Marcus Bontempelli (Eltham)
The No. 4 pick in the 2013 AFL Draft, Bontempelli has emerged as one of the AFL’s star players.
He claimed the Western Bulldogs’ best and fairest, the Charles Sutton Medal, in the club’s drought-breaking premiership season in 2016.
He has since won the award again in 2017, 2019 and the Bulldogs’ 2021 grand final season.
A four-time All Australian representative in 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2021, Bontempelli was named the AFL Coaches Association Player of the Year in 2019 and finished runner-up for the Brownlow Medal in 2021 & 2023 and the AFL Rising Star award in 2014.
He became captain of the Bulldogs in 2020.
AFL games: 216
AFL goals: 200
Nate Caddy (Bundoora and Yarrambat)
Caddy was selected by Essendon with pick No. 10 in the 2023 AFL Draft.
Caddy played the entirety of his junior football with Yarrambat, playing over 130 games with the club, while also making two appearances at senior level with Bundoora in 2022.
He won two league best and fairest awards at junior level and also represented the NFNL in the AFL Victoria Metro Junior Development Series in 2019 at Under-14 level.
He finished runner up in the Brent Harvey Medal (Northern Knights Boys Best & Fairest) for the second straight year, kicking 25 goals in nine matches during the Coates Talent League season, earning a spot at Centre Half Foward in the 2023 Team of the Year.
AFL games: 0
AFL goals: 0
Nick Coffield (Eltham)
A product of the Eltham Football Club, Coffield was taken by St Kilda at pick No. 8 in the 2017 AFL Draft.
Coffield was captain of the Northern Knights in 2017 and went on to play 10 matches in his debut AFL season in 2018.
He enjoyed a breakout season in 2020, when he featured in 18 matches and finished fifth in St Kilda’s best and fairest award.
Coffield was named on the interchange in the 2020 AFL Players’ Association 22Under22 team.
At the conclusion of the 2023 season, Coffield was traded to the Western Bulldogs.
AFL games: 52
AFL goals: 2
Aidan Corr (Macleod)
Corr was recruited by the GWS Giants with pick No. 14 in the 2012 AFL Draft.
The key defender made his debut in Round 6, 2013 and went on to play 98 games with the Giants before securing a transfer to North Melbourne at the conclusion of the 2020 season.
Corr was a member the Giants’ 2019 grand final team after fighting his way back into the side late in the season following an injury-interrupted campaign.
He played junior football at Macleod and played five senior matches for the Roos across the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
AFL games: 139
AFL goals: 3
Nik Cox (Montmorency)
Essendon used its first selection in the 2020 AFL Draft to take Cox at pick No. 8.
A key position player from Montmorency Junior Football Club, Cox had long been earmarked as a top-10 prospect.
He represented Vic Metro at the 2019 AFL Under-18 Championships, was a member of the NAB AFL Academy and was named co-captain of the Northern Knights in 2020, prior to the cancelled NAB League campaign.
Standing 200cm, Cox boasts remarkable athleticism and impressed in his debut AFL season – playing all but one game for Essendon and earning a NAB Rising Star nomination in the Bombers’ Round 12 defeat to Richmond, where he amassed 23 disposals and booted a goal. Cox has played 11 matches in the previous two seasons.
AFL games: 33
AFL goals: 10
Josh Eyre (Kilmore)
Eyre was selected by Essendon with pick No. 39 in the 2020 AFL Draft, after the Bombers matched a bid from Richmond for the talented key tall.
A product of Kilmore Junior Football Club, Eyre played eight games for the Calder Cannons during the 2019 NAB League season and was a member of Essendon’s Next Generation Academy.
Standing 198cm, he was a standout at the Vic Country Combine, finishing second in both the 2km time trial and 20-metre sprint, as well as runner-up in the running and standing vertical jumps tests.
AFL games: 0
AFL goals: 0
Brayden Fiorini (Research and Greensborough)
Fiorini was drafted by Gold Coast with pick No. 20 in the 2015 AFL Draft.
A ball magnet, he averaged more possessions per game than any player in the 2015 TAC Cup campaign.
Fiorini made his debut in Round 22, 2016 against Collingwood at Etihad Stadium, before racking up 26 disposals the next week in the Suns’ season-ending match against Port Adelaide.
He enjoyed a career-best season in 2019, finishing fifth in the Suns’ best and fairest after amassing 534 disposals at an average of 25 per match.
AFL games: 93
AFL goals: 27
Will Green (Northcote Park)
Sydney selected Will Green with pick No. 16 in the 2023 AFL Draft.
The 204cm ruck played with Northcote throughout his junior career, playing over 120 games in the league, and was an NFNL representative at Under-14 level.
After a strong year with the Knights in 2022, he was named as co-captain of the Boys side in 2023, and played 13 games, averaging over 22 hit outs a game, on his way to being named in the Coates Talent League Team of the Year.
He also played three games with Vic Metro in this year’s AFL Under 18 Championships.
AFL games: 0
AFL goals: 0
Jade Gresham (South Morang)
Gresham was selected by St Kilda with pick No. 18 in the 2015 AFL Draft.
In doing so he became the first South Morang player to be recruited to an AFL club since the draft’s inception in 1986.
Gresham played 18 games in his debut season and finished sixth in the AFL Rising Star voting.
He played every game in 2017, before backing-up the feat in a breakout 2018 campaign – where he booted 35 goals, which included a bag of six against reigning premier Richmond.
After suffering a season ending injury in 2021, Gresham played 41 of a possible 46 games between 2022 and 2023 before signing with Essendon at the conclusion of the 2023 campaign.
AFL games: 136
AFL goals: 136
Dylan Grimes (Hurstbridge)
Grimes was selected by Richmond with pick No. 3 in the 2009 Pre-Season Draft.
After an injury-plagued start to his career, Grimes has established himself as one the AFL’s best defenders.
He had a standout season in 2017, playing all 25 games – including the grand final – and finished fifth in the best and fairest in the Tigers’ premiership campaign.
Grimes was also a key member of the club’s 2019 and 2020 premiership wins.
He was selected in the All-Australian team in 2019 and was a member of the 40-player All Australian squad in 2018 and 2020.
In 2022, Grimes was announced as co-captain of Richmond.
AFL games: 229
AFL goals: 3
Cooper Harvey (Yarrambat and North Heidelberg)
Harvey was selected by North Melbourne as a father-son selection with pick No. 56 in the 2022 AFL Draft.
He played his entire junior career with the Yarrambat Junior Football Club before making one senior appearance with North Heidelberg in 2021.
Harvey also represented the NFNL at the AFL Victoria Metro Junior Championships at both Under-14 and Under-15 levels, kicking 12 goals across seven games.
In 2022, Harvey made eight appearances with the Northern Knights, averaging 20.1 disposals and kicking five goals as he helped the Knights sneak into the NAB League finals.
He made his AFL debut in Round 17, 2023, also kicking his first AFL goal in the same match.
AFL games: 3
AFL goals: 1
Bailey Laurie (Diamond Creek)
Laurie was drafted by Melbourne at pick No. 22 in the 2020 AFL Draft.
He began his football journey with Diamond Creek Junior Football Club, before moving to Beverley Hills Junior Football Club and progressing through to the Oakleigh Chargers.
The classy small forward has been praised for his outstanding game sense and clean skills. He also possesses great leg speed and can also play on a wing.
Laurie represented Vic Metro at the AFL Under-16 Championships in 2018 and impressed as a first-year player in seven NAB League matches for the Chargers in 2019.
He made his AFL debut for the Demons in the opening round of the 2023 season and also featured in the club’s Qualifying Final side that same year.
AFL games: 5
AFL goals: 0
Mitchell Lewis (Wallan and Whittlesea)
Mitchell Lewis was one of the most talked-about picks in the 2016 AFL Draft, when selected by Hawthorn at No. 76.
Ironically, he was taken by the Hawks just one month after the club traded out premiership legends Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis.
He made his AFL debut in Round 9, 2018 and in the same season finished second on the VFL goal kicking table and was a member of the Box Hill Hawks premiership team.
Lewis enjoyed a career-best season in 2022, booting 37 goals in 15 AFL appearances including kicking a career-high of five goals in two separate games.
AFL games: 66
AFL goals: 120
Patrick Lipinski (Eltham and Montmorency)
Lipinski was drafted by the Western Bulldogs with pick No. 28 in the 2016 AFL Draft.
He made his AFL debut in Round 22, 2017 and racked up 18 disposals in the Bulldogs’ loss to Hawthorn.
He became a regular in the senior side the following year when he played 17 games, before adding 14 in 2019 and 13 in 2020.
Lipinksi was squeezed out of the Bulldogs’ senior team late in the 2021 grand final campaign and successfully requested a trade to Collingwood at season’s end.
He would flourish in first year at the Magpies, playing all 25 games in 2022 and averaging a career high 22 disposals a game. The following year, he played in Collingwood’s 2023 premiership side.
AFL games: 95
AFL goals: 44
Darcy Macpherson (Diamond Creek)
Macpherson was selected by the Gold Coast Suns with pick No. 21 in the 2015 Rookie Draft.
The son of former Footscray player Steve, he was soon promoted to the senior list and made his debut against Melbourne in Round 7, 2016.
Macpherson claimed the Suns’ NEAFL Player of the Year award in 2017.
He cemented his place in the senior side in 2019, when he featured in all 22 matches and finished third in the club’s best and fairest award.
In 2023, he played all 23 games and registered career highs in average disposals, marks and rebound 50’s.
AFL games: 95
AFL goals: 29
Finnbar Maley (Eltham and Research)
Malet was selected by North Melbourne with pick No. 2 in the 2023 Rookie Draft.
Maley played 20 senior games for Eltham between 2022 and 2023.
In 2022 he was named in the Division 2 Team of the Year while in 2023, he kicked six goals in the Division 2 grand final, earning best on ground honours in the Panthers’ premiership triumph.
The tall also spent time with Research as a junior and in 2023, played 13 VFL games with the Northern Bullants.
AFL games: 0
AFL goals: 0
Justin McInerney (Banyule and Macleod)
McInerney was selected by Sydney with pick No. 44 in the 2018 AFL draft.
The Banyule and former Macleod junior didn’t take long to make his debut, which came against Melbourne in Round 4, 2019.
That proved to be his only senior appearance in his debut season, however McInerney enjoyed a solid 2020, where he featured for the Swans nine times.
He earned a Rising Star nomination in Round 15 after a strong performance in a win over Melbourne, where he had 14 disposals and kicked two goals.
McInerney became a regular in Sydney’s line-up during the 2021 season, playing 21 games, before playing a further 22 matches the following year, culminating with him earning a spot in Sydney’s 2022 grand final side.
AFL games: 72
AFL goals: 31
Lachlan Murphy (Diamond Creek)
Murphy was selected by Adelaide with pick No. 38 in the 2017 AFL Rookie Draft.
A star junior footballer at Diamond Creek, Murphy represented the league at under-13, under-14 and under-15 level.
He was overlooked in the 2016 draft despite a standout season in the TAC Cup for the Northern Knights, where he claimed the club’s best and fairest.
He put the disappointment aside and made the move to Adelaide in the hunt of keeping his AFL dream alive.
The decision paid off, with Murphy rewarded after an impressive year for the Crows – where he played 18 SANFL and won the Dean Bailey Award as the club’s most dedicated development player.
Murphy played 11 AFL matches in his debut season in 2018 and has since gone on to become a regular in the Crows’ side.
AFL games: 98
AFL goals: 68
Jack Petruccelle (Epping)
Petruccelle was snapped up by West Coast at pick No.38 in the 2017 AFL Draft.
After juggling football and basketball commitments throughout his junior career, Petruccelle burst into draft contention with an eye-catching campaign for the Northern Knights.
His 2.87 seconds in the 20m sprint was the fastest of any player at the 2017 AFL Draft Combine.
Petruccelle managed three games during his debut season with the 2018 premiers, with his debut coming in the Western Derby against Fremantle in Round 6.
He played a career-high 20 matches in 2019 and a further 17 matches in 2021.
AFL games: 72
AFL goals: 59
Dion Prestia (West Lalor)
Initially hailing from West Lalor, Prestia was taken by the Gold Coast Suns with pick 9 in the 2010 AFL Draft.
He had a breakout season in 2013, finishing runner-up in the club’s best and fairest award after averaging 25 possessions across his 20 games.
He served as vice-captain of the Suns from 2014 to 2016.
After two injury-plagued years Prestia was granted a trade to Richmond at the conclusion of the 2016 season.
He made an immediate impact with the Tigers and was an integral part of the club’s premiership side – averaging 27 disposals per game during the 2017 finals series.
Prestia etched himself in Richmond folklore by claiming the best and fairest in the 2019 premiership season and was also a member of the 2020 grand final win over Geelong.
AFL games: 212
AFL goals: 70
Jayden Short (Mill Park and Bundoora)
Short was selected by Richmond with selection 11 in the 2014 Rookie Draft.
He was promoted to the senior list in March 2016 and made his debut in Round 2, where he impressed with three majors against Collingwood at the MCG.
Short went on to play 16 matches in his debut season before being upgraded to Richmond’s senior list.
He played 16 of Richmond’s first 18 games in 2017, before losing his place in the senior team ahead of the club’s successful finals series.
Short responded with a breakout season in 2018, playing all 24 matches and averaging 20 disposals per game as a rebounding defender.
He was a member of the club’s 2019 premiership side and was crowned club champion on the 2020 premiership season, where he finished second to Dustin Martin in the Norm Smith Medal voting in the grand final win against Geelong. He also picked up the Richmond best and fairest that season.
AFL games: 153
AFL goals: 34
Sam Switkowski (Research and Panton Hill)
Switkowski was selected by Fremantle with No. 73 in the 2017 AFL Draft.
The Research junior, who also played senior football with Panton Hill, won the Northern Knights best and fairest in 2014.
He went on to play 27 VFL games for the Box Hill Hawks and a further 20 games in the development league before being drafted.
Switkowski played two games in his first season with the Dockers, before playing 18 in 2019.
He missed the 2020 season through injury, but responded by playing 12 games in 2021 before playing 14 matches in 2022.
In 2023, he played a career high 22 matches, also kicking a career high 16 goals for the season.
AFL games: 68
AFL goals: 43
Nick Vlastuin (Eltham)
Vlastuin was picked up by Richmond with pick No. 9 in the 2012 AFL Draft.
He debuted in Round 5 and played 18 games in his debut season, finishing sixth in the AFL Rising Star award.
Vlastuin has since become a dependable and hard-nosed half-back flanker.
He overcame injury midway through the 2017 season to play a vital role in Richmond’s premiership campaign, which included a starring role in the qualifying final win over Geelong.
Vlastuin was also a member of the Tigers’ premiership sides in 2019 and 2020.
AFL games: 211
AFL goals: 29
Darcy Wilmot (Yarrambat and Montmorency)
Despite being the youngest player nominated for the 2021 draft, Wilmot was the Brisbane Lions’ first selection with pick 16.
Wilmot played his entire junior career with Yarrambat Junior Football Club, before linking up with Montmorency in 2021.
Wilmot represented the NFNL at the AFL Victoria Metro Junior Championships at both Under-14 and Under-15 levels and featured for Vic Metro at the 2019 AFL Under-16 Championships.
He featured on the podium in the NFNL best and fairest three times as a junior. He won the 2015 Under-15 Blue best and fairest, was runner-up in the 2019 Under-16 Blue count and finished third for the 2016 Under-13 Blue award.
Wilmot made a historic debut with the Lions in 2022 when he was selected to play in their elimination final against Richmond, becoming the first player in four years to debut in a final.
He has not missed a game since, playing all 26 matches for the Lions in their 2023 grand final run.
AFL games: 29
AFL goals: 6
Tylar Young (Bundoora)
Young was picked up by Richmond with pick No. 26 in the 2022 Rookie Draft.
Young joined Bundoora in 2020 and played four senior games with the club in 2021.
After spending two years and playing eight games with Frankston, the key defender signed with Richmond’s VFL side in 2022 where he made 14 appearances.
He made his AFL debut for Richmond in Round 2, 2023 and went on to play 19 games in that season.
AFL games: 19
AFL goals: 0
AFLW
Alyssa Bannan (South Morang and Diamond Creek Women’s)
Long regarded as an AFLW prospect, Bannan was drafted by Melbourne with pick No. 5 in the 2020 AFL Women’s Draft.
A member of the 2020 AFL Women’s Academy, Bannan was a dominant force for the Northern Knights and was a member of the club’s 2019 NAB League Girls premiership.
She was named among Vic Metro’s best players in three of their four matches at the 2019 AFLW U18 Championships and was an integral part of the NFNL’s historic Under-15 Girls team which claimed the title at the AFL Victoria Metro Junior Championships in 2017.
Bannan won the NFNL Under-14 Girls Best and Fairest in 2016 and has proven her talents extend beyond the football field. She tied for the Section 2 netball best and fairest while playing for Craigieburn during the 2019-20 NFNL Summer competition and was also one of the league’s leading boundary umpires.
She played all 11 games in her debut season, including two finals before playing an integral role in Melbourne’s inaugural AFLW premiership in November 2022.
AFLW games: 48
AFLW goals: 41
Lulu Beatty (Darebin)
Beatty was selected by Carlton with pick No. 5 in the 2023 AFLW Supplementary Draft.
Beatty was named as co-captain of the Northern Knights Under-18 Girls squad ahead of her AFLW selection following an outstanding 2022 season in which she played five games for the Knights and represented Vic Metro on two occasions in the AFLW U18 Championships.
She also played five VFLW games for Darebin in 2022 and made her Carlton VFLW two weeks before being drafted. Beatty played seven NFNL senior women’s games for the Falcons in 2022, including their Division 1 grand final defeat.
Injury prevented Beatty from making her debut during the 2023 season.
AFLW games: 0
AFLW goals: 0
Deanna Berry (Mernda, Epping and Montmorency)
A product of the Mernda Football Club, Berry was a standout coming through the junior ranks.
After playing against the boys until the under-14s, she made the move to Epping to play in the NFNL’s Youth Girls competition, before returning to Mernda to start up the Demons’ under-18 girls side.
As a 17-year-old she led the Victorian Women’s Football League Division 2 goal kicking in 2015, with 43 majors for Montmorency.
Berry was selected by Melbourne at pick No. 9 in the inaugural AFL Women’s draft.
She was traded to the Western Bulldogs at the conclusion of the 2017 AFLW season and was a member of the side’s 2018 AFLW premiership side.
AFLW games: 47
AFLW goals: 18
Brittany Bonnici (Wallan and VU Western Spurs)
Bonnici began her football career with Wallan Junior Football Club.
She spent four seasons with the Magpies between 2008 to 2011 before transferring to St Albans (now VU Western Spurs).
She was selected by Collingwood with pick No. 27 in the 2016 AFL Women’s draft.
She won a Rising Star nomination in 2017 after collecting a match-high 18 disposals in the Magpies’ six-goal win over GWS in Round 6.
Bonnici was named Collingwood’s vice-captain for both the 2018 and 2019 seasons. She also finished in runner-up for the club’s Best and Fairest Award in 2020.
Bonnici missed the backend of the 2022 season as well as all of Season 7 to an ACL injury.
AFLW games: 57
AFLW goals: 4
Madeline Brancatisano (Montmorency and Laurimar)
Brancatisano was selected by Melbourne Football Club with pick No.15 in the 2018 AFLW Draft.
She played her junior football with Montmorency Junior Football Club and Laurimar Football Club and in 2018 captained the Northern Knights in their TAC Cup Girls grand final campaign.
Brancatisano represented Vic Metro during the 2018 NAB AFLW Under-18 Championships and also played six games for Carlton during the 2018 VFL Women’s campaign.
She joined Richmond following the 2019 AFLW season and was a member of the Tigers’ inaugural AFLW campaign and the club’s first finals match in Season 7.
Ahead of the 2023 campaign, she was traded to the Gold Coast Suns, where she played all 11 games, including the club’s elimination final.
AFLW games: 43
AFLW goals: 1
Lauren Brazzale (Eltham and Diamond Creek Women’s)
Brazzale played junior football with Eltham, before joining Diamond Creek Women’s.
After impressing at VFLW level, she was drafted by Carlton with pick No. 62 in the 2016 AFLW draft.
She made her debut in the historic AFLW first premiership game, where she was a member of Carlton’s victory over Collingwood in front of a capacity crowd at Ikon Park.
A regular in the Blues’ line-up Brazzale also featured for the club in its 2019 AFLW grand final loss to Adelaide.
After 41 games with the Blues, Brazzale was traded to Collingwood ahead of Season 7, playing 11 matches for the Magpies throughout the campaign.
AFLW games: 62
AFLW goals: 7
Hayley Bullas (Diamond Creek Women’s)
Bullas represented Diamond Creek Women’s in the inaugural season of the NFNL’s Women’s competition.
She was named among the Creekers best players in the 2017 Division 1 Women’s grand final loss to Bendigo, and also played six matches for the club’s VFLW side in the same season.
Bullas then linked up with Essendon and was a member of the club’s VFLW side in both 2018 and 2019, where she also served as vice-captain.
She was signed by West Coast for its inaugural AFLW season in 2020, joining the club as part of the Eagles’ Female Academy. A fierce tackler and a strong inside ball-winner in her own right, she averaged 8.3 disposals and four tackles a game in her AFLW debut season.
Bullas has played in 20 of West Coast’s last 25 games across 2021 and 2022.
In 2023, she signed with the Sydney Swans as a free agent, but was rules out for the season due to injury.
AFLW games: 30
AFLW goals: 5
Grace Campbell (Bendigo)
Campbell represented Bendigo during the inaugural season of the NFNL Women’s competition in 2017.
She was dominant in all six matches for the Thunder, but didn’t feature after Round 10 in the club’s premiership campaign after suffering an ACL injury.
A strong contested ball player, she averaged eight tackles and 14 disposals per game for Richmond during the 2019 VFLW season and was signed to the club’s AFLW list as one of seven Academy elevations.
Campbell played five games in her AFLW debut season in 2020 and finished fifth in the Tigers’ best and fairest, before being traded to North Melbourne. She played 13 games for the Kangaroos before suffering an ACL injury before Season 7.
In 2023 she joined Collingwood where she played all 10 games as was named as the club’s best first year player.
AFLW games: 28
AFLW goals: 4
Maeve Chaplin (Darebin and West Preston-Lakeside)
Chaplin played junior football with West Preston-Lakeside and Darebin.
She represented the NFNL at the AFL Victoria Metro Junior Championships in both 2016 and 2017, featuring in the Under 15 Girls Championship-winning team in 2017.
More recently she has been a standout with the Northern Knights, while also making four VFLW appearances for Carlton in 2021.
She was added Melbourne’s AFLW list as a replacement player for injured youngster Isabella Simmons on the 2022 season.
Chaplin played all but one of Melbourne’s 13 games in Season 7 and became a member of the Demons’ inaugural premiership side.
AFLW games: 21
AFLW goals: 0
Gabrielle Colvin (Darebin)
Colvin played for Darebin in the NFNL Women’s Division 1 competition during the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
She also represented the Falcons’ VFLW team during these seasons, before being drafted by Melbourne with pick No.77 in the 2019 AFLW draft.
A netballer-turned-footballer, Colvin provides versatility down back, with the ability to play on both talls and smalls.
AFLW games: 27
AFLW goals: 0
Jessica Dal Pos (Darebin)
A product of the Darebin Women’s Football Club, Dal Pos has won NFNL junior premierships as both a player and coach of the Falcons.
She was one of three priority players selected by Greater Western Sydney before the 2016 AFL Women’s draft.
Dal Pos won the Giants’ best and fairest in the inaugural season of the AFLW in 2017 and was also named in the AFLW All Australian side.
A member of the Giants’ leadership group, Dal Pos made 37 appearances for the club before being traded to Carlton prior to the 2022 season. She did not miss a game for the Blues in her first two years the club.
AFLW games: 64
AFLW goals: 8
Rosie Dillon (Whitehorse)
Dillon represented Whitehorse during the inaugural NFNL Women’s season, kicking eight goals in four appearances during the 2017 Division 1 Women’s campaign.
She also featured for Box Hill Hawks during the 2017 VFLW season, before representing Hawthorn in the same competition in 2018 and 2019, winning the best and fairest in her final season with the Hawks.
Dillon was drafted by St Kilda with selection No. 24 in the 2019 AFLW draft and had an immediate impact.
She snared the Saints best and fairest award in her first season in the top-flight, sharing the award in an incredible four-way tie.
The talented midfielder has since played a further 25 games with the club.
AFLW games: 31
AFLW goals: 1
Ciara Fitzgerald (West Preston-Lakeside)
Fitzgerald was selected by Richmond at pick No. 87 in the 2019 AFLW Draft.
She played her one and only match for the Tigers in Round 6, 2020 vs St Kilda but was delisted at the conclusion of the season.
In 2021, she joined North Melboune’s VFLW side and would go on to win the club’s best and fairest after a strong 2023 season.
Ahead of the 2023 AFLW season, the rebounding defender joined Carlton as an injury replacement player and ended representing the club in six matches.
She made three appearances for West Preston Lakeside’s senior women’s team in 2023 and spent her junior football career with the club.
AFLW games: 7
AFLW goals: 0
Jessica Fitzgerald (Bundoora Park)
Fitzgerald was selected by the Western Bulldogs at pick No. 2 in the 2020 AFLW Draft.
She began her football journey with Bundoora Park and was a member of the club’s under-9 team in its inaugural season in the NFNL in 2011.
The following year she was a member of the Thunderbolts’ Under-10 Red premiership side and was named in the team’s best players in the grand final win over Northcote.
After taking a break from the game she continued her football journey with St Mary’s, before moving on to the Northern Knights. She was best afield in the Knights’ NAB League Girls grand final win in 2019 as a bottom-age player and was named among the club’s best players in two of three games in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Fitzgerald has not missed a game for the Western Bulldogs since her debut in Round 1, 2021 and won the club’s Coaches Award following Season 7 of the AFLW.
AFLW games: 40
AFLW goals: 8
Elisabeth Georgostathis (VU Western Spurs)
Georgostathis excelled in her sole season of senior football with the VU Western Spurs.
She claimed the Spurs’ Division 1 best and fairest despite being just 16 years of age for the majority of the season.
Her efforts were also highlighted with selection in the 2018 NFNL Division 1 Women’s Team of the Year.
She captained the Western Jets in 2019 and was selected in the NAB League Team of the Year, while also representing Vic Metro and the Western Bulldogs VFLW side.
Georgostathis was selected by the Western Bulldogs at pick No. 9 in the 2019 AFL National Draft and played six matches in her debut season in the AFLW.
Prior to Season 7, she had played 25 consecutive games for the Bulldogs and in Round 7 of the 2022 campaign, earned a Rising Star nomination.
AFLW games: 44
AFLW goals: 4
Claudia Gunjaca (La Trobe University)
Gunjaca was a standout for La Trobe University in the inaugural NFNL Women’s season in 2017.
She was named in the best players in eight of her 14 appearances and finished runner-up in the Division 1 team’s best and fairest award.
Gunjaca relocated to Sydney and won AFL Sydney’s top individual honour, the Mostyn Medal, in 2020.
She returned to hometown Geelong and was a standout for the Cats’ VFL team in 2021, where she served as acting captain. She was named in the VFLW Team of the Year and won the Cats’ VFLW best-and-fairest award.
Following her outstanding campaign, Gunjaca was added to Geelong’s AFLW list as a pre-draft mature age selection. The defender played 15 games across both 2022 AFLW season’s and averaged over four intercept possessions a game.
In 2023, she played all 13 matches and played a crucial role in the Cats’ run to the preliminary final.
AFLW games: 28
AFLW goals: 0
Britney Gutknecht (Laurimar)
Gutknecht was one of the steals of the 2019 AFLW Draft, with the Bulldogs selecting her with pick No. 48.
It followed a standout season with the Northern Knights, where she averaged 17 disposals and five tackles a game.
She played junior and senior football with Laurimar and also played for Vic Metro and Carlton’s VFLW team in 2019.
A contested ball winner, Gutknecht has played 22 games for the Bulldogs across the previous four seasons.
AFLW games: 22
AFLW goals: 5
Bailey Hunt (Montmorency)
Hunt was selected by the Western Bulldogs with pick No. 60 in the 2016 AFL Women’s Draft.
She had previously spent three seasons with Montmorency, two of which she played in the NFNL’s Under-18 and Under-19 girls competitions.
She joined Melbourne Uni in 2016 and played 15 matches in the VFLW competition.
Hunt was selected as one of two Round 1 nominees for the inaugural AFLW Rising Star award.
She was a member of the Bulldogs’ 2018 AFLW premiership side and enjoyed her most consistent season at AFLW level in 2020, when she played every match and averaged 10 disposals per game.
She has since become a regular in the Bulldogs’ lineup, and played her 50th AFLW match in the final game of the 2023 season.
AFLW games: 50
AFLW goals: 2
Kodi Jacques (Bendigo)
Jacques is a two-time NFNL Division 1 Women’s premiership winner with Bendigo.
The 2017 and 2018 premiership star also finished seventh in league best and fairest count in 2018.
She joined Richmond’s VFL side in 2019 before being elevated to the club’s AFLW list for the 2020 campaign.
A silky-skilled midfielder known for her work rate and defensive pressure, Jacques featured in every match during Richmond’s first AFLW season.
She would play a further 20 games for the Tigers before being traded to Essendon ahead of the 2023 season where she played 10 games.
AFLW games: 36
AFLW goals: 4
Elizabeth Keaney (Melbourne University)
Keaney only began playing football in recent years after switching to the game from field hockey.
In 2017 she played eight matches in the NFNL Women’s Division 1 competition, which included a best-on-ground performance in Melbourne University’s elimination final win over Kew.
After an impressive 2018 campaign with the club’s VFLW side, she made the move to the Southern Saints and continued to shine.
An attacking half-back who is known for her creativity and rebounding abilities, Keaney was selected by Gold Coast at pick No. 58 in the 2020 AFL Draft.
Season 7 would prove to be Keaney’s best for the Suns, averaging a career high 11 disposals and almost five tackles a game throughout her nine matches.
At the end of the 2023 season, she returned to Melbourne and was traded to Essendon.
AFLW games: 39
AFLW goals: 1
Kirsty Lamb (Yarrambat and Diamond Creek Women’s)
Lamb began her football career with Yarrambat before switching to Diamond Creek Women’s in 2009.
She represented the NFNL at the AFL Victoria Junior Metro Championships in 2009 and has since gone one to play in the VFL Women’s competition with Diamond Creek Women’s.
Lamb was selected by the Western Bulldogs with pick No. 138 in the 2016 AFLW Draft.
She was a member of the Bulldogs’ 2018 AFLW grand final-winning side, finishing inside the top-five of the club’s best and fairest during the premiership year.
In 2021, she was named as the league’s Most Courageous player by her peers. Incredibly, Lamb has played 57 of a possible 58 games since her debut in Round 1, 2017.
Lamb is also a star cricketer and has represented the Melbourne Renegades in the Women’s Big Bash League.
AFLW games: 67
AFLW goals: 25
Annalyse Lister (Darebin)
Lister was selected by the GWS Giants at pick No. 29 in the 2019 AFLW Draft.
A former hockey player, she he made three appearances for Darebin in the NFNL Women’s competition in 2017.
After impressing in the NFNL, Lister was elevated to the club’s VFLW team and went on to feature in the club’s 2017 VFLW Premiership team.
She was a regular in the Falcons VFL lineup between 2017 and 2019 before being drafted by the Giants.
Lister made her AFLW debut in Round 1, 2020 in the Giants’ one-point win over the Gold Coast Suns. She has since gone on to play 37 games with the club, including 19 of the last 20 matches throughout the two seasons in 2022.
AFLW games: 37
AFLW goals: 1
Chloe Molloy (Whittlesea and Diamond Creek Women’s)
Molloy was selected by Collingwood with pick No. 3 in the 2017 AFLW Draft.
It followed a standout 2017 season, where she starred for Diamond Creek Women’s in the VFLW and the Calder Cannons in the TAC Cup Girls.
In her draft year she was the joint winner of the TAC Cup Girls best-and-fairest and was also the competition’s leading goal kicker, before also winning the VFLW goal kicking and Rising Star awards.
She continued her dominance at AFL level, winning the 2018 AFLW Rising Star Award, with a perfect total of 50 votes, and also took out Collingwood’s best and fairest award in her debut season.
Molloy is a three-time AFLW All-Australian member (2018, 2021, 2023) and has won Collingwood’s leading goalkicker award twice (2021, 2022).
Ahead of the 2023 season, she signed with Sydney, becoming their co-captain in the process. She played every game for the campaign, led her side’s goalkicking with 18 majors and helped send the club to a maiden finals berth, reaching the semifinals.
Molloy booted nine goals as an 18-year-old in Diamond Creek Women’s NFNL Women’s Division 1 opening round win over La Trobe University in 2017, before spending the remainder of the season in the Creekers’ VFLW team.
She played her junior football at Whittlesea, before switching codes to basketball and only returning to football 12 months ago before being drafted.
AFLW games: 59
AFLW goals: 55
Gabrielle Newton (Montmorency and Yarrambat)
Newton was selected by the Western Bulldogs with the No.1 pick in the 2019 AFLW draft.
A Montmorency and Yarrambat junior, Newton had been considered the likely first choice in the draft.
It followed a 2019 season that saw her captain the Northern Knights to the NAB League Girls premiership and earn selection in the All Australian team after a dominant AFLW National Championships for Vic Metro.
She managed to play every game in her debut AFLW season, averaging 13 disposals and seven tackles per match.
After suffering a season ending injury ahead of the 2022 campaign, Newton made a strong return to Season 7, kicking eight goals and appearing in all 11 matches for the Dogs. She hasn’t missed a game for the club since.
AFLW games: 36
AFLW goals: 10
Kerryn Harrington (Bendigo Women’s)
Harrington was a standout for Bendigo during the 2017 NFNL Women’s Division 1 season, finishing third in the competition best and fairest count.
Harrington was also fifth on the goal kicking table and starred in the Thunder’s grand final win over Diamond Creek Women’s.
After a strong first AFLW season in the backline in 2018, Harrington elevated her defensive pressure to new heights in 2019.
She played all nine games in 2019 as a key pillar of the backline in what was her first year as part of Carlton’s leadership group.
Harrington’s efforts saw her receive All-Australian honours and finish third in Carlton’s best-and-fairest during the Blues grand final campaign. She was elevated to captain in 2020 and was again selected in the AFLW All Australian team.
The code-hopper excelled as a basketballer, spending the majority of her sporting career playing for Bendigo Spirit in the Women’s National Basketball League. She also represented Australia at the 2009 and 2011 under-19 junior World Championships.
AFLW games: 56
AFLW goals: 4
Brooke Plummer (Yarrambat and Diamond Creek Women’s)
Plummer was selected by Geelong with the No.42 pick in the 2022 AFLW draft.
Plummer represented the Northern Knights in the 2022 NAB League Girls campaign and was instrumental on the wing, averaging 12.7 disposals, 4.2 marks and almost two tackles a game.
2022 also saw Plummer represent Vic Metro in the AFLW Under 18 Championships and play three matches with Carlton’s VFLW side, averaging 13 disposals a game.
In 2021, she claimed the Under-18 Girls best and fairest award while with Diamond Creek Women’s, having also won the 2016 Under-16 Girls Blue best and fairest and 2018 Under-14 Girls Blue while playing at Yarrambat.
The midfielder/defender played eight senior games with the Creekers’ senior side in the NFNL Women’s competition but still managed to finish in the top five of the Coaches MVP Award and claim a spot in the 2022 NFNL Division 1 Women’s Team of the Year.
She made her AFLW debut in Season 7 during the Cats’ Round 5 clash against St Kilda.
AFLW games: 5
AFLW goals: 0
Madison Prespakis (Melbourne University)
Prespakis arrived at Carlton as one of the most highly touted youngsters in the country.
Selected by the Blues at pick No.3 in the 2018 AFLW draft, she has delivered on the hype in her first two seasons in the AFLW.
In her debut season, Prespakis was awarded the AFLPA 2019 AFLW Best First Year Player and the 2019 NAB AFLW Rising Star award, as well as being named All Australian and winning Carlton’s best and fairest.
She cemented her place in history in 2020 by claiming the AFLW best and fairest award at just 19 years of age.
Ahead of Season 7, Prespakis would join expansion side Essendon. She played all 10 games for the Bombers, averaging nearly 24 disposals a game on her way to winning the club’s inaugural best and fairest award.
Prespakis made one appearance in the NFNL in 2017, when she featured in Melbourne University’s Round 3 victory over Darebin.
AFLW games: 55
AFLW goals: 26
Rebecca Privitelli (St Damian’s)
Privitelli played five games for Carlton in the inaugural AFL Women’s season, before moving to the GWS Giants ahead of the 2018 season.
After making just one appearance in her first season with the Giants, Privitelli has become a permanent fixture in the side over the past two years.
Ahead of Season 7, Privitelli joined expansion side Sydney where she has played 20 games and kicked 22 majors.
A former Vic Metro representative, Privitelli also represented the NFNL at the 2011 AFL Victoria Metro Junior Championships.
During the same season she topped the NFNL’s Youth Girls goal kicking table, booting 52 goals for St Damian’s to help steer the side to a grand final appearance.
AFLW games: 48
AFLW goals: 37
Ashleigh Riddell (Eltham and Diamond Creek Women’s)
Riddell played junior football with Eltham and attended primary school with fellow AFL player Marcus Bontempelli.
She joined Diamond Creek Women’s for the 2017 VFLW season, and also made one appearance in the Creekers’ NFNL campaign.
Riddell joined Melbourne Uni for the 2018 VFLW season and assumed the club’s captaincy at just 22 years of age.
She was added to North Melbourne’s list as an open-age signing for the Kanagroos’ inaugural AFLW season.
Riddell had a standout 2020 campaign, finishing third in the Kangaroos best and fairest and named on the interchange in the All-Australian team.
In 2022, Riddell set the record for most disposals in an AFLW game after collecting 42 touches in the Kangaroos’ Round 10 triumph over West Coast.
In 2023 she played every game for the Roos, helping to lead the club to its inaugural grand final berth. She also finished as the club’s highest vote getter in the 2023 AFLW Best & Fairest.
AFLW games: 56
AFLW goals: 8
Airlie Runnalls (Diamond Creek Women’s)
Runnalls was one of the dominant players in Division 1 during the inaugural season of the NFNL Women’s competition in 2017.
She featured in 17 games for Diamond Creek Women’s and booted 10 goals, including two in the Creekers’ grand final defeat to Bendigo.
She went on to represent Melbourne Uni in the VFLW for the next two seasons, before making the switch to North Melbourne in 2021 where she enjoyed a dominant campaign, averaging 23 disposals, six marks and four tackles per game across the last five rounds.
Runnalls was selected by Fremantle with pick No.44 in the 2021 AFLW Draft and has not missed a game with the Dockers since her debut in Round 1, 2022.
AFLW games: 32
AFLW goals: 3
Vivien Saad (VU Western Spurs)
Saad was added to North Melbourne’s AFLW list as a replacement player for Jess Duffin, who announced her pregnancy prior to the commencement of the season.
A former basketballer, Saad showed plenty of promise in 15 games for Melbourne Uni during the 2019 VFLW campaign.
She also represented VU Western Spurs in the NFNL Division 1 Women’s competition early in the 2019 season.
Saad played all seven matches for North Melbourne in her debut AFLW season – averaging 10 disposals and seven hitouts a game.
In 2022, Saad joined the Gold Coast Suns, and has played 27 of a possible 33 games for the club.
AFLW games: 43
AFLW goals: 0
Sarah Sansonetti (Bundoora Park)
Sansonetti was selected by Richmond at pick No. 40 in the 2019 AFLW Draft.
She played her under-13 and under-14 seasons with Bundoora Park and became the first player from the club to make it on to an AFL or AFLW list.
Sansonetti was a Northern Knights and Vic Metro representative in 2019.
She also played five VFLW games for Darebin.
Sansonetti made her debut in Round 1 defeat to Carlton – the club’s inaugural AFLW game – and went on to play every game for the Tigers in the 2020 AFLW season.
Ahead of Season 7, Sansonetti joined Collingwood after being delisted from the Tigers. She played 10 games for the Magpies in the campaign, including their two finals matches and has not missed a game for the club since Round 4 of season 7.
AFLW games: 35
AFLW goals: 0
Louise Stephenson (St Damian’s)
Stephenson was one of three priority players selected by Greater Western Sydney before the 2016 AFLW draft.
Her first two AFLW seasons were injury-plagued, however she has since established herself as a permanent fixture in the Giants line-up.
She would play 33 games for the Giants before joining expansion side Hawthorn in Season 7, and has played 10 game since.
Stephenson began her football career with St Damian’s and played in the NFNL in 2011.
During that season she finished equal-second in the Youth Girls best and fairest count and represented the league in the AFL Victoria Junior Metro Championships.
AFLW games: 42
AFLW goals: 4
Paige Trudgeon (Montmorency and Research)
Trudgeon made her way onto Carlton’s list on the eve of the 2021 season, selected as a replacement for Chloe Dalton, who was forced to miss the season due to her commitments with the Australian Rugby Sevens team.
Trudgeon joined the Blues after just one year of football with Montmorency, having played basketball for much of her junior career.
She finished fifth in Montmorency’s best and fairest in 2019 after making 12 appearances in the club’s Division 1 side.
After missing out on selection in the 2020 AFLW Draft, Trudgeon proved herself at Ikon Park by training with Carlton’s VFLW side, before completing sessions with the AFLW squad as a nominated train-on in the new year.
Trudgeon made her debut against Collingwood in Round 1 of the 2022 season. She was limited to two matches in 2023 and at the conclusion of the season, was traded to St Kilda.
AFLW games: 21
AFLW goals: 0
Heidi Woodley (Diamond Creek Women’s, Kilmore and West Preston-Lakeside)
Woodley was selected with pick 37 by the Western Bulldogs in the 2022 AFLW Draft following a breakout season in which she starred for the Calder Cannons in the NAB League Girls competition and Vic Metro in the AFLW Under 18 Championships.
Woodley had a promising debut with the Cannons in the opening round of the season despite picking up an injury. When she returned in Round 7, she averaged 22.3 disposals, five tackles and kicked two goals in the last four games of the 2022 campaign.
The speedy forward started her junior career with Kilmore before playing Under-18 Girls football for Diamond Creek Women’s in 2021. During that time, she represented the NFNL on seven occasions throughout 2018 and 2019 as part of the Metro Junior Championships.
She made five appearances with West Preston-Lakeside in the 2022 NFNL Women’s competition, kicking nine goals and being named in the best on three occasions.
Woodley made her Bulldogs debut in Round 1 of Season 7 against GWS, playing eight games for the club in her first AFLW campaign.
AFLW games: 13
AFLW goals: 4
Sarah Wright (Keilor)
Wright was selected by North Melbourne with pick No. 32 in the 2019 AFLW draft.
She was the dominant player in the NFNL Division 1 Women’s competition in 2018.
Wright claimed the competition best and fairest, as well as the Coaches MVP, with her twin sister Gemma runner-up in both awards.
She also featured in the NFNL’s inaugural representative women’s football side and helped guide Keilor to the 2018 grand final.
Wright starred for Carlton’s VFLW team in 2019, finishing runner-up to Gemma in the club’s best and fairest award.
She made her AFLW debut in North Melbourne’s Round 1 defeat to Melbourne and went on to feature in each of the Kangaroos’ matches during the 2020 season.
Wright quickly settled into the North Melbourne lineup, playing every game for the club since Round 4, 2022.
She represented the Kangaroos in their maiden AFLW grand final berth in 2023.
AFLW games: 47
AFLW goals: 1
*Games and goal tallies as of the conclusion of the 2023 seasons.
