GREATER Western Sydney has won the No.1 selection in next month's inaugural AFL women's draft.
Giants coach Tim Schmidt drew the coveted football from a barrel during the lottery held in Crown's Palladium today.
"I'm really happy to have the first pick and get the ball rolling at the draft. We start training in six weeks," Schmidt said.
Brisbane has the second selection while Carlton gets third pick for the eight clubs.
The draft order from 1-8 is: GWS, Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Fremantle, Western Bulldogs, Collingwood, Adelaide, Melbourne.
The draft ballot, part of Essendon’s Grand Final comedy debate and football woman of the year function, decided the order in which clubs will have the first 'live' selection at the draft in Melbourne on October 12.
Some of the representatives for their clubs at the lottery ceremony were Adelaide coach Bec Goddard, Brisbane Lions coach Craig Starcevich, Carlton player Brianna Davey, and Collingwood’s football operations manager Meg Hutchins.
The eight clubs already have chosen two marquee players each and added players under rookie and priority selection rules. They will each have 22 of their 25-player lists after the draft and each will have until the end of October to sign three agents.
Pre-season training for the eight clubs is due to start on November 21. Clubs are expected to play one practice match each in January, with the competition set to start in the first week of February.
While the fixture is yet to be finalised, clubs will play each other in seven home-and-away games, with the top two playing off in a final.
Melbourne marquee player Daisy Pearce won the football woman of the year award and the professional category of the Bombers’ football woman of the year.
West Australian state team manager Janet Seth won the honorary category and Port Adelaide community development coordinator Lisa Kennedy won the emerging leader award.
The Draft will follow a ‘snaking order’ after the first round (the first round will proceed as follows):
1. GWS Giants
2. Brisbane Lions
3. Carlton
4. Fremantle
5. Western Bulldogs
6. Collingwood
7. Adelaide
8. Melbourne
Clubs will have the following selections:
Adelaide
7, 10, 23, 26, 39, 42, 55, 58, 71, 74, 87, 90, 103, 106, 119, 122, 135, 138, 151
Brisbane Lions
2, 15, 18, 31, 34, 47, 50, 63, 66, 79, 82, 95, 98, 111, 114, 127, 130, 143, 146
Carlton
3, 14, 19, 30, 35, 46, 51, 62, 67, 78, 83, 94, 99, 110, 115, 126, 131, 142, 147
Collingwood
6, 11, 22, 27, 38, 43, 54, 59, 70, 75, 86, 91, 102, 107, 118, 123, 134, 139, 150
Fremantle
4, 13, 20, 29, 36, 45, 52, 61, 68, 77, 84, 93, 100, 109, 116, 125, 132, 141, 148
GWS Giants
1, 16, 17, 32, 33, 48, 49, 64, 65, 80, 81, 96, 97, 112, 113, 128, 129, 144, 145
Melbourne
8, 9, 24, 25, 40, 41, 56, 57, 72, 73, 88, 89, 104, 105, 120, 121, 136, 137, 152
Western Bulldogs
5, 12, 21, 28, 37, 44, 53, 60, 69, 76, 85, 92, 101, 108, 117, 124, 133, 140, 149
Teams will each make up to 19 ‘state based’ selections. The remaining three places on the club lists of 25 will be available for ‘free agency’. Free agents are those players who have nominated for the Draft but were not selected and may now consider options to play interstate. Free agents must be selected prior to October 31.
The Draft order ballot took place during the Liptember Grand Final Comedy Debate in Melbourne and was overseen by the AFL Integrity department.
AFL Commissioner and Chair of the AFL Women’s Advisory Group Simone Wilke introduced representatives from the eight AFL Women’s clubs who then drew a numbered football from an enclosed barrel in alphabetical order.
AFL General Manager Game and Market Development Simon Lethlean said the Women’s Draft will be an important step towards the inaugural AFL Women’s season.
“Now the Draft order is complete clubs can plan their selections. The women’s teams will welcome the majority of their players on Draft day; there will be 200 listed AFLW players which is very exciting,” he said.
The AFL Women’s Draft will be held in the auditorium at the NAB Building at 700 Bourke Street Melbourne at 12pm Wednesday October 12.
The Draft will be streamed live on afl.com.au
The inaugural AFL Women’s competition will take place in early 2017.
