AFLW Draft 2024: See every pick and all the action as it happened
It was the first truly national AFLW Draft and it did not disappoint. Check out every pick and get all the analysis from our experts here.
AFLW No.1 pick Ash Centra is eyeing a round one spot next year after Collingwood took its first step in surging from the bottom of the ladder by taking the prodigious Gippsland Power talent.
As expected, the Magpies decided against bidding on Gold Coast academy sensation Havana Harris and locked in Centra, a midfielder-forward with sublime skills and athleticism that has wowed recruiters over her junior years.
Centra will be central to turning Collingwood’s fortunes around, having staked her claim as a No.1 pick contender since winning Vic Country’s most valuable player award as a bottom-ager at the 2023 AFLW national championships.
Collingwood nosedived considerably in 2024, winning just one game and the worst percentage in the league compared to its five victories and 10th placed finish in 2023.
Receiving her jumper from former Collingwood men’s No.1 pick Josh Fraser – who she didn’t recognise – and Pies best and fairest winner Britt Bonnici, Centra is happy to play anywhere as long as she is in the side.
“I don’t really mind (where I play). I guess just wherever I get put in I’ll have to work as much as I can. Going to be hard to be a first year midfielder so I think just lean on the midfielders like Britt (Bonnici),” Centra said.
Centra was an Essendon fan as a youngster until she made the unlikely switch to Collingwood.
But that didn’t last long.
“I started with the Bombers growing up in the Bomber environment and then a few family friends went for Collingwood so I thought I would barrack for them and then dad pulled the, ‘you’re not going to any games unless you go for Bombers’,” Centra said with a smile.
Her father gave a ‘Go Pies’ after she was drafted, in a sign that he has well and truly crossed to the black and white.
Hailing from the small beach town of Seapray with a population of under 400 people, Centra will travel 232 kilometres east to join the biggest team in the competition hoping to lift it from the doldrums.
Luckily, Collingwood is a familiar spot for Centra.
“It is very convenient, we have an apartment in Collingwood so I think I will be staying there,” Centra said.
Centra sat down with Gippsland Power coach Nathan Boyd at the beginning of the year with her sights set on being the No.1 pick, and that dream became a reality.
She started the season with a bang, producing arguably the best individual performances in AFLW Draft history in her first Coates Talent League game of 2024.
Her astronomical statline read: 47 disposals, 11 marks seven inside 50s and 4.2.
Boyd may have cost her the elusive 50 after shifting her deep into defence for 15 minutes late in the match.
The stories of her dominating junior games are endless.
Returning to Melbourne on a red-eye flight after a national championships clash in Western Australia last year, Centra went on to win best on ground honours for her local club Sale City in their grand final without a wink of sleep.
Centra models her game on Richmond superstar Monique Conti and just like her hero, the Sale City product is also a talented basketballer, opting to narrow her focus on Aussie rules as a junior.
“I started footy before I started basketball. Then got introduced to basketball, played that and juggled footy and basketball for a long time and then had to make a decision to choose football,” Centra said.
Gippsland Power talent manager Scott McDougall said Centra may not have a damaging impact right away, but her upside is enormous.
“When she was running around as a 15-year-old, she wasn’t the best female kick in Gippsland. She was the best kick in Gippsland,” McDougall said.
“She will sell some candy and break some ankles which is awesome to watch.
“She’s further away from her ceiling than what a lot of the girls in this draft probably are, even though she’s at the top of the heap.”
Harris attracted a bid with the very next selection from Melbourne and Gold Coast duely matched with its second round selection - AFLW rules allowing clubs to match with a selection within 18 spots of that bid.
The highly touted Suns Academy prospect had claims to be the No.1 draft pick as a freakish 182cm tall that dominated this season in the ruck and as an inside midfielder.
Melbourne wasn’t scared off by the go-home factor, selecting South Fremantle product Molly O’Hehir with pick three, which the Demons had acquired from Gold Coast in the six-team mega deal during the trade period.
Standing 179cm, O’Hehir can play as a key back or wingman and showcased her athleticism at the AFLW Draft combine with four top-10 finishes.
GWS then lived up to its men’s draft reputation by pulling a surprise, taking Geelong Falcons ball-magnet Sara Howley with pick four — who the Giants hadn’t been linked to.
Howley pipped Centra as Vic Country’s MVP at this year’s national championships and took out the Coates Talent League best and fairest as a bottom-ager last season.
Sydney then took West Australian Zippy FIsh with the fifth selection of the draft, whose name is fitting with her electric speed.
SA WRAP: CROWS LAND SLIDER
Adelaide has landed one of South Australia’s best prospects – who happens to be the daughter of a state sporting identity – with its top selection in the AFLW national draft.
India Rasheed, a Sturt midfielder/forward whose dad is renowned tennis coach Roger Rasheed, slid to the Crows at pick 13 on Tuesday night.
The 173cm, skilful left-footer had been touted as going as high as No. 4 in the league’s first truly national draft, but she was overlooked until Adelaide pounced.
Rasheed earnt her second consecutive All-Australian selection at under-18 level this past season, was vice-captain of SA and was the state’s Most Valuable Player last year as a bottom-ager.
Crows head of women’s football Phil Harper said the club rated Rasheed inside the top five so was thrilled to get her at 13.
“Indi is incredibly talented and has an excellent football IQ, and workrate to match,” Harper said.
“If we had a pick inside the top five, we would have used it on Indi so to get her at pick 13 is a fantastic result for our footy club.
“We think Indi will have an immediate impact and we can’t wait to see what she can do in an AFLW environment.”
From a family of Port supporters, India told AFL.com.au she was excited to stay in Adelaide and join the Crows.
Roger, who coached Lleyton Hewitt, Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, said he was really proud of his daughter.
Looks like we have a new runner ðŸ˜
— Adelaide Crows AFLW (@CrowsAFLW) December 16, 2024
Indi's dad, Roger Rasheed (a newly converted Crows fan), talks through the emotions of his daughter being drafted. pic.twitter.com/Y67rczuRFp
Adelaide took Central District small forward Georgia McKee with its other selection, No. 44.
Harper described McKee, a 160cm prospect who made a comeback from an anterior cruciate ligament injury this year, as a natural footballer.
Port Adelaide swooped on West Australian midfielder Lily Paterson with its first of five picks, No. 17.
Power list manager Naomi Maidment said Paterson’s elite hands and composure had caught the club’s eye.
Port, which like the Crows were coming off a preliminary final, went into the draft looking at positional need, as well as best available, and opted for two locals along with three interstaters.
We've got our gal! 🔒
— Port Adelaide AFLW (@pafc_w) December 16, 2024
Talented midfielder Lily Paterson lands at Alberton with our first selection in the 2024 draft ✅ pic.twitter.com/Pnt7KZzG3G
After Paterson, the Power took Central District forward Jasmine Evans at 33, North Adelaide midfielder/forward Jemma Whitington-Charity at 40, Queensland ruck Chloe Gaunt at 48 and Gippsland Power goalsneak Jasmine Sowden at 52.
“We think we’ve provided Lauren (Arnell) and the coaches some flexibility with who we’ve selected tonight,” Maidment told this masthead.
“You want to pick the best talent but clearly where there’s a South Australian kid who ticks one of your boxes, you jump at that chance.”
The first Croweater taken was Poppy Scholz, the sister of Port Adelaide rising star winner Matilda Scholz and daughter of former Australian netballer Peta Scholz.
She went to Carlton at pick 6.
The 179cm, athletic intercepting defender from Glenelg hugged her sister after her name was called.
Poppy was an under-18 All-Australian last year but an ankle injury interrupted her 2024 campaign.
In all, 10 South Australians were picked.
FOLLOW EVERY PICK AND ALL THE ACTION AS IT HAPPENED BELOW
Originally published as AFLW Draft 2024: See every pick and all the action as it happened
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