AFLW moneyball 2022: Latest signings and trade news
Expansion clubs are circling stars from across the competition, and a coach has made a bold accusation about his new rivals. And he says there’s more to the story.
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Brisbane premiership coach Craig Starcevich has accused expansion clubs of launching “ridiculous” offers at star players in a bid to lever them out of their existing teams.
The Lions have managed to hold onto star midfielder Emily Bates, who was the subject of rampant speculation that she could be on the move.
The 26-year-old – who completed a clean sweep of the season’s awards with the Lions best and fairest on Wednesday night – has reaffirmed her commitment to Brisbane for at least the next two years, shunning heavy interest from Hawthorn and Sydney.
Starcevich, who has been a vocal opponent to the rules set in place surrounding expansion and player movement, said there would be more to be revealed.
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“It will come out in the wash, but she’s actually sacrificed a fair bit to be here,” he said.
“Because the four (new) teams are just being ridiculous with offers and that sort of stuff. That’ll all come out at some point. We’re just ecstatic that she’s chosen us.
“Emily’s played for us for six years … she is the (netball star) Laura Geitz of Queensland footy, if you like, in terms of her status in this state.
“We’re so, so pleased that she’s going to be a Lion for at least eight years of her career and hopefully the whole lot.”
Starcevich has also re-signed for two more years at the helm, and maintained that he wouldn’t be letting players go easily as expansion teams lurk.
“It’s an easy passion to have, because they’re such a wonderful group of people to be involved with,” he said.
“A lot of them I’ve known since they were underage players … we’ve had to get our hands dirty and do the hard yards to find these players, and a lot of it was on the back of the last round of expansion three years ago. While that was a little bit of a blessing, this time around, I’m not so sure that we’re going to be willingly letting people walk out the door. That’s not what we’re about. We’ve done too much work now to keep these people.
“They’re all in the age group that’s right in the finals window so we’re a chance now to capitalise on keeping people together and then go really hard on the next couple of seasons. I’m excited about that.”
Trade news: Crows BnF’s answer to Port interest
— Lauren Wood and Daniel Cherny
Star Crow Anne Hatchard will resist the lure of expansion and remain at Adelaide.
The premiership best on ground player and club best and fairest winner received heavy interest from cross-town rival Port Adelaide — which is set to join the AFLW next season — but will instead stay at West Lakes.
The 24-year-old has transformed her game and her approach to football in recent years, and recently collected her second club best and fairest honour.
“You’ve just been incredible to me this whole journey, having believed in me,” she said of the club last week.
“After the first few years I wasn’t really sure with how it was going to go from there, but you trusted me and I’m here now.”
She said that even she had been surprised by her surge to the top having earlier embarked on a basketball career.
“If you’d told me six years ago that I’d be standing up here, I would have laughed in your face,” she said.
“It’s really just unbelievable.”
Premiership teammate Erin Phillips, who has also been subject to heavy speculation that she could sign with Port Adelaide — where her father Greg is a club legend — is yet to declare her plans for her playing future.
Has Prespakis started a Blues exodus?
Superstar Madison Prepakis has already signalled her intention to walk out on Carlton and now Grace Egan is poised to leave the Blues.
Egan has told her teammates of her intentions to exit Ikon Park in the upcoming sign and trade period but is looking increasingly likely to shun interstate interest.
Sydney was keen to explore whether the young midfielder could shift north with the potential lifestyle change among considerations.
But Richmond and St Kilda are two clubs considered frontrunners to secure the 21-year-old.
“I’m happy at Carlton, Carlton has been really good to me. I am out of contract this season, but that’s just for my manager, myself and the Carlton Football Club to work out,” Egan said.
“Wherever I end up playing my footy, I’m happy.”
She confirmed that there had been interest from several clubs.
“Yeah definitely (we’ve) had clubs approach my manager, but I’m open to anything,” the midfielder confirmed at the AFL Auskick launch at the MCG on Wednesday.
“Carlton has been very good to me, and I love everyone there, so whatever happens, happens.”
Defender Nicola Stevens is reportedly in the sights of the Saints.
Skipper Kerryn Harrington and young stars Mimi Hill and Lucy McEvoy are understood to be on the cusp of re-signing.
Coach Daniel Harford was last week re-signed for another two years.
Why league BnF knocked back Sam Mitchell, Hawks
Star Lion Emily Bates will remain at Brisbane, capping her glittering season with the club best and fairest award and her signature on a contract.
Speculation surrounding the league best and fairest winner’s playing future has swirled ferociously in recent weeks amid interest from several clubs including expansion outfits Hawthorn and Sydney.
But the 26-year-old has shunned the lure of a new club and has affirmed her long-term commitment to Brisbane in accepting her third club best and fairest nod.
The club said Bates would remain a Lion for “many seasons to come”.
The All-Australian midfielder — who reportedly received a phone call from Hawks senior men’s coach Sam Mitchell in a bid to lure her into brown and gold — finished narrowly ahead of goal kicker Greta Bodey in the count.
It capped a season for Bates that included the league best and fairest medal, the coaches’ award and the AFL Players’ Association Most Valuable Player gong.
She revealed earlier this month that her blistering season in the midfield, which had been inspired by her late father, had come in the face of testing adversity including illness, Covid and the Queensland floods.
“It was probably one of the most challenging seasons I’ve ever had to go through,” Bates said.
“But the fact I could just turn up each week and still deliver means a lot to me.”
She said she had drawn inspiration from the likes of two-time league best and fairest award winner Erin Phillips in her preparation for her stellar year.
“I’ve been doing running sessions and thinking about Erin Phillips, (thinking), ‘Would she give up now? No, she wouldn’t,” Bates said.
Lions figures had been optimistic in recent weeks that the star would stay despite the rival interest.
Coach Craig Starcevich said earlier this month that the star had set standards.
“She’s not a demonstrative leader with words, she’s more of a lead by example – training work ethic, holding high standards,” he said when Bates claimed the MVP honour.
“She’ll say something when it needs to be said. Emily’s great strength is that she’ll show you the way through her actions.”
Star Sun on radars
Jamie Stanton is weighing up interest from one side of the country to the other.
The Gold Coast Sun, and former Lion and Roo, is understood to have been sounded out by Fremantle and West Coast in recent weeks in relation to a move west.
She has also had interest from New South Wales.
The ballwinner – who was the Suns’ inaugural best and fairest winner and finished third in the club award this season – delivered a consistent 2022 campaign.
Should she elect to move, it could mean Stanton becomes the first AFLW player to play for four different clubs.
Prespakis prepared for anything after Blue defection
Madison Prespakis is bracing to be booed by Blues fans as she prepares for life in red and black.
The 21-year-old last week declared her intention to leave Carlton – where she claimed the 2020 AFLW best and fairest medal – and sign with expansion club Essendon in the upcoming sign and trade period.
The lifelong Bombers supporter has opened up on the emotion behind the decision for the first time, speaking at the AFL Auskick launch at the MCG on Wednesday.
And she said she is ready for what Blues fans may have in store for her next season, likely to be in August.
“Carlton has helped me in my four years in the AFLW, and three B & Fs, I wouldn’t have done it without that club,” she said.
“I’m very grateful, but I’m also very grateful to start a new chapter of the next five to 10 years of my football career.
“Once I went to the club, they said I couldn’t barrack for Essendon because it is a rival club.
“I’m sure when that time comes, like with any player who moves, you do expect a few boos, I’ve already received that on social media, so I expect that in person. But at the end of the day, it’s football, and I love football and that’s why I play.”
A deal still has to be officially struck when the sign and trade period opens.
Prespakis said that she “had to put myself first” when considering the huge shift, but said it was “really special” to be part of building a new team at Essendon.
“It was a tough decision and it was quite daunting, and those who are really close to me knew exactly how I felt about it, especially when I did announce the move,” she said.
“It was quite an emotional time, but also I felt very relieved and happy with what I’ve made for myself.
I’ve loved my time at Carlton, and I’ll forever be grateful. I’ve achieved some great things there and been part of a special group of girls.
“My (footy pathway) was no different to the boys at the time, I started Auskick when I was four years old. I went down for pie night and get a free pie after training, and I was just a little girl who wanted to play footy.
“I never looked back and here I am today playing AFLW – I haven’t stopped playing footy since that moment.”
Irish eyeing AFLW
The season’s looming move to August had some concerned that the influx of Irish players could be over as the Gaelic and AFLW seasons would clash.
But if some of the names out of the Emerald Isle are anything to go by, top talent is still eyeing the action down under.
AFLW Ireland held skills sessions this week as many weigh up the shift.
The 2021 player of the year and county Meath star Vikki Wall has been open in her intention to make the move later this year and has a number of offers to consider.
Rival clubs believe North Melbourne is in the box seat amid interest from Fremantle – much to the disgust of her Meath manager Eamonn Murray who labelled AFLW “dreadful”.
“I can’t understand it,” he said recently of the interest in AFL. “There’s no skill at all.”
Premiership Crow Ailish Considine – who is also eyeing a new deal – hit back at his comments this week.
“It’s not a hobby whereas at the end of the day Gaelic football is amateur and it is a hobby,” she told the RTE GAA Podcast.
“We don’t get paid for it, it costs us money and especially as female athletes it costs us money to play Gaelic football for your county at the highest level.
“For a female sport, it’s a bit unjust to be aggravated at players for going over to take up a professional sport. That opportunity for women, it’s few and far between in Ireland. Unless you play soccer you don’t really have much of an opportunity to go professional as a woman.
“With a game that’s so similar to the game we grew up with in terms of skillset, of course Irish girls should grab the opportunity to play a new sport, to play professional and the travel the world.”
Minting the moments
AFL Women’s will be a part of the league’s push into the NFT market.
NFTs – non-fungible tokens – are digital files or images that are trackable, tradeable and unable to be altered – essentially moments in games that become valuable in relation to their scarcity.
The league this week launched AFL Mint – the marketplace for its officially licensed NFTs which will be released in partnership with Animoca in coming weeks and months.
Potential AFLW moments that could be in the frame for such NFTs could include moments in the first-ever game in front of a locked-out Ikon Park, or the record-breaking grand final crowd at Adelaide Oval.
The league will announce more information about its “limited edition moments” in coming weeks.
Hawks not chicken
Clubs remain without firm dates for the upcoming sign and trade period.
As the league and AFL Players’ Association ramp up negotiations for the next collective bargaining agreement and the expected August start for next season yet to be officially ticked off, no concrete dates have yet been set.
While Hawthorn is considered firmly in the mix to secure a number of players from rival clubs, coach Bec Goddard and the Hawthorn AFLW social media crew saw the light side in an ad for KFC released this week.
“Why do we only have three players?” a fan asks in the clip.
A sheepish Goddard emerges asking “did someone say KFC?”, with the tagline “more players coming soon”.
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