Countless games and hours of videos have been watched, and debates had over the last six months, but GIANTS AFL Women’s coach Alan McConnell is ready for Tuesday’s 2018 NAB AFLW Draft in Melbourne.
The GIANTS will look to add up to seven new faces to their list for the 2019 AFLW season.
McConnell is feeling more prepared than this time last year when he headed to the 2017 draft having been the GIANTS’ AFLW head coach for just over two months.
“Having had 12 months in the program with a better understanding of both our list and competition we’ve basically run the ruler over the group and what we want to add to the list,” he said.
“Fundamentally there have been three qualities that we’ve wanted to add to our list and they’ve been speed, skill and competitiveness.
“We think all of the girls that we’re going to bring onto our list tomorrow will contribute in two or all three of those areas.”
While those fundamentals make the basis for what McConnell and the GIANTS are looking for, they’re also looking to add depth and quality to a few key positions.
“In the context that we want to kick more goals and have fewer goals kicked against us, we’re probably looking for goalkickers,” he said.
“We’re looking for defenders who can use the ball, defend well and distribute the ball well to our forwards, and I’d like to add to our midfield group so I don’t have to use the same girls through the middle of the ground for the entire game.”
The AFLW draft is different to its male counterpart with players selecting the state pool they want to be drafted to, rather than a nation-wide pool.
To put it simply any players drafted by the GIANTS on Tuesday could only be drafted by the GIANTS, whereas in the men’s draft a player can be drafted to any club from any state.
“It’s interesting,” McConnell said. “Because there are players you’d like to get access to that are off limits and equally it allows you to have a more intimate understanding of players that you know are committed to play for your team so there’s both strengths and vulnerabilities in that.”
The advent of the Women’s Winter Series this year has helped the GIANTS get a good look at the talent coming through from New South Wales and the ACT.
McConnell hinted at the possibility that a few Winter Series players could make their way to the GIANTS in Tuesday’s draft.
“It was a great opportunity for those listed girls who remained in Sydney and those from Sydney and around the state who wanted to be on our list to be involved in a semi-elite program,” he said.
“We’ll look to build on that next year if we can and give girls from New South Wales a better pathway onto our list, and certainly we’ll find one or two girls who were on those lists this year onto our list tomorrow.”
The GIANTS hold seven picks (12, 43, 54, 60, 65, 67 and 69) in the draft. To follow Tuesday's 2018 NAB AFLW Draft head to the GIANTS' Twitter and Facebook accounts or watch the live-stream from 11:30pm AEDT. CLICK HERE to watch.
