6 & 13 seems a good place to start negotiations for Prowse.
eSsEnDoN Is hArD To dEaL WiTh.
Magical Fairy Dust Points Calculator says the two teams on average say we are losing the Grand Final next year (pick 35).
AFL announcing crap on the fly. Hopefully they told the clubs about this a very long time ago, given the info in the second-last paragraph below.
Last paragraph: someone tell these nuffies they pushed the VFLW start till after this draft.
This might marginally help us next year as a lowly team draft-wise… near-first shot at picking up someone you didn’t want to draft five months earlier 
Slated to run in late April or May, the pre-season draft will aim to replace the flurry of inactive player replacement signings that occurs in the lead-up to the season.
Previously, undrafted players have been added to lists on an ad-hoc basis in order to replace players ruled out for the year through injury or other circumstances.
The draft order will be in reverse ladder order, like the traditional Telstra AFLW Draft that is set ahead of the trade period, allowing the weakest sides to have access to the best undrafted talent.
Players must have nominated for the main draft (at the end of 2025) in order to be eligible for the pre-season draft in 2026.
Clubs will still be able to sign injury replacement players after the pre-season draft, should primary-listed players become unavailable due to serious injury, pregnancy or mental health.
A minimum of two list spots must be taken into December 15’s main draft, and clubs can choose to then take just one player and hold a spot for the pre-season draft.
A late April-early May date will allow undrafted players some time to show their wares in their respective state league teams, as well as allowing clubs to get a clearer picture on primary-listed player availability.
Whitfort has nominated FC.
Operation Get Dupuy, then. Presumably cheaper, too.
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Nek minnit:
Gold Coast now holds Picks 14, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 32, which means even if bids come for their top four talents in Ava Usher, Georja Davies, Sunny Lappin and Dekota Baron in the first four selections, the Suns will be able to match. For good measure the Suns have that fifth selection inside the top 22 which they can use to trade back, or just match, with that and Pick 32 able to secure Mikayla Nurse and Alannah Welsh in whichever order.
It is very likely the Suns will use 22 to trade back given they do not have another pick in the first four rounds after 32, and it is tipped at the very least a bid for Bronte Parker will come, and quite possibly Rhianna Ingram. The remaining two Suns Academy members – Aleah Stringer and Annabelle Foat – are also likely to be picked up later on by the Gold Coast thanks to the additional list spots handed to the club as part of the AFLW Special Assistance package.
So how did the Suns manage to get Hatchard?
Surely she cost some decent capital
Very specific circumstances made it work for both clubs.
Pick 4, 38 and GC future 1 to Adel, with Hatchard, 14, 21 and 32 going to the Suns
They’ve given up two (approx) top four picks for Hatchard and some loose change back. But as per the earlier post, 14 for them is worth pretty much the same as 4, and the 21 may also be more powerful than it is normally.
(Please everyone: bid big.)
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It seems we have no worries about obtaining Prowse (predeterminedly delayed until TV time on Wednesday?) and have faith in second-year Chambers.
Plus Clarke, of course.
Hopefully AFLW development coach and VFLW player Christina Bernardi isn’t too annoyed by this!
ESSENDON is set for a defensive reset, with veteran Ellyse Gamble not offered a contract for 2026 and Brooke Brown exploring her options.
Gamble, 28, is an inaugural AFLW player, having started at the Western Bulldogs in 2017. She has played 63 games amid a number of ankle injuries early in her career.
It is understood she is keen to extend her career at a third club.
The 28-year-old Brown is contracted for a another season at Essendon, but after conversations with the club, a mutual decision will see the interceptor test the open market.
The former Roo has battled calf and leg bone-stress issues in recent years, and has played 43 matches, but her height of 184cm sets her apart.
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G Clarke, Gay, Prowse, Van De Heuvel, Gaylor, Chambers, Morcom. I think that works as a better balanced defensive group.
I’d keep Brown over Dyke purely thinking defence, but Dyke can play a few roles (wing, ruck) so maybe that’s better as a depth option.
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I think our midfield is crying out for a bit of speed on the outside. I would love for us to target 1 or 2 players who can bring that.
Would you mind shooting across a link to the article for that? Want to send it to somebody.
It’s from the rolling news article on the AFLW site:
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Gamble doesn’t surprise me so much, Brown does.
Gamble is more physically limited (sloooooooooowww) but Brown completely forgot how to defend in some games this year.
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Agree that we don’t have the pace in our backline to compensate for Gamble, but surely she is better than some of our forward options!
Wait… we have (excluding Bonnie) forward options?!
I thought we just left out some training cones and called it a forward line.
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That’s harsh on Daria Bannister.
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Lost out on Dupuy - She’s off to Hawthorn