Bevan and Pope receive late AFLW lifelines

By ZAC MILBANK

Former Sturt captain Georgia Bevan and North Adelaide premiership wing Katelyn Pope have been selected as AFLW  replacement players ahead of the season kicking off on Thursday night.

Bevan, who played 13 AFLW games for Adelaide in 2017 and 2018, was snapped up by the Gold Coast Suns ahead of their clash with Melbourne on Saturday.

The 27-year-old, who has been one of SANFLW’s most dominant midfielders for the Double Blues in 2019 and 2020, was also a member of the Crows’ 2017 premiership team.

“I’m so excited to be given another opportunity on an AFLW list and can’t thank the Suns enough for believing in me,” Bevan said on the Gold Coast website.

“The girls have been so welcoming and I’m looking forward to playing my role in helping this club achieve success.”

Named on the wing in the 2020 SANFLW Team of the Year, Pope will get her first AFLW opportunity with West Coast.

The speedy left-footer will join fellow Roosters Amber Ward and Lauren Gauci, who were selected by the Eagles as free agents following the 2020 AFLW Draft.

“I’m itching to get over there,” Pope told the West Coast website.

”Me and Lauren always have a running joke that whenever we’ve played together we’ve never lost.

”I play mainly just up front and run really fast. Take the ball and have a bounce and just go.

“Hopefully that works well with the Eagles as well.”

Bevan and Pope’s selections add to the eight SANFLW players selected in the 2020 AFLW Draft or as free agents last October.