Essendon Football Club has announced that AFLW players Eloise Ashley-Cooper, Caitlin Sargent, Jorja Borg, Megan Ryan, and Federica Frew won’t be offered contracts for the 2023 season.
Ashley-Cooper, a key player in the Bombers’ 2022 VFLW Premiership side, had earned her AFLW spot after three successful years at the state league level. Unfortunately, a season-ending foot injury kept her on the sidelines during the AFLW season.
Borg also missed season seven due to a foot injury sustained in Essendon’s practice match against Port Adelaide, landing her on the inactive list ahead of round one.
Frew, another VFLW Premiership-winning Bomber, was elevated to the AFLW side. The 26-year-old made her debut in the Bombers’ round one victory over the Hawks and played six games.
Sargent joined the Bombers as an open-age player ahead of their inaugural year but didn’t break into the AFLW side. Ryan signed with Essendon as an injury replacement player following Borg’s injury, debuting in round five against Collingwood and playing two games.
Head of AFLW, Aysha Ward, expressed gratitude to the five players for their contributions to the Bombers’ inaugural year, acknowledging the foundations they helped build at the club.
