AFLW 2025: Richmond parts ways with senior midfielder Grace Egan
Sweeping change is coming to Richmond’s AFLW program with a high-profile midfielder the first casualty in a brutal list cull as the dust settles on a disappointing season.
Richmond has made a shock decision to move on experienced midfielder Grace Egan despite her return to form in the second half of the season.
Egan was told at Monday’s exit meeting that the Tigers would not be offering her a new contract – the same day she was voted the club’s best player in the round 12 loss to Gold Coast.
The 25-year-old will look to join a third club during the AFLW trade period in December.
Egan, who played 43 games at Punt Road over four seasons after joining via a trade from Carlton, had been named in the best players in five of the last seven matches after illness and injury derailed the start of her campaign.
She had 29 disposals and a game-high five clearances and 516m gained in the 14-point defeat to the Suns on Saturday.
Finishing her season in style 📈
— RichmondW 🯠(@RichmondWomens) November 2, 2025
Grace Egan is your Round 12 Player of the Match, delivered by @KFCAustralia 🤠pic.twitter.com/sQU5rUPwWI
Egan this week opened up about a crippling health ordeal she suffered at the start of the year which led to two invasive surgeries and weeks in hospital.
She told the AFL website she lost 14kg of body weight, and suffered repeat soft tissue injuries over the pre-season as she built towards the 2025 campaign.
The decision to axe Egan comes as the Tigers undergo a comprehensive review of their women’s football program led by former Carlton general manager Brad Lloyd.
Senior coach Ryan Ferguson had his contract extended to the end of 2026 in September, but significant change has been flagged after a dismal 2-10 season following a finals appearance last year.
Players were interviewed by Lloyd as they left their exit meetings with the club on Monday.
“This is a review for our AFLW program, not of our AFLW program,” Richmond chief executive Shane Dunne said last week.
“We ultimately want to be a team competing for premierships, and this process will ensure that we are best set up for continual improvement and long-term success. As the AFLW continues to evolve, our program must remain progressive, inclusive, and high performing.
“This review will help identify strengths, areas for improvement, and make recommendations to optimise high-performance outcomes in the short, medium and long terms.”
Originally published as AFLW 2025: Richmond parts ways with senior midfielder Grace Egan
