THE SELECTION order for next month’s AFL Women’s draft will be confirmed on Thursday.
The draft ballot, part of Essendon’s Grand Final comedy debate and football woman of the year function, will determine which of the eight clubs will have the first ‘live’ selection at the October 12 draft in Melbourne.
The eight clubs already have chosen two marquee players each and added players under rookie and priority selection rules. They will end the draft with 22 of their 25-player lists filled, and each will have until the end of October to sign three so-called free agents.
Pre-season training for the eight clubs – Adelaide, Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Collingwood, Fremantle, Greater Western Sydney, Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs – is due to start on November 21.
Clubs are expected to play one practice match each in January, with the competition set to start in the first week of February. The fixture is yet to be finalised.
Melbourne marquee player Daisy Pearce is the hot favourite to win the professional category of the Bombers’ football woman of the year award. Also nominated are West Australian Football Commission talent manager Alison Moore and AFL NSW/ACT female football manager Libby Sadler.
The nominees for the honorary category are Darwin teacher Sally Riley, Sydney businesswoman Lynn Ralph and Western Australia state team manager Janet Smith.
The emerging leader award finalists are Port Adelaide community development coordinator Lisa Kennedy, NSW-based community coach Lauren Cooper and Brisbane Lions marquee player and Australia Post AFL multicultural ambassador Sabrina Frederick-Traub.
