AFLW 2019: All Australian
Last updated: Mar 8, 2019, 2:44AM | Published: Mar 8, 2019, 1:03AM
With International Women’s Day falling on the eve of Round 6 we thought we’d start a great tradition here at Stats Insider and put out our AFLW All-Australian team for the 2019 season.
Forget the squad of 40 nonsense, there is no fence-sitting here, just 21 super gutsy, skillful, inspiring women, all of whom picked themselves through incredibly dominant seasons to-date.
So on this day of celebration and recognition, Stats Insider presents to you the 2019 (completely unofficial) AFLW All-Australian Team!
Stats Insider’s All-Australian AFLW Team
B: Meg McDonald - Sarah Allen
HB: Chelsea Randall - Ash Brazill - Jess Duffin
C: Dana Hooker - Alexandra Anderson - Emma Kearney
HF: Kate Gillespie-Jones - Kaitlyn Ashmore - Katie Brennan
F: Erin Phillips - Gemma Houghton
FOLL: Jess Foley - Ebony Marinoff - Kiara Bowers ©
INT: Jamie Stanton - Anne Hatchard - Renee Garing - Kate Lutkins - Maddi Prespakis
DEFENSE
Reading the play, intercept marks, speed, composure, skill – this defensive unit has it all and were you to put these incredible players on the same team then absolutely nothing would get through. Meg McDonald and Sarah Allen are both capable of locking down on the most dangerous forwards whatever size, whilst Ash Brazill, Chelsea Randall and Jess Duffin are the competitions best intercept marks. Duffin is easily the best exponent of the drop punt in the AFLW and is averaging 18 disposals a game for North Melbourne setting up their play form the back half. You know it’s a good backline when a star like Kate Lutkins can’t even make the run-on!
MIDFIELD
Kiara Bowers is well on her way to superstardom with a maiden AFLW Best and Fairest, averaging 17 disposals and 10 tackles per game so far this season. Her 23 disposal, 16 tackle game against the Western Bulldogs in Round 5 was so inspirational that it earnt her the All-Australian captaincy from Stats Insider. Ebony Marinoff, Emma Kearney, Alex Anderson, Dana Hooker, Jamie Stanton, and Anne Hatchard have all had stellar seasons, contributing both offensively and defensively each and every week. Two surprise selections in young Maddi Prespakis whose 21 disposal, 3 goal game against the GWS Giants in Round 3 was so dominant that the Carlton rookie has had a tight tag ever since. Geelong midfielder Renee Garing is leading all bar Bowers in tackles this season and had huge roles in Geelong’s three victories so far this season, edging out familiar names like Paxman, Bruton, O’Dea and Exon who have all been hitting the stats sheet but not necessarily stepping up in the big moments to win games for their sides.
FORWARD
Erin Phillips would walk into any midfield in the competition, but the team gains so much with her being closer to goal. Phillips plays much taller than her size, which allows the side to forego a resting ruck (apologies, Emma King). Plenty of tall timber up here though, with Katie Brennan, Gemma Houghton and Kate Gillespie-Jones all enjoying dominant seasons as lead-up forwards. Forward pressure will be ably supplied by the best in the business in Kaitlyn Ashmore who has laid 30 tackles already in 2019
RUCK
Jess Foley has been even better than predicted; so good in fact that we just had to include a ruck section to highlight her. Foley is averaging 14 disposals, 20 hitouts, 4 marks and 4 tackles per game and is one of the main reasons Adelaide sits on top of the hotly-contested Conference A "Group of Death" with two rounds to go. Houghton and Gillespie-Jones can both spell Foley in the ruck, so no need for a second specialist ruck despite the solid season Emma King has produced.
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