The next wave of AFLW talent will officially join the League on Wednesday night at the 2022 NAB AFLW Draft.
It's the first draft of the 18-team era, with Port Adelaide, Essendon, the Swans and Hawthorn to make history as each side drafts its first female player.
Clubs will all be at Marvel Stadium to submit their picks live for the first time since 2019. The first round of selections will be announced on stage, with the following rounds to be announced to the public via AFL.com.au.
Each club must take a minimum of three picks to the draft. At least one player must be taken by each club through the draft, but there is the option to pass on one, or two, of their finals selections in order to sign an undrafted free agent – players who nominated for the draft in another state but were not selected.
The draft is a state-based draft with the GIANTS and Swans to pick from the NSW pool. As the AFLW is still not a full-time competition, it is tough to ask players to abruptly move interstate for a six-month contract. Prospective players choose which state they nominate in, and only teams within that state may consider them in the draft. While most players will nominate in their home state, this is not always the case, as with Victorians Montana Ham and Sofia Hurley and Queenslander Fleur Davies all switching states.
The GIANTS have eight available list spots after re-signing the bulk of their 2022 list. They’ll enter the draft with their first pick at pick 20, after the Swans were handed the first five picks based on their inaugural list build.
New South Wales Draft Selections
- (1 Overall) Sydney
- (5) Sydney
- (11) Sydney
- (12) Sydney
- (13) Sydney
- (20) GIANTS
- (64) GIANTS
- (66) GIANTS
- (75) GIANTS
- (82) GIANTS
- (84) GIANTS
- (86) GIANTS
- (87) GIANTS
The GIANTS were bracing themselves to lose a few players this off-season with cross-town side the Swans joining the competition, but have maintained the bulk of their top-end talent, while also bringing in All-Australian Isabel Huntington.
Although Huntington won't be able to take to the field in season seven, she is a valuable long-term addition to the side.
Swans Academy recruit Jess Doyle has re-signed with the club for the next two seasons and a cohort of experienced players have all extended their contracts until next year as well.
The GIANTS have gone from an abundance of rucks to none following the trade period and will be looking to address this need in the Draft on Wednesday night as well as looking for forwards options to support superstar Cora Staunton and selecting the best local talent.
View the top Draft prospects here: https://www.womens.afl/talent-pathway/draft/prospects
The 2022 NAB AFLW Draft will be broadcast live, free and exclusively on womens.afl and the AFL Women's app from 7pm on Wednesday, June 29.
GIANTS current signings: Nicola Barr, Bec Beeson, Ally Dallaway, Chloe Dalton, Jess Doyle, Alicia Eva, Tarni Evans, Georgia Garnett, Alyce Parker, Emily Pease, Pepa Randall, Haneen Zreika (signed until 2023), Jasmine Grierson, Annalyse Lister, Tait Mackrill, Kat Smith (signed two year deals last year), Georgie Fowler, Tanya Hetherington, Brodee Mowbray, Casidhe Simmons, Brid Stack, Cora Staunton (signed for season seven), Isadora McLeay (inactive in season seven), Isabel Huntington (new recruit)
