Bumper WA AFLW Draft Looms

As many as five West Australian players could be taken as first round selections at next week’s Telstra AFLW Draft in Melbourne.

Trent Cooper, WA Football Manager Female Talent Programs and Coaching Specialist, is optimistic about the chances of several WA players.

“We’re extremely excited about this year’s group,” Cooper said.

“They’ve worked incredibly hard to put themselves in a strong position, and for the first time AFLW recruiters will be looking to WA for high-quality midfielders, forwards and defenders, both small and tall.

“It’s a well-balanced crop with talent across all lines.”

Cooper believes top end talent from the state will be rewarded early on draft night.

“We’re expecting between three and five first-round selections, which is a fantastic result for our program,” he said.

 

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“Predicting overall numbers is trickier this year, as we anticipate a number of clubs may pass and hold picks for the new pre-season draft.

“That uncertainty makes it difficult to forecast total selections.”

Olivia Wolmarans, Evie Cowcher, Mia Russo, Olivia Crane and Carys D’addario are all in contention to be selected in the first round, with Wolmarans looming as a top five pick.

“There were several clubs in genuine contention for the number one selection, and a number of teams still rate Olivia as the best prospect in the draft,” Cooper said.

“Richmond now holds that selection, and if they choose to go in a different direction, we expect Olivia’s name will be read out very soon after.

“She remains our leading chance to be the first WA player taken.”

Cooper, a former AFLW coach at the Fremantle Dockers, has warned that some WA players may have to wait until next year to find a spot on a list.

“The AFL has introduced a pre-season draft to be held in late April or early May,” he said.

“Clubs can leave list spots open for that draft, and players selected only need to be signed for one season instead of two.

“We still expect WA to finish with a similar overall number of players on AFLW lists, but this change means some athletes may have to wait an additional four months for their opportunity, which is a significant shift for the players involved.”