Top 5 from each state (+ Ireland)

[Teen Wolf]

I am thinking of the exercise in terms of being granted the ability to sign a player from each region to a 1-year (this year) contract. First choice not guaranteed; a list of 5 or so preferences required.

Ireland
1. Niamh Kelly ADEL
2. Sarah Rowe COLL
3. Orla O'Dwyer BRIS
4. Aine Tighe FREM
5. Erika O'Shea NM

New South Wales
1. Alyce Parker GWS
2. Zarlie Goldsworthy GWS
3. Rebecca Beeson GWS
4. Eilish Sheerin RICH
5. Ally Morphett SYD

Queensland
1. Emily Bates HAW
2. Belle Dawes BRIS
3. Ally Anderson BRIS
4. Sophie Conway BRIS
=5. Tayla Harris MELB
=5. Jesse Wardlaw STK

South Australia
1. Ebony Marinoff ADEL
2. Anne Hatchard ADEL
3. Danielle Ponter ADEL
4. Chloe Scheer GEEL
=5. Eloise Jones ADEL
=5. Ashleigh Saint PA
=5. Matilda Scholz PA

Tasmania
1. Mia King NM
2. Nicole Bresnehan NM
3. Brooke Brown ESS
4. Ellyse Gamble ESS
5. Madison Brazendale GWS

Victoria
1. Jasmine Garner NM
2. Ellie Blackburn WB
3. Madison Prespakis ESS
4. Chloe Molloy SYD
5. Monique Conti RICH
6. Charlie Rowbottom GC
7. Tyla Hanks MELB
8. Georgie Prespakis GEEL
9. Ashleigh Riddell NM
10. Eden Zanker MELB

Western Australia
1. Abbey Dowrick PA
2. Ella Roberts WCE
3. Ruby Schleicher COLL
4. Hayley Miller FREM
=5. Courtney Hodder BRIS
=5. Gemma Houghton PA
=5. Emma King NM
=5. Chelsea Randall ADEL
=5. Emma Swanson WCE

Comments:

Carlton the only club without representation in the above lists, though I'd gladly have the Moodster on any team of mine. Suns, Hawks, Saints and Bulldogs with just 1 each.

Added NT to SA because I wanted to make a point.

If all player managers of the Equal 5th sorority called back at the same time, I'd just go with the cheapest options (Harris, Hodder and Jones).

Other categories (such as age and position), could be interesting to consider as well.

 

[Cdog71]

Cool idea
I’d probably trip over myself trying to sign Ally Morphett.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Slight trepidation on Morphett for me. Dominated hit-outs against beanpoles, many just as young as her, and obviously wasn't getting a fraction of the opposition's attention compared to Molloy. Tougher fixture this year would be illuminating, one way or another.

"Can only beat who you play" applies, though it's notable the Swans couldn't beat either Carlton or Hawthorn. For whatever reason, they played way better once she was sidelined.

 

[Cdog71]

Not for me
I think she’s the new prototype Ruck and might pull a few votes in the League BnF this year.
The trajectory is pretty awesome for a 19yr old

 

[Teen Wolf]

Well she picked up 9 votes from the famously attentive umpires last year, playing 7 games, rendering predictions of future vote-getting less bold than perhaps intended.

Morphett, by her own admission, isn't a prototype but rather has modelled her game on the aforementioned Moody. While the question of supersession is one of when, not if, the answer is probably: not before she puts together a full consistent season.

To say that'll happen this year feels like at least a bit of a gamble. And it's also a criteria that Parker, Goldsworthy, Beeson and Sheerin already satisfy.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Further notes:

Ireland
1. Niamh Kelly ADEL
2. Sarah Rowe COLL
3. Orla O'Dwyer BRIS
4. Aine Tighe FREM
5. Erika O'Shea NM

Aisling McCarthy and Aishling Sheridan not legit 5th-place options for me on the grounds of inconsistency. And even if I were to roll the dice on a not-sure-what-you'll-get type, it'd be Vikki Wall first, then Aileen Gilroy.

Kelly is an easy no.1 off the back of last season, and Rowe by a clover stem ahead of O'Dwyer because of the difference in limitations on the non-preferred.

Would an All-Irish team be able to compete with, say, an Indigenous All-Stars team, per occasional suggestion? It's not exactly a lineup rife with inside players known for winning their own hard ball, so they'd get slaughtered in the middle (against Prespakis x2, Anderson and Mia King) by a team that also wouldn't be lacking for outside speed (Houghton, Ashmore, Hodder, Howarth, Newman, etc.).

 

[Teen Wolf]

Queensland
1. Emily Bates HAW
2. Belle Dawes BRIS
3. Ally Anderson BRIS
4. Sophie Conway BRIS
=5. Tayla Harris MELB
=5. Jesse Wardlaw STK

The pageantry of Dakota Davidson and wastefulness of Tahlia Randall would be unbearable on weaker teams.

Katie Brennan perhaps too late in her career for a top 5 punt, Kalinda Howarth certainly too early in her comeback.

Townsvillean Daisy D'Arcy is now the Suns' best "local" product, albeit without categorical proof yet.

South Australia
1. Ebony Marinoff ADEL
2. Anne Hatchard ADEL
3. Danielle Ponter ADEL
4. Chloe Scheer GEEL
=5. Eloise Jones ADEL
=5. Ashleigh Saint PA
=5. Matilda Scholz PA

Recent injuries, retirements and other unhelpful developments take away three Port selections that might've been taken for granted 12 months ago. The resulting gap between the musts and maybes is now much greater than it otherwise would have been.

Next best bet for 2024 is probably yet another Crow in Caitlin Gould, but even if she was as strong in the air as Kate Shierlaw, she still wouldn't be on Saint's level as an opportunist.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Tasmania
1. Mia King NM
2. Nicole Bresnehan NM
3. Brooke Brown ESS
4. Ellyse Gamble ESS
5. Madison Brazendale GWS

Given the Bulldogs have deemed no player too valuable to risk for at least a few VFLW appearances this year, one wonders why Ellie of the Gavalas variety hasn't formally reacquainted herself with her old team.

On the other hand, Brazendale's string of 20+ disposal games at VFLW level (the fifth of which combo'd with 12 tackles) gives the confidence she'll get every opportunity to nail down a spot in the AFLW team, which is enough to earn top 5 in Tassie... for now.

Victoria
1. Jasmine Garner NM
2. Ellie Blackburn WB
3. Madison Prespakis ESS
4. Chloe Molloy SYD
5. Monique Conti RICH
6. Charlie Rowbottom GC
7. Tyla Hanks MELB
8. Georgie Prespakis GEEL
9. Ashleigh Riddell NM
10. Eden Zanker MELB

Dominated by metro delegates (Zanker the one true ruralite, Hanks more rural-lite), nevertheless only Garner and Rowbottom grew up within 20 minutes of the 'G. Led by Nina Morrison, an all-country midfield would look like an all-Geelong midfield, and at the same time not far off from an All-Australian midfield either.

Other omissions? For a start: Moody, Bonnici, Toogood, Whitfort, Hore, Lambert and Gardiner are all coming off club B&F seasons. But I'd prefer to back Ellie McKenzie or Montana Ham if we were playing with house money.

 

[Cdog71]

Well she picked up 9 votes from the famously attentive umpires last year, playing 7 games, rendering predictions of future vote-getting less bold than perhaps intended.

Morphett, by her own admission, isn't a prototype but rather has modelled her game on the aforementioned Moody. While the question of supersession is one of when, not if, the answer is probably: not before she puts together a full consistent season.

To say that'll happen this year feels like at least a bit of a gamble. And it's also a criteria that Parker, Goldsworthy, Beeson and Sheerin already satisfy.

Well if it was 9 votes in 7 games and hadve been a “full consistent season” not only would have she voted more than Moody in the BnF but also taken the Rising Star award to go along with the AA selection and top 3 finish in her club BnF.
Not bad for missing 30% of the season.
Moody wasn’t Rucking all season but..at 188 compared to 180, more athletic, gets through her kick quicker and it’s considerably further…
Morphet will monster her like she does most. IMO (if she stays healthy)

Bit sneaky hijacking Ponter to SA though without a NT top 5 spose she needs to go somewhere.

I wouldn’t take Conway ahead of Harris or Brennan, but maybe that’s a State of Origin lineup arguement.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Well if it was 9 votes in 7 games and hadve been a “full consistent season” not only would have she voted more than Moody in the BnF but also taken the Rising Star award to go along with the AA selection and top 3 finish in her club BnF.

And she'd be higher than fifth in NSW.

Moody wasn’t Rucking all season but..at 188 compared to 180, more athletic, gets through her kick quicker and it’s considerably further…
Morphet will monster her like she does most. IMO (if she stays healthy)

Carlton with their 2 mature bodied rucks won the hitouts against Sydney last year, so I'm not sure what you're basing that on. Nor the stuff about athleticism and kicking distance.

Unfortunately, many a soul has been led astray by the incorrect listed heights of AFLW players over the years, despite my campaign to raise awareness.

Spoiler: Here's a few examples I prepared earlier.

Tahlia Randall 11cm shorter than Brooke Brown and 7cm shorter than Viv Saad...



Alison Downie 8cm taller than Breann Moody and 11cm taller than Tayla Harris...


Breann Moody 6cm shorter than twin sister Celine Moody (as opposed to the credible 2cm difference between the Hosking twins)...


Greta Bodey 2cm shorter than Kaitlyn Ashmore...


Chloe Molloy, fourth year in the competition, still listed at 161cm. Don't need photo evidence to disprove this one, as it was eventually/belatedly corrected by the bookkeepers (by a whopping 10cm).

 

[Teen Wolf]

New South Wales
1. Alyce Parker GWS
2. Zarlie Goldsworthy GWS
3. Rebecca Beeson GWS
4. Eilish Sheerin RICH
5. Ally Morphett SYD

So unlikely the recruitments of Chloe Dalton and Tanya Kennedy, it's greedy to ask much more of either veteran. Only upon consideration of the bargain recruit both the Swans and Giants missed out on--the similarly aged, similarly originated Eilish Sheerin--does the question gather some momentum.

Further up the list, the name Zarlie Goldsworthy would certainly have earned much greater traction if her 24-disposal/5-goal game occurred while wearing a Collingwood jumper. For a kid who clearly doesn't need the confidence boost (probably overrates her own ability, if anything) GWS-enhanced anonymity might be a blessing, not to mention the mature level-headedness which may rub off from Alyce Parker.

Western Australia
1. Abbey Dowrick PA
2. Ella Roberts WCE
3. Ruby Schleicher COLL
4. Hayley Miller FREM
=5. Courtney Hodder BRIS
=5. Gemma Houghton PA
=5. Emma King NM
=5. Chelsea Randall ADEL
=5. Emma Swanson WCE

Except in the instance of a guaranteed absence (such as that of Kiara Bowers' in 2024), best attempts must be made to resist the urge to elevate gentle albeit skilful half-back flankers over tenacious competitive beasts.

Hence the only marginal slides for Ruby Schleicher (just 2 games in 2023) and Chelsea Randall (lacking a clear role nowadays), rather than outright demotions in favour of Eagles B&F podium-finishers Charlotte Thomas (somehow also AA) and Belinda Smith, neither of whom have the power to propel West Coast anywhere but in circles.

Allowing the often lethargic Emma King to cling onto an equal-fifth position may then seem contradictory. But she is coming off a season in which she rucked, and tackled, more frequently at an intensity which could almost be described as real effort.