With the 2024 season just over a week away, GIANTS Media is breaking down each area of the ground and assessing how the squad is placed.
The coach: Trent Goodrem
A development coach at the club for the past two seasons, Goodrem steps into the role as the AFLW side’s midfield coach for the 2024 season. Growing up in Sydney and playing juniors for Baulkham Hills and then later joining the East Coast Eagles (where he played with fellow GIANTS assistant Jon Vlatko), Goodrem moved to Adelaide in 2007 where he played 240 games for Central Districts in the SANFL - winning three premierships and captaining the club for five years. After retiring at the end of 2020, Goodrem stayed on with Central Districts as an assistant coach for a season before moving back to Sydney in 2022 and joining the GIANTS.
Ins:
Bec Beeson – Spending time at half-forward and pinch-hitting through the midfield last season, the club’s new skipper has made the permanent move back to the midfield this season. A smart and versatile footballer capable of playing inside and out, Beeson has fantastic awareness and great vision with her hands in traffic. Goodrem is excited by the new captain’s composure and leadership that she’ll bring to the midfield group.
Indigo Linde – Taken with pick 40 in the 2023 AFLW Draft, Linde is a strong 171cm winger who comes from a high-level swimming and athletics background. Goodrem said Linde’s work ethic and willingness to learn have her well placed to succeed in her first season.
Eilish O’Dowd - Brand new to the sport, O’Dowd made the move to Australia from Ireland this year after being signed as a rookie following a stellar Gaelic football career. Her strengths lie in her fitness and her competitiveness, with Goodrem excited to ‘unleash her on the competition to see what she can do.’
Mikayla Pauga – Joining the club in the summer via a trade after winning the 2023 AFLW premiership with the Lions, Pauga was a dynamic small forward in her time in maroon and gold but will spend more time in the midfield at her new home at the GIANTS. Goodrem is excited by Pauga’s energy and her explosiveness, paired with her ability to sneak forward.
Claire Ransom – Joining the club in the summer after two seasons with the Gold Coast Suns, Ransom is another newcomer set to bolster the depth of the GIANTS’ midfield. Goodrem praised the young Tasmanian’s willingness to learn, her competitiveness, and her ability to play multiple roles in the midfield.
Kaitlyn Srhoj – The number three pick from last year’s draft, the young gun from Western Australia is a tough but smooth-moving midfielder who further adds to the club’s young and exciting midfield group. Possessing a super competitive nature, Goodrem is excited to see what the talented teenager can develop into as the season progresses.
Outs:
Rene Caris – Joining the GIANTS on the eve of the 2023 season, Caris played the final five games of last season before being traded to the Saints in exchange for pick 52 in the 2023 AFLW Draft.
Tess Cattle - A GIANTS Academy product, Cattle was selected with pick 86 in the 2023 NAB AFLW Draft and played one game. She was not offered a contract at the conclusion of the 2023 season.
Ally Dallaway- After three seasons as a GIANT, Dallaway was traded to the Tigers in last year’s trade period along with Jodie Hicks and pick 43 in return for picks 30 and 69.
Alicia Eva – The former skipper is set for a new role in season 2024, moving from the midfield to a spot up forward.
Teagan Germech - Joining the GIANTS ahead of the 2023 season as an injury replacement player, Germech played seven games for the club but was not offered a contract at season’s end. She has since been picked up by Port Adelaide for the upcoming season.
Zara Hamilton - Hamilton joined the GIANTS as a free agent ahead of season seven but did not play a senior game. She was one of six GIANTS not to be offered a contract for 2024.
Annalyse Lister – An AFLW stalwart, Lister made the decision to retire from the game at the end of last season after 37 games across five seasons for the GIANTS.
Unchanged
Nicola Barr – Coming back super fit from shoulder surgery in the off-season, Barr has shone on the wing across the pre-season. The inaugural GIANT’s run and carry and her footy IQ and composure are key weapons of the GIANTS’ midfield.
Annise Bradfield – Joining the club last season after three years with the Suns, Bradfield will be looking to break into the side for her GIANTS debut this season after missing all of last year with a Lisfranc injury. Her explosiveness and power around the contest are strengths of her game.
Madison Brazendale – The club’s 2022 Rising Star winner, Brazendale played just three games last season due to an ankle injury but is fit and raring to go for season 2024. Her fundamentals are improving out of sight this pre-season according to Goodrem who can’t wait to see the run and carry she provides off the wing.
Fleur Davies – Joining the club from the Gold Coast Suns Academy in 2022, Davies enters her third season on the GIANTS’ list ready to continue her development as a competitive young ruck. Davies has continued to get stronger and improve her ruck craft over the summer in preparation for the 2024 season.
Meghan Gaffney- Returning from an ACL injury that ruled her out for the whole of last season, the Tassie speedster has Goodrem excited with her pace and her skills on the wing. While utilised on the wing, Gaffney is strong in the contest and can be used on the inside as well.
Alyce Parker – A four-time club champion, Parker has had a brilliant pre-season and is raring to go for season 2024. One of the competition’s best contest and clearance players, Goodrem says Parker’s ball-winning ability will be crucial to the GIANTS’ fortunes this season.
State of Play
Featuring a host of new talent, the GIANTS’ midfield will be an exciting mix of youth and experience in 2024 and will be led by new captain Bec Beeson. Goodrem said a big focus over the pre-season has been creating cohesion among the group which features so many new faces, while also improving the group's ability to win contested footy and clearance. He said the group continues to show vast improvement in those areas and they’re hoping to take that forward into the season. The midfield’s ability to transition the ball is another key focus this season, while they want their identity to be based around pressure and winning their one-on-one contests.
More of the Same Please
Bec Beeson – The club’s new captain, Beeson’s inclusion from a part-time forward/midfielder to a full-time onballer has Goodrem super excited about her upcoming season. Beeson finished equal-third in the 2023 Gabrielle Trainor Medal in a brilliant return to the field after missing the entirety of season seven with concussion issues. Following a strong return campaign last year, Goodrem can’t wait to see what Beeson can add to the GIANTS’ midfield in her new role this season.
One to Watch
Kaitlyn Srhoj – The highly-touted draft pick has caught the eye of many over the summer, with Goodrem full of praise for her strong desire to win and her competitive nature. Possessing a great mix of inside and outside skills, Srhoj’s midfield coach is excited by the development that will come across her debut season. The talented teenager’s ability to move the ball in transition and take the game on are both strong features in her game.
