Moneyball: Latest AFLW trade and contract news and whispers
Expansion club Essendon has continued its pursuit of players from rival clubs, with the Bombers moving in quickly on a Geelong star to add to their first AFLW list.
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Essendon is poised to snare Geelong dasher Sophie Van De Heuvel as the Bombers continue their raid of opposition clubs.
It’s understood halfback and winger Van De Heuvel, the No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft, has committed to joining the expansion Bombers when the sign and trade period opens in the coming days.
The 21-year-old, also a gun junior cricketer, played 31 games for the Cats across their first four seasons in the competition.
Van De Heuvel joins Carlton pair Madison Prespakis and Georgie Gee, Fremantle’s Stephanie Cain, Collingwood tall Sophie Alexander and Western Bulldogs forward Bonnie Toogood as some of those who have agreed to play with the Dons when season seven begins in August.
“Sophie has been an integral member of our playing squad since we entered the AFLW, and we thank her for all she has given the club,” Geelong AFL chief Brett Johnson said.
“In addition to her on-field ability, we know Sophie’s new team will benefit from her warmth and kindness that the Cats have enjoyed over the past four years.”
Moneyball: Frantic moves as deal looms on AFLW season
A one-year collective bargaining agreement is looming as what some consider to be the most logical immediate outcome for frustrated female players as the clock ticks toward the pre-season starting within weeks.
The deal, which would be considerably shorter than the three years that the AFL had pushed for, could serve as a bridging-style result that would satisfy the time pressures of the upcoming August season and also the players’ wish to again push for greater growth in the competition in the following years.
It would also bring the next deal in line with the next men’s CBA, with the men’s current deal set to expire at the end of this season.
The AFL Players’ Association has not been opposed to negotiating a joint agreement in the near future.
Firmly united female players had pushed hard for the season to increase by at least two games per season to a total of 14 home-and-away games plus finals by year three of the deal, but the league had been adamant that it wanted the home-and-away fixture to remain at 10 games for the entirety of the three-year deal.
Captains and player delegates were due to meet on Wednesday night — hours after a scheduled AFL commission meeting — to discuss the state of play, which could also see the league grant players a pay rise in their hourly rate.
As reported last month, the players’ push included a proposal to see the Tier 4 wage for AFLW players increase to that of a men’s rookie player, at $68.78 per hour.
The AFLPA had also proposed a more even spread of players across each payment tier, with list sizes to remain at 30 players.
Clubs have had player re-signings on hold in recent weeks as they awaited CBA news, with the prospect of a one-year deal meaning players would effectively be signed for just the one season until the new deal is negotiated.
AFL Women’s players from a range of clubs hit out at the league this week, demanding growth rather than what many believed to be a stagnant approach to the game by the league.
“We want to be seeing genuine development and growth in the game, and that comes from playing more games and having the appropriate numbers of hours that we’re working and being paid for,” player negotiation committee member Cat Phillips told the Herald Sun this week.
“We really believe in the product that we’re building and we want the AFL to demonstrate their commitment to that as well.”
Clubs are preparing for pre-season to begin on June 13 – in just 25 days’ time – with the draft to be held in that week.
FEELING BLUE
Carlton could lose another frontline AFLW player with their 2022 leading goalkicker Courtney Jones eyeing a potential move to Gold Coast.
Moneyball understands Jones, 21, is seriously considering a trade request to the Suns. She has strong networks in Queensland, having spent an extended period in Cairns over recent years.
Taken at pick 59 in the 2019 draft, Jones took until her third season to make her AFLW debut but hit the ground running once she did, playing nine games in 2022, topping the Blues’ goalkicking with eight majors.
Carlton is already set to lose three-time best-and-fairest Madison Prespakis and Georgia Gee to Essendon, while Grace Egan has sought a trade to Richmond.
Nicola Stevens has also entertained interest from St Kilda.
The Blues went after Brisbane Lions gun Orla O’Dywer, but the Irishwoman has committed to remain at the Lions.
Gold Coast will lose Janet Baird and Sarah Perkins to Gold Coast, but midfielder Jamie Stanton is understood to have resisted overtures from West Coast to remain at the Suns, where she has previously won the best-and-fairest.
TWO MORE RECRUITS JOIN POWER
Port Adelaide has taken its player list to nine after luring South Australians Indy Tahau and Ebony O’Dea home from interstate clubs.
Brisbane’s tall utility Tahau, and Collingwood’s defensive midfielder O’Dea have both committed to join the Power’s inaugural side when the sign and trade period opens.
Nineteen-year-old Tahau has played 19 games over two seasons with Brisbane, including the Lions’ triumphant 2021 grand final win over the Crows in her debut year, while O’Dea, 23, has played 21 games for the Magpies in three seasons.
Port coach Lauren Arnell said she was thrilled with how her list was coming together, saying Tahau was stacked with untapped talent.
“Indy is a naturally gifted athlete and from a football perspective, can almost play anywhere,” Arnell said.
“She’s a true utility … fitted in really nicely in the backline at the Lions, but we know she could play almost any role we needed her to.”
Arnell said O’Dea came to Alberton with a clear understanding of what was required at the AFLW level.
“Through her development, progression and role at Collingwood, Ebony’s shown that she fits that Port Adelaide mould of being a hard worker and playing tough, contested footy,” Arnell said.
“One thing I get really excited about when talking to her is she wants to get better and keep learning and genuinely wants to be here at Port Adelaide.”
SORE SAINTS
St Kilda ruck Rhiannon Watt is in the lurch with her immediate future uncertain.
And she’s not the only one.
Watt, 34, suffered a season-ending ACL injury in February that will also see her sidelined for the August season.
It is understood that her position on the club’s list – which is limited to 30 players – is up in the air with a potential delisting on the cards.
It would be a brutal blow, given her injury status and standing in the club as vice-captain.
Speedster Kate McCarthy — a foundation AFLW player — could also be on the move, as could former leadership group member Cat Phillips.
Moneyball understands that All-Australian McCarthy, who was thrown about last season in a range of roles, has had interest from a number of clubs that she is considering with the Saints’ blessing.
McCarthy was Brisbane’s leading goalkicker in 2017.
Phillips, 30, has previously been linked to North Melbourne amid speculation surrounding Kaitlyn Ashmore’s future at Arden St.
It comes as midfielder Tilly Lucas-Rodd was this week confirmed to have committed at expansion club Hawthorn.
DOCKERS DUO
News emerged this week that Fremantle star Ebony Antonio had re-signed at the Dockers.
One notable omission from that announcement was her wife, teammate and former skipper Kara, who had also put off recommitting to the club.
It is understood that if Antonio – Kara, that is – opts to play on, she would not play at any other AFLW club, despite Moneyball reporting that there had been interest from several expansion clubs on the east coast.
Ballwinner Kara, previously Donnellan, was an All-Australian in 2017 while Ebony made the team in 2018.
WARDING OFF INTEREST
Moneyball is hearing that triple-premier Adelaide is in the box seat to secure the signature of West Coast’s medium defender Amber Ward.
Already this off-season, the Crows have lost three defensive players in Angela Foley (to Port), Justine Mules (to Port) and Nikki Gore (to Fremantle), and will be looking to restock their backline.
Ward, a 170cm former soccer player, is originally from South Australia and became a member of the Eagles’ backline after being overlooked in the 2020 draft, and was duly signed by the Eagles as an undrafted free agent ahead of the 2021 season.
Over two seasons the North Adelaide product has played 14 games for West Coast (including five in 2022), where she’s averaged 9.6 disposals, 1.1 marks, 1.4 tackles and 2.9 rebound-50s.
It’s understood the 20-year-old is keen to return home.
STAYING POWER
Geelong forward and former Crows premiership player Chloe Scheer has been in the sights of Port recruiters who’ve come hard for the high-leaping marker, but the 22-year-old will turn down the Power’s advances.
Scheer, an AFLW rising star nominee from 2019, left the Crows for the Cattery at the end of the 2021 season after three years at West Lakes.
In her new colours this year, Scheer kicked eight goals from nine games and averaged 8.4 touches.
According to insiders she’s happy in Geelong and her manager confirmed to Moneyball that Scheer has decided against a move back home to South Australia and will re-commit to the Cats.
FINAL COUNTDOWN
The SANFLW competition is reaching its apex, with the preliminary final to be played this weekend between reigning premier Glenelg and Sturt. The winner will face North Adelaide the following week in the grand final.
The Roosters reached the big dance with a thumping 57-point win over Sturt last weekend, a game which no doubt would have had Port Adelaide’s recruiters excited.
As an expansion club, the Power will get the first two picks in the SA portion of the upcoming AFLW draft, before the Crows even get a look in, and North Adelaide expects its players to be targets.
Top of Port’s list will no doubt be 18-year-old Hannah Ewings, who kicked 3.1 in the semi-final, to go along with her 25 touches (including 21 kicks) and five clearances.
Ewings was last week invited to the upcoming AFLW Draft Combine alongside fellow Rooster and lockdown defender Amelia Borg, 17, who is gaining a reputation as being able to shut down the best forwards in the SANFLW.
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