Former Fremantle AFLW player Janelle Cuthbertson has announced her departure from the club as part of the AFL Women’s Priority Signing Period. Cuthbertson was selected at pick 81 in the 2019 AFLW Draft and went on to play 24 games over four seasons with the club.
Head of AFLW Bob Murphy expressed his gratitude towards Cuthbertson for her contributions to the club, saying, “Janelle has been a great servant of the Fremantle Football Club. There’s no doubt she’s had a hard time with injuries in recent seasons and we understand her desire for a fresh start. While we’re sad to see her go, we wish Janelle well on and off the field.”
The AFL Women’s Priority Signing Period, starting on March 1st, enables the league’s expansion clubs Essendon, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, and Sydney to sign players without trades. Those who have completed three seasons on AFLW lists are eligible for signing under the PSP, with the teams having different signing limits.
Fremantle, along with Gold Coast, GWS, St Kilda, Carlton, and West Coast, are among the clubs that finished 9th to 18th and can lose only one player during the PSP. This means that Cuthbertson will be the only player to depart from Fremantle during this period. The clubs that finished 1st to 4th post-finals, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and North Melbourne, can lose no more than five players, while the clubs that finished 5th to 8th post-finals, Collingwood, Richmond, Western Bulldogs, and Geelong, can lose no more than two players.
