We’re etching ever so closer to the start of AFLW season four – just over two weeks out to be precise. Whilst several folks from the media are labelling out there players to watch or the stars that are expected to do the job, I thought I’d try and aim for something different.
So over the weekend, I thought I’d challenge myself to learn about some of the lesser-name players that should be getting games in 2020 and turn it into a list of names to look out for this season. There are 14 players in this piece all up – one for each team so that no one club doesn’t feel left out.
Adelaide – Jaimi Tabb
Let’s face it, it’s a lot harder for the kids to break into a side that is nearly on the precipice of being a dynasty team. But if there’s one 18-year old not named Montana McKinnon who can find themselves in this Adelaide 21 this season and hold her own, I’d put my money on Jaimi Tabb. Taken with the 53rd pick in last year’s AFLW Draft and Adelaide’s third pick overall, Tabb’s ability to tackle is first-class, ranked the leading tackler in the under-18 championships last year for South Australia. She also finished in the top-10 of the SANFLW best and fairest – won by fellow draftee Najwa Allen.
Brisbane – Orla O’Dwyer
There will be a few new Irish faces running out for the fourth season of the AFLW. And whilst I’m excited to see what many of them can produce, there are none that I’m more personally excited to see this year than Orla O’Dwyer, who will run out for the Lions this year. Having seen some of her highlights for TIpperary’s Gaelic Football and Camogie Teams (Google that second one), she has the pace and the aggression to really impact on this side straightaway, and at only 20 years of age, the scope for improvement is there.
Carlton – Gab Pound
Every once in a while, you look at All-Australian teams – both AFL and AFLW – and you see one or two players that made the team that make you go: “Oh he/she made it, I completely forgot about that” Unfortunately I found myself saying that about Gab Pound earlier this week. It’s probably why she makes this list, because despite her All-Australian year last season, I thought she flew right under the radar. However, when you look at the numbers, you’ll find that she averaged career-highs across the board in 2019 and at 25 years of age, she’s heading into the prime of her career.
Collingwood – Sophie Alexander
Having being picked up by the Pies in the 2018 AFLW Draft, Alexander made her debut round one against Geelong and was looking quite the dangerous forward prospect before she was concussed in a marking contest. She kicked 1.2 from four kicks and two marks. She missed the following week before playing the next three games and that was her 2019 AFLW campaign. Her VFLW campaign though, was enough to suggest that she’ll be a much more dangerous threat up forward. Her third quarter in the Grand Final played such a critical part in that game.
Fremantle – Tayla Bresland
If Tayla Bresland was playing for a Victorian club, there’d be quite a few people in the media that would be singing her praises. Unfortunately, she’s on the other side of the state, where they get the bare minimum. After playing just two games in 2018 as she recovered from a knee injury, Bresland played every game in 2019, playing as a key back that was undersized for most of the year. However, she always made sure that her opponents were accountable and earned their touches. One of the most underrated players in the competition, she looms as a key piece for Freo in 2020.
Geelong – Georgia Clarke
I was asked on the AFLW Season Preview Episode of The A3 Footy Podcast by one of my colleagues, if I knew anything about this young lady. Best I had was that I didn’t know much other than she had a lot of promise about her. She played six games for the Cats last season and after a strong start to her career in defence, she was largely unsighted in her last two games of the season – round six against Fremantle and the Preliminary Final against Adelaide. At just 19 years of age, she’ll be a player for the long haul and will only get better in the coming years.
Gold Coast – Ellie Hampson
Whilst I’m slowly but surely figuring out the Gold Coast Suns team this off-season, one woman I’m very keen in seeing making her debut come round one is 18-year old Ellie Hampson. Having been one of the first signings by the Suns last year, Hampson showed plenty of promise to suggest that she will impact for the club straightaway as a midfielder. She was named as Queensland’s MVP in the under-18 championships, averaging 18.4 disposals and 3.2 tackles. She also won the Suns’ Academy Player of the Year impressing for the Suns in the Winter Series
GWS – Jess Allan
This will be an interesting player to watch this year. Jess Allan – the sister of Adelaide’s Sarah – was the Crows’ first pick in the 2017 AFLW Draft and played four games for the Crows the following year before ruling herself out of the 2019 year due to commitments from the Australian Army. She was then subsequently traded to GWS at the conclusion of the 2019 season. Often played as a ruck, it’ll be interesting to see how she can work in tandem with Erin McKinnon. However, her strong marking hands and very good vertical could see her played in a few other positions.
Melbourne – Maddie Gay
Season 2019 was that of progress for Maddie Gay. After crossing over from Carlton to Melbourne at the end of the 2018 season, Gay played every game and averaged a career-high in disposals, and found more of the ball consistently and used it pretty well in a Melbourne side that was well in contention for Finals last year. This year, expect the 23-year old to find another gear in her game. She’s had a year at Melbourne under her belt and she will be one of a few Demons that are expected to go up a notch.
North Melbourne – Daria Bannister
I’ve been a big fan of the ex-Dog from day one, and on the back of a strong pre-season, should be ready to go round one. A season-ending knee injury in round one of the 2018 season ruled her out for the remainder of that year and caused her to miss a large part of last year as well. She did come back to play the last two games for North Melbourne last year and showed potential as a dangerous small forward. With a bit of continuity in her game, she could become another midfield option with her abilities to get the footy severely underrated.
Richmond – Tayla Stahl
Those that followed Richmond’s VFLW team last year, will know what an exciting talent Tayla Stahl is and will be heading into the Tigers’ first season. Playing predominantly forward, Stahl made her splash onto the VFLW scene immediately, kicking six goals on debut against Darebin. She would eventually end up kicking 19 goals in 14 games and was dutifully rewarded with a spot in the VFLW team of the year. She has the pace and the evasiveness to cause so many headaches for opposition defenders this year.
St. Kilda – Nicola Xenos
Most of the noise from the draftees will be around Georgia Patrikios – and rightfully so, she’s going to be a gun footballer – I feel like Nicola Xenos has been slightly overlooked and should be good to go straightaway. She can play through the middle, where she can find the footy and tackle at will and she has the pace to play a rebounding role off half back. She featured in Collingwood’s VFLW Grand Final triumph last year and represented Vic Metro in the championships, so she knows what it’s like to play in the big games. One that will get games for the Saints early in the piece.
West Coast – Hayley Bullas
This is a player that will be locked in to play round one this year – permitting injuries of course. I’ve been high on Hayley Bullas over the past couple of seasons. In 2018, she won the Bombers’ best and fairest as well as a spot on the VFLW team of the year. After being overlooked in the AFLW Draft, she went back to work and was on track for another big season at the Dons, before a knee injury brought her form to a halt. Still, Bullas averaged 16.8 disposals and 7.3 tackles as an inside midfielder in just six games this year – try and tell me why she doesn’t deserve her chance?
Western Bulldogs – Aisling McCarthy
From a supporter’s standpoint, I absolutely enjoyed watching the development of Irish talent Aisling McCarthy in 2019. From the moment she debuted in round two, she didn’t look out of place and she grew by the week. Playing predominantly as a forward, she kicked a goal in all but one game and finished the year with a great performance against Carlton. With the Bulldogs working on a new midfield brigade to combat the 2020 season, McCarthy has been highly touted to get some minutes in the middle. She’s tough, has proven to find the footy and use it well – she could be the wildcard.