Despite a second season with an 18-team competition, the upcoming AFLW campaign could be just as jarring initially for fans, for the number of players in new jumpers in 2023 will be unprecedented.
The reality is we saw more player movement in the recent off-season than any other previous year, with 10 per cent of the competition’s players changing clubs.
But as Herald Sun reporter Lauren Wood pointed out on Fox Footy’s AFLW preview show on Thursday night, the flurry of trade activity “levels the competition”.
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And as dual All-Australian Ruby Schleicher added: “This is the movement that the AFL were wanting before those expansion sides came in … Hopefully we’ll see a lot more closer games.”
The bombshell moves came during a priority signing period for the four expansion clubs, which saw some of the game’s biggest names essentially walking for essentially nothing.
Sydney, arguably, was the big winner of that period – and Scott Gowans’ side could be the sneaky riser in 2023, despite not winning any of its 10 games in season seven. That’s how big an impact the Swans’ recruits could have, along with a more exciting game plan.
The first big name to move was dual All-Australian Chloe Molloy – one of the most mercurial and dynamic players in the competition.
The Swans acquired the former Magpies star, as well as Carlton young gun Lucy McEvoy and Geelong on-baller Laura Gardiner, to spearhead their second AFLW season. The class and, just as importantly, leadership – Molloy and McEvoy are the club’s co-captains for 2023 – they’ll bring to a young Swans outfit will be invaluable.
But for Molloy, the move is about more than wanting to be the new face of the Swans.
“I wanted to be the first player to knock through the door and be like, it‘s OK to move,” Molloy told Fox Footy’s AFLW preview show.
“As hard as it was for me to leave Collingwood because it was all I ever identified as, but show that it’s OK for the movement and show that I want the league to grow. I want Sydney to grow.”
Molloy and McEvoy will also help Gowans unleash an exciting brand for the Swans, who should also get big lifts from ruck Ally Morphett and their array of talented teenagers.
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“There’s a saying ‘let the dancers dance’ – and we plan to do that. We’ll put the better players in the positions that they’re used to and just let them go,” Gowans said.
“You’ve got to have team defence, but we want to score. We want to take the game on.”
The other big off-season winner is Hawthorn, signing two premiership Lions stars in Emily Bates and Greta Bodey.
A three-time All-Australian, four-time best and fairest winner and season six competition best and fairest winner, Bates for years has been regarded as one of the AFLW’s premier midfielders. And she’s still only 27.
Yet curiously, she and Bodey moved with the Lions coming off a heartbreaking grand final loss and still right in the premiership window.
“I think the timing of it was surprising with how close Brisbane were to that premiership – and they really were the dominant team all year – but with players like ‘Batesy’, they seek that next challenge,” Schleicher said.
“Talking to her not long ago, it was seeking the challenge and trying to progress a new and exciting team coming into the competition.”
Bates’ arrival will also alleviate the pressure on captain Tilly Lucas-Rodd and young star Jasmine Fleming in the midfield at the Hawks, who won three of their consecutive games last season after a tough opening month.
Bodey, an All-Australian and Lions leading goalkicker in season six, said Hawks coach Bec Goddard was influential in her decision to leave Brisbane.
“She (Goddard) has got an incredible way with words. It was just really inspiring, the pitch was all about the competition more equal,” Bodey told Fox Footy.
“One of the lines was: ‘Do you want to be in an A-grade team in B-grade competition? Or do you want to make it more of a level playing field?’”
Port Adelaide pulled off a big coup and convinced Crows premiership forward and season six leading goalkicker Ash Saint (nee Woodland) to leave its cross-town rivals and join coach Lauren Arnell’s team. Saint joins superstar Erin Phillips, as well as young guns Hannah Ewings and Abbey Dowrick, who finished first and second respectively in the season seven AFLW Rising Star count.
The Power recorded just one win last season, but they were competitive in all but two games – and their percentage of 70.6 was better than five other teams that finished in the bottom 10.
Essendon, which will play four of its five games at Windy Hill, was the quietest of the expansion clubs in the off-season – but that’s because the Bombers were the busiest ahead of their inaugural season, landing Madison Prespakis, Bonnie Toogood, Steph Cain and Georgia Gee. Subsequently, Natalie Wood’s side finished 10th on the ladder – two-and-a-half wins outside the top eight – but now face the tough task of backing up this season and replicating – ideally improving, for Bombers fans – its output.
Longer quarters and a strict interchange cap headlined a suite of rule changes ahead of the upcoming AFLW season, which should suit the more established clubs.
Only two foundation coaches remain at their respective helms – and both are premiership coaches in Craig Starcevich (Lions) and Mick Stinear (Demons).
As well as losing Bates and Bodey, the Brisbane Lions also season seven leading goalkicker Jesse Wardlaw to St Kilda. That’s three of their best and most dynamic players gone after just missing out on a second premiership.
“You wake up the next morning and realise this (more player movement) is the best thing for the competition to spread some talent far and wide,” Starcevich told Fox Footy.
“The pleasing thing is that it’s almost a compliment to our club and program that clubs come after our players because they want a little bit of Brisbane at their club.
“We’ve produced high-quality players and they’re making other teams better.”
Despite still having ample talent on the Lions’ list – including Orla O’Dwyer, Nat Grider, Sophie Conway, Kate Lutkins, Dakota Davidsion, Isabel Dawes, Ally Anderson, Courtney Hodder and Cathy Svarc – no AFLW captain pre-season predicted the 2021 premiers would feature in the season eight grand final.
But a whopping fourteen captains picked reigning premiers Melbourne to feature in the decider after losing just one game in season seven to claim its first AFLW trophy.
You sense those predictions came due to the incredible stability at the Dees under Stinear. Unlike most rival clubs, there was barely any change to the Demons’ list during the off-season, with premiership captain Daisy Pearce’s retirement the only significant loss.
Star Kate Hore replaces Pearce as captain – and seems primed to thrive in the role – while 23-year-old Tyla Hanks is only expected to get better. And then there’s Olivia Purcell, Tayla Harris, Karen Paxman, Libby Birch and Eden Zanker.
North Melbourne, though, could be the Demons’ biggest challenger in 2023.
The Roos picked up St Kilda star Kate Shierlaw during the off-season – and she’s expected to have an immediate impact according to the AFLW skippers, with five picking Shierlaw to kick the most goals in the competition.
Shierlaw joins a star-studded side that already includes seven-time All-Australian Emma Kearney, Jenna Bruton, Ash Riddell and Jasmine Garner.
The Kangaroos have been perennial finalists, featuring in the past four straight finals series and making a prelim in season seven. For Fox Footy commentator Kelli Underwood, the Roos’ time is now.
“They just look set to take that next leap up, particularly with Shierlaw who could be the missing link,” Underwood told Fox Footy.
“I think North Melbourne will win the premiership this year. I think they’ll finally break through. They haven’t lost any players.”
You also sense three-time premiers Adelaide, again, will challenge.
Despite losing Saint to the Power – and triple All-Australian defender Sarah Allen to injury for most of the season due to a hamstring injury – the Crows will still be led by their core four: Anne Hatchard, Ebony Marinoff, Chelsea Randall and Stevie-Lee Thompson, who have 14 All-Australian selections between them. Plus defender Chelsea Biddell and ruck Caitlin Gould should only get better after excellent season seven campaigns.
Collingwood, like the Roos, have also featured in the past four consecutive AFLW finals series. But the Pies were hit hard at the trade table during the off-season, losing Molloy (Sydney), 2020 leading goalkicker Jordan Membrey, captain Steph Chiocci (St Kilda) and triple best and fairest winner Jamiee Lambert (St Kilda).
There’ll be a strong reliance on returning stars Brianna Davey and Britt Bonnici, as well Schleicher, Jordyn Allen and Mikala Cann, if the Pies are to contend again.
St Kilda, which has never played finals and finished higher than 11th since the AFLW went away from ‘conferences’, went shopping in the off-season.
Not only did the Saints add genuine star power through Wardlaw, Lambert and Chiocci, they also brought in Nat Plane from Carlton and Serene Watson from Gold Coast.
But asked what impact the Saints could have this year, Schleicher said: “Huge when you look at the calibre of players that have come in. But is it enough to push that top four sides? I’m not sure.
“When you look at the Saints, their three wins came to expansion sides last season, so they weren’t able to crack the sides that were already established in the league.”
There’s been two coaching changes.
At Fremantle, Lisa Webb becomes the first former AFLW player to become the senior coach of the same club she previously played for, replacing Trent Cooper in the chair. The Dockers had a decent dive down the ladder last season, winning just three games and finishing 12th.
Carlton, which has missed out on finals in the past three seasons, underwent an extensive review of its AFLW program. One of the key findings was a need for a full-time coach, which led to the departure of Daniel Harford and the appointment of Matthew Buck.
And Buck, according to star ruck Breann Moody, has had an immediate influence on the playing group, which has predominantly trained during day-time hours.
“I don’t want to say I ever walk into this place or have ever walked in and not appreciated the opportunities or facilities I get to train at. It’s just been taken to steps beyond what I’ve thought this season and I think that comes down to ‘Bucky’ being appointed,” Moody told foxfooty.com.au.
“He’s got such a sense of appreciation for opportunities and experiences and he’s really instilled that in our group: Be grateful for those who came before us, those who will come after and what we’re doing here.”
The Tigers and Cats were the surprise packets of season seven, finishing fourth and fifth respectively. The Tigers, however, were bundled out of finals in straight sets, while the Cats lost a two-point elimination final thriller to North Melbourne.
Geelong unleashed a more attacking style under coach Daniel Lowther last year, with star forward Chloe Scheer thriving with a 13-goal season. Scheer will again spearhead the Cats’ forward line, while they have one of the best on-ball brigades in the competition through triple best and fairest winner Amy McDonald, Georgie Prespakis, Nina Morrison and Becky Webster – although the ladder is set to miss the first month of the season due to hamstring injury.
Despite losing veteran Courtney Wakefield to retirement, Richmond’s forward line has been boosted significantly but the signings of 2020 season leading goalkicker Caitlin Greiser and crafty Suns forward Courtney Jones.
And then there’s Monique Conti, who enters season eight as the hot favourite to take out her first AFLW best and fairest award after finishing runner-up to Ally Anderson last year.
“The only way is up for Mon,” Schleicher said.
“She’s just such a dedicated character. Footy and basketball is her life and she just wants to be the best athlete she can be. She’s their driving force.”
At the Giants, Alyce Parker is their driving force. At 23, she’s already won four club best and fairest and been named All-Australian twice – and if the Giants had won more games, she might’ve had a competition best and fairest medal to her name as well.
The Giants are the only one of the eight foundation teams yet to play finals – as Swans coach Gowans cheekily pointed out earlier this week – and will enter the season with one of the youngest lists in the competition after losing veteran duo Cora Staunton – the club’s all-time leading goalkicker – and reliable defender Tanya Hetherington.
But the good news is prized recruit Izzy Huntington is expected to feature early in the season after missing both season six and seven due to an ACL rupture in January 2022. The former Bulldog’s return to the field will give the Giants a much-needed focal point inside 50.
West Coast picked up Amy Franklin from the Dockers and will again be led by star on-ballers Emma Swanson and Dana Hooker. But external expectations on them heading into this season are low.
The Gold Coast Suns will again be led by 20-year-old sensation Charlie Rowbottom. The Suns were in the finals mix until the final round last season, ultimately finishing ninth with a 5-5 record. The issue for them will be ensuring they continue to improve after clubs below them on the ladder – who went to work at the trade table during the off-season – threaten to usurp them.
The Western Bulldogs, who won a flag in 2018, had a stable off-season, with Ellie Blackburn and Kirsty Lamb turning down approaches from Sydney and St Kilda respectively to remain at the club, Kirsten McLeod will also be a welcome return, while Alice Edmonds will be looking to back-up her brilliant season seven campaign.
But after being eliminated in an elimination final last season, there are suggestions Nathan Burke’s side could be season eight’s big slider.
“I think there’s just teams that are going to bump up through recruits and I’m not sure they (the Dogs) did enough in the off-season,” Schleicher said.
The Dogs will have a chance to prove their doubters wrong starting this weekend when they take on Geelong on Saturday night.
Every game of season eight of the AFLW season will be shown live and ad break-free siren-to-siren on Fox Footy.
PREDICTIONS
Premiers: Melbourne
Runner-up: Adelaide
Wooden spoon: West Coast Eagles
AFLW Best and Fairest winner: Alyce Parker (GWS Giants)
Leading goalkicker: Kate Shierlaw (North Melbourne)
Rising Star: Jasmine Fleming (Hawthorn)
EVERY AFLW CLUB’S LADDER RANGE
Adelaide Crows: 1st-4th
Brisbane Lions: 5th-8th
Carlton: 12th-15th
Collingwood: 6th-9th
Essendon: 11th-14th
Fremantle: 12th-15th
Geelong Cats: 5th-8th
Gold Coast Suns: 13th-16th
GWS Giants: 8th-11th
Hawthorn: 13th-16th
Melbourne: 1st-4th
North Melbourne: 1st-4th
Port Adelaide: 8th-11th
Richmond: 6th-9th
St Kilda: 8th-11th
Sydney Swans: 15th-18th
West Coast Eagles: 15th-18th
Western Bulldogs: 8th-11th
