BOTH West Coast and Gold Coast have the ability to sign up to four open-age players in the current AFLW Sign and Trade Period, while St Kilda can re-list Irish defender Clara Fitzpatrick as part of list concessions.
The three clubs applied to the AFL Commission for special assistance and were granted the following:
- Gold Coast can pre-sign up to four mature-age (born prior to 2004) players who have previously nominated for the NAB AFLW Draft. The Suns have also received an end-of-second-round compensation pick (currently No.49 nationally, No.3 in Queensland)
- St Kilda can relist Clara Fitzpatrick, and received a compensation pick in the first round (currently No.28, No.15 in Victoria) with the proviso the pick be used to trade for a player (already traded to Carlton for Nicola Stevens)
- West Coast can pre-sign up to four mature-age players who have previously nominated for the draft, as well as two first-round compensation picks (Nos.15 and 36, Nos.2 and 4 in Western Australia) and one end-of-second-round pick (No.48, No.6 in Western Australia)
Fitzpatrick was on St Kilda's list in 2020, playing five of a possible six games and impressing in her role as a key defender.
She missed the 2021 AFLW season due to visa issues, and was delisted following a ruptured ACL suffered while playing Gaelic Football in June, 2021.
West Coast has won a cumulative four matches across its 25 games over three seasons, Gold Coast has won five (and two draws) from its 26 and St Kilda has won seven of its 25.
