Gabby Newton taken at pick No.1 in AFLW draft that had it all

An abundance of fresh-faced talent and a plenty of familiar names. Unbroken pathways realised and dreams nearly given up on. Potentially triumphant returns and some surprising omissions. And a recruiter recruiting herself. The fourth iteration of the AFLW draft had it all.

While the finer details of the 2020 season, most notably the competition CBA, are yet to be ironed out, 100 women began, or continued, their AFLW story on Tuesday.

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Just before noon, Lucy McEvoy’s classmates at Geelong’s Sacred Heart College sat perched on the edges of their seats watching the livestream of the AFLW Draft. As Lucy’s name was read out, the room erupted with students cheering for their friend and now AFLW footballer. The versatile McEvoy was selected by Carlton with the second pick of the day. She joins the club her father played for between 1979 and 1981. While Dad never cracked the senior team, Lucy is almost certain to do so 2020.

Another likely to make her debut in 2020 is No.1 draft pick, Gabby Newton, who has a new home at Whitten Oval. The 18-year-old Newton captained the Northern Knights to a premiership in the 2019 NAB League, earning herself a spot in the NAB League Team of the Year. At 175cm, Newton is a handy pick-up for the Bulldogs who suffered some heavy losses in the off season, including Katie Brennan and Monique Conti to Richmond.

Young talent was the order of the day early on, with teenagers filling the top five picks and plenty more thereafter. It’s a trend that reflects the growth and development of women’s football around the country with state-based competitions like the Victorian NAB League and the U18 AFLW Championships providing plenty of opportunity for talented young footballers to be noticed.

And it was a trend incoming clubs St Kilda, Richmond and Gold Coast adhered to with their historic first draft picks. St Kilda selected Calder Cannons captain and talented midfielder Georgia Patrikios with pick No.5, while Richmond took the GWV Rebels Sophie Molan, who’d spent the VFLW season with the Bulldogs, with pick No.7. The Suns, who had to wait until the final pick of the first round, took promising defender Serene Watson at pick No.18. West Coast was the only team to buck the teenager trend, opting instead for 22-year-old Imahra Cameron with their first pick.

The increasing strength of state-based competitions was also reflected in the local talent drafted by clubs like Fremantle and Adelaide. Unsurprisingly, Freo selected the impressive Roxy Roux, who shone in the U18 AFLW Championships and will be a handy addition for the club after the loss of Kellie Gibson and Ashlee Atkins to the Eagles.

Adelaide, however, made a surprise selection, selecting the formerly retired Courtney Gum at pick No.83. Gum played two seasons with the Giants, picking up the 2018 MVP Award in her debut year, before retiring at the end of the 2019 season. Who knows what the classy midfielder could deliver for the Crows.

Gum’s return post retirement is not the only one to come out of this year. Maggie Gorham, whom the GWS Giants took with pick No.4, was a selection that almost wasn’t. The 19-year-old hung up the boots at the end of the 2017 season. But Gorham’s retirement was short-lived; she was back on the park in 2018, collecting the Bainrot Medal as AFL Canberra’s best and fairest this year and is now headed to Western Sydney.

Another potential fairytale return to footy is that of Jade Pregelj, selected by the Suns with pick No.86. The 28-year-old had been a promising young player, winning back-to-back league best and fairests in 2010 and 2011 in the Queensland Women’s competition. But with the AFLW barely a speck on the horizon, Pregelj turned her attention to her career. A familiar story. Now, she has the potential to add courage and experience to the Suns’ list.

While there were plenty of new names, there were also plenty of familiar ones. Tait Mackrill and Rebecca Privitelli return to the Giants for the 2020 season. Former Demon and Crow Talia Radan is headed to the Eagles, while Jordan Membrey gets another chance at Collingwood. Former Bulldog Laura Bailey was elevated from Richmond’s VFLW team and ex-Magpie Holly Whitford also found her way to Punt Road.

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Richmond had the most picks of any club, thirteen all up, and they used plenty to stock up on young talent with Ella Wood, Nekaela Butler and Ciara Fitzgerald among a handful joining Sophie Molan in the yellow and black. But Richmond’s most surprising selection was that of their own recruiter, Lauren Tesoriero. Setting aside the almost comical idea of a recruiter recruiting herself, Tesoriero injured her ACL in June and somehow looks set to play without an ACL.

For all the new beginnings and second chances, there were a couple of notable omissions. Moana Hope. the former Magpie and Kangaroo, withdrew from the draft and premiership player and cult hero Sarah Perkins looks likely to be without a home in 2020.

With team lists all but finalised for the 2020 season – both Western Bulldogs and St Kilda passed on their final pick so two spots remain – our attention now turns to the potential of each team. Can the Crows make it three flags in four years? Will a bolstered North take their chances this year? And what will the new kids on the block do?

It may be too early to attempt to answer those questions. But what we can safely say, is that the 100 women whose names were called out on Tuesday ably demonstrate the passion and commitment that drives this competition, that drives women’s football from the grassroots up. It’s up to the AFL now to match that passion and commitment.