Geelong draftee Piper Dunlop on her journey from rising WNBL forward to AFLW ruck

Piper Dunlop traded one elite sport for another as Geelong plucked the rookie ruck from their VFLW side at last week’s AFLW draft. The former hooper opens up on her decision to pursue footy.

Piper Dunlop joins Geelong’s AFLW list after she was drafted out of the Cats’ VFLW program. Picture: Rob Lawson/AFL Photos

It took just two weeks of a VFLW pre-season for Piper Dunlop to tell her basketball coach she wouldn’t be signing on for the 2024 NBL1 season.

Less than a year later, the 21-year-old ruck is on an AFLW list, drafted by Geelong with pick 37 last week via their VFLW program.

An ex-WNBL forward, Dunlop described her transition to football as “a bit rogue” though her football genes are strong – granddad Bob Dunlop playing 27 games for Essendon between 1960-61 while dad Steve also played some state league football.

Piper Dunlop spent three seasons with WNBL franchise Bendigo Spirit. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

It wasn’t until Dunlop was gearing up for a “pre-pre-season” with NBL1 club Ringwood when football was first floated after a friend met a Geelong VFLW recruiter at a Christmas party.

“They were like ‘they (recruiter) want to talk, go play footy’, and I was like haha, that’s hilarious,” Dunlop said.

“I’m talking to my dad, and he’s like ‘you’d get super fit … if you go to a pre-season with a VFLW club and go back to basketball, you’d be able to run the big girls off their feet’.

“I lasted two weeks before I called up my NBL1 coach and went ‘hey sorry, I’m not signing, I’ve fallen in love with footy’.

“From two weeks I kind of went from I’m a basketballer that’s just going to get fit for my next season, to ‘oh no, I’m doing what every footballer cross-coder’s done’.”

Dunlop credited the freedom in football, as well as a robust team atmosphere, as its biggest selling points.

“I went from having 10 mates (in a basketball team) to having 30,” she said.

The support of dad Steve made the initial transition easier, from ruck pointers to time spent practising her kicking.

From there, Geelong VFLW coach Elise Coventry and her staff stepped in, including ruck Sarah Perrott – in a role as a line coach while pregnant this year – who only fed into Dunlop’s puppy-like enthusiasm and drive to succeed.

“I’m a real one where you kind of pat me on the back, tell me I’m doing okay, I’ll run miles for you,” she said.

“I like to think I’m a loyal soldier.”

Making the leap

Success on the basketball court came quickly for Dunlop, signing as a WNBL development player at just 16.

But on the football field, the Bendigo native was happy to take the time to adjust to her new sport.

“When I made the cross, I just really wanted to make sure I was hitting each step of the way,” she said.

“That I felt like I was ready.”

First training in the backline, it was a week out from round 1 when Dunlop started to learn the ruck role.

“Honestly I thought I was just that bad of a backliner, like ‘we’ve got to move this kid’” she said.

“But I guess I could just jump … that ruck was a bit more of a fitting position for me.”

With the Cats battling a cursed injury run last season, Dunlop’s debut opportunity came in round 7 against Carlton – though not in the ruck but in the forward line.

“I’d never trained in this position … I thought ‘this is a bit mean’,” she laughed.

Geelong draftee Piper Dunlop (right) competes in a ruck contest during a VFLW match. Picture: Rob Lawson/AFL Photos

The move didn’t last long, Cats ruck Sammy Gooden going down early with a lacerated liver, with Dunlop quickly thrust back into the middle.

“They said ‘well Piper, now you’re going to be playing ruck’,” she recalled.

“I kind of looked at them (and thought), ‘our ruck just lacerated their liver, I didn’t know that was an injury in sport, you want me to go take that role’ … but no, I generally, I love the ruck, I think it’s a great position.”

A 28-hitout, six tackle performance on debut saw Dunlop cement her spot, playing all but one of the Cats’ games for the remainder of the season, averaging 26.7 hit-outs, 9.6 disposals and 3.9 tackles to later earn an AFLW train-on opportunity with Geelong.

“(I) fell in love with rucking, fell in love with our midfielders,” she said.

‘Off to the races’

Geelong’s lack of genuine AFLW rucks this year was well noted, with Dunlop’s arrival, alongside another rookie cross coder in volleyballer Caitie Tipping, clear signs of a plan to try address the void.

Hopeful of staying in Geelong leading into the draft, Dunlop said early chats with coach Dan Lowther and list manager Ben Waller were positive before doubt crept in.

“They kind of went cold on me, they didn’t really tell me much,” Dunlop recalled.

“I was like ‘oh goodness, maybe they’re going in a completely different direction’.”

Talking to other clubs, the thought of going interstate became a real possibility for Dunlop.

“To then see my name get called out for Geelong, it was a whole array of emotion,” she said.

Though content to fill any role the Cats see for her, the chance to link up with star midfielders Nina Morrison, Georgie Prespakis and Amy McDonald again – first working with them through her AFLW train-on chance – is something Dunlop can’t help but be excited for.

“If I can win some taps for them, then off to the races,” she said.

Originally published as Geelong draftee Piper Dunlop on her journey from rising WNBL forward to AFLW ruck