Collingwood’s AFLW team could lose another star player with Alicia Eva exploring her trade options

COLLINGWOOD is facing the prospect of losing another of its top female talents with vice-captain Alicia Eva exploring her trade options.

COLLINGWOOD is bracing to lose a second top-flight female talent.

A day after Magpie women’s best-and-fairest winner Nicola Stevens was traded to Carlton, vice-captain Alicia Eva — who finished second in the club award — has told the Magpies she wishes to explore her trade options.

It is believed that Eva, 26, has attracted interest from both Melbourne-based and interstate clubs, but Greater Western Sydney is considered well in the mix.

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Eva played every game of the inaugural AFLW season, averaging 11 disposals per game.

She laid 32 tackles for the season to be ranked inside the competition’s top 10.

The key midfielder has experience coaching women’s football — including TAC Cup Girls team Calder Cannons — and it is understood that this is an area she is particularly keen to pursue.

At the team’s end of March awards night at the MCG, Eva was also named Collingwood’s “Players’ Player” and had lauded the group that had finished the first AFLW season with a 3-4 record.

“Some of these girls have become some of my best mates,” Eva said in accepting the award.

“We’ve got a super group that I was lucky enough to walk into.

“I love playing alongside you — side by side.”

Collingwood’s Alicia Eva has attracted interest from rival clubs. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Collingwood football operations manager Marcus Wagner said on Tuesday that the club remained “in constant conversation with our players”.

Stevens was on Tuesday traded to the Blues in exchange for Carlton’s first three picks in the second AFLW draft — to be held in October — is already plotting the impact she can have at her new home.

“I’d like to bring my run off the half-back line and maybe move a little bit further up the ground as I find myself and find my groove (at Carlton),” she said on the Blues’ website.

“You could tell that (Carlton had) developed something really strong from the start and it seemed like it was great to be part of it.”

And having star Blue Darcy Vescio in her corner rather than a smart opposition player to negate will be handy, too.

“I’ve seen a lot of her playing against her,” Stevens said.

“But now I’m really grateful to be playing alongside her and I won’t have to worry about matching up on her this time.”

Brisbane announced that it has re-signed nine players including 2017 captain Emma Zielke — with star forward Tayla Harris a notable omission as she continues to eye a move to Victoria.

The first AFLW trade period started on Monday and ends on Friday, May 26.

Brisbane AFLW players to re-sign:

Emma Zielke

Sabrina Frederick-Traub

Brittany Gibson

Breanna Koenen

Tahlia Randall

Jamie Stanton

Sharni Webb

Jessica Wuetschner

Alexandra Anderson