By ZAC MILBANK
West Adelaide has bolstered its potency by picking Adelaide’s Brooke Smith with the first selection in the 2024 SANFLW Mini-Draft held on Tuesday.
Snapped up by the Crows last year as an injury-replacement player, the 19-year-old medium forward will line up for the Bloods in the Hostplus SANFLW League when available for selection this year.
Smith, who managed one AFLW game for the Crows last year, measures in at 171cm and is originally from the Dandenong Stingrays whilst also tasting senior football with Casey Demons in the VFLW.
Woodville-West Torrens opted for height when it called the name of Crow Lily Tarlinton, who measures 180cm, at pick No.2.
Recruited from Queensland, the 22-year-old is an agile tall forward who can also pinch-hit in the ruck.
Athletic Adelaide forward Tamara Henry landed at North Adelaide with pick No.3.
Standing at 170cm, the 18-year-old has clean hands overhead whilst also testing strongly in the vertical jump and 20m sprint at the 2023 AFLW Combine.
Experienced Port Adelaide midfielder Jasmin Stewart, from Western Australia, will don the gold sash of Glenelg after being chosen at pick No.4.
The 25-year-old tough-tackler finds the ball with ease whilst also boasting AFLW experience with Fremantle and the Power, where she played 10 AFLW games last year.
Adelaide’s penchant for Irish recruits continued in the off-season, with Amy Boyle-Carr set to line up with Sturt in the SANFLW after having her name called at pick No.5.
The 22-year-old, who hails from Donegal, is also a natural performer in Gaelic Football and Soccer, where she once represented Ireland at international level.
Star Port Adelaide trade acquisition Kirsty Lamb, an AFLW premiership player and All-Australian, fell to Norwood with the final selection at No.6.
It is expected that Boyle-Carr and Lamb wouldn’t be available for SANFLW selection until 2025 at the earliest while they remain based overseas and interstate in the AFLW off-season.
The SANFLW Mini-Draft is held when interstate AFLW-listed recruits need to be allocated to a SANFL club, with the order of draft selections based on the reverse ladder positions from the previous season.
Selection | Player | AFLW Club |
---|---|---|
Pick 1 - West Adelaide | Brooke Smith | Adelaide |
Pick 2 - Woodville-West Torrens | Lily Tarlinton | Adelaide |
Pick 3 - North Adelaide | Tamara Henry | Adelaide |
Pick 4 - Glenelg | Jasmin Stewart | Port Adelaide |
Pick 5 - Sturt | Amy Boyle-Carr | Adelaide |
Pick 6 - Norwood | Kirsty Lamb | Port Adelaide |
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