks and two tackles per game – surely she's a lock this time.
The Interchange
Ally Anderson – Brisbane
In a year where the Lions struggled big time, Ally Anderson elevated herself into one of the game's more elite midfielders. After a 2018 season in which she broke out, Anderson continued to flourish this season, averaging a career-high 21 disposals per game, which is third in the competition behind both Erin Phillips and Ebony Marinoff. She also averages four marks, five tackles and two rebound 50s per game. She's a near certainty to win Brisbane's best and fairest this year.
Anne Hatchard – Adelaide
Alongside her team mate Stevie-Lee, Anne Hatchard is one of the game's most improved players this year. Come the end of 2018, Hatchard struggled for just four games and averaged just eight touches in those four games. This year, she's played every game and has dominated the vast majority of them, averaging 18.4 disposals, 3.5 tackles and three marks per game. She has also pinch-hitted in the ruck at times and has held her own.
Emma King – North Melbourne
Now again, could've put Lauren Pearce in here, but I didn't. I went with someone who had a bit more versatility. Emma King can provide both as a ruck option and as a forward option and she did both those roles really well this year in North's first year. She kicked eight goals off averaging seven disposals, 3.3 tackles and 2.1 marks per game. As a ruck, she is averaging a solid 17.9 hitouts per game. It isn't like her first year, where she was dominant in the ruck – she's become a more versatile and a more deadlier player than she was two years ago.
Monique Conti – Western Bulldogs
Could've thrown up a few players for this spot – Jenna Bruton, Elise O'Dea for example – but I've rolled with Monique Conti. Here's why. After round one, where she was virtually non-existant, she was amongst the Bulldogs' best two or three players each week. 12 months after being named best on ground in the 2018 Grand Final, Conti took her game to another level, averaging 18 disposals, 4.4 tackles, 2.3 inside 50s and three marks per game – all of them career-highs in a Bulldogs team that finished last in conference A this year.
Maddy McMahon – Geelong
I needed a defender on this team. Could've staked a claim for Gabby Pound to take the final spot on the side, but I have opted with a first-year, mature-aged player in Maddy McMahon, who I think flew under the radar a bit during Geelong's first season. She was in the top five in the league for averaging intercept possessions, averaging 6.6 intercepts per game. She also averaged 12 disposals, three marks and 3.3 rebound 50s per game. A very impressive first season from the 29-year old.
The Predicted 2019 All-Australian Team
B: Meg McDonald (GEEL), Ash Brazill (COLL) HB: Jess Duffin (NM), Kerryn Harrington (CARL), Chelsea Randall (ADEL) C: Madison Prespakis (CARL), Kiara Bowers (FREM), Karen Paxman (MELB) HF: Erin Phillips (ADEL), Gemma Houghton (FREM), Sabreena Duffy (FREM) F: Stevie-Lee Thompson (ADEL), Tegan Cunningham (MELB) FOLL: Jess Foley (ADEL), Ebony Marinoff (ADEL), Emma Kearney (NM) INT: Ally Anderson (BL), Anne Hatchard (ADEL), Emma King (NM), Monique Conti (WB), Maddy McMahon (GEEL)