It was a good night for the Northern Knights and Calder Cannons at the AFLW draft with three players selected each while one Western Jet has achieved her dream.
The Knights’ Scarlett Johnson was the first to find a home, taken by Greater Western Sydney with pick two in the draft.
There had been some talk that Johnson might be taken at pick one, but the Tigers went in another direction and the Giants pounced.
Speaking on the draft coverage, Johnson was speechless.
“I tried to not read too much into it and wherever I go at the end of the day, is wherever I go,” she said.
“I’m just really happy I’m on an AFLW list.”
Cannons midfielder Chloe Baker-West was among the invitees in the round, but had to wait until late in the first round to hear her name.
The Demons snapped by Baker-West with pick 22.
“I’m super excited,” she said on the draft coverage.
“Honestly sitting and waiting with the family and stuff like that. Can’t wait to get stuck into it.”
Baker-West averaged 33 disposals, seven clearances and five tackles, earning herself a spot in the Coates Talent League team of the year.
A second Knight, Olivia Gorman was drafted by Adelaide at pick 25.
Gorman, who was an outside player, showed her ability in the middle of the ground this year.
She averaged 25 disposals playing for the Knights in the Talent League this year, as well as 3.6 marks, 4.7 tackles and 5.9 clearances.
Cannons’ captain Jade McLay will head to St Kilda after being taken at pick 26.
McLay missed most of this year with injury.
It’s the second straight year the Saints have taken a Cannon with Kyla Forbes being selected last year.
Knights’ Marlo Graham was another who didn’t have the top age year she would have liked, but it hasn’t mattered.
Graham will be headed north to Brisbane after being taken at pick 33 by the Lions.
Former number one draft pick Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner got her wish to head to North Melbourne.
After the Kangaroos and Western Bulldogs couldn’t get a trade done, Weston-Turner had to nominate for the draft.
She managed to get through to pick 37, the Kangaroos first pick and they quickly picked her up.
Western Jet Charlie O’Connor Moreira, who was a revelation for the Jets in the back half of the season, was picked by the Western Bulldogs at pick number 45.
Speaking before the draft, O’Connor Moreira said an ankle injury early in the season meant she thought her draft prospects were over.
Cannons’ best and fairest winner Shauna McElligott has been picked up by North Melbourne as well.
As well as winning the best and fairest, she led the Cannons goalkicking.
She started the season up forward before moving up the ground.
“Speaking to [coach] Ross [Smith] at the end of last year, he said he would give me more midfield time just to show off my skills a bit more,” she told Star Weekly after winning the best and fairest.
“I started the year just forward and then about round five I started going into the midfield and then played there for a while.
“Then I did half mid and half forward for the rest of the year.”
