FREMANTLE has made a further change to its playing group, delisting small forward Sabreena Duffy.
Duffy was inactive last AFLW season due to work commitments but has recently made a return to WAFLW footy despite battling a foot injury that required surgery. The crafty small forward kicked 30 goals in her 29 games at the Dockers.
"It’s always a difficult time of the season when we say goodbye to people who have put in a lot of hard work for the team and for the football club," Fremantle head of football operations and performance Bob Murphy said.
"We wish Sabreena all the best in her career and football pursuits from this point on."
Duffy is the third Docker to be delisted, joining Ann McMahon and Tiah Toth, while Jasmin Stewart has chosen to step away from football.
Inaugural Kangaroos delisted, untried draftee retires
NORTH Melbourne has confirmed three further changes to its list, delisting Brittany Gibson and Elisha King, while the untried Tara Slender has made the decision to retire.
Gibson was recruited via the first phase of AFLW expansion after 16 games with Brisbane. She went on to play 14 games at the Roos before a serious hamstring injury saw her spend the last two seasons on the sidelines.
King has also encountered a tough run with injury over the last two years. The midfielder played 10 consecutive games from debut in round 2, 2019 but has failed to take to the field due to hamstring and knee injuries in recent years.
Meanwhile, Slender has chosen to step away from the game without making her debut after being drafted with pick 19 last year.
The Kangaroos have also said goodbye to Daria Bannister (Essendon), Jess Duffin, Aileen Gilroy, Kaitlyn Ashmore (Hawthorn), Lexi Hamilton (Sydney) and Daisy Bateman (Western Bulldogs) throughout the expansion and trade period.
Cats axe three, former No.20 pick retires
GEELONG has delisted Rene Caris, Madisen Maguire and Carly Remmos, while Denby Taylor has retired from football.
Foundation Cat Caris was selected with pick 35 in the 2018 NAB AFLW Draft and played 12 games in the ruck over her four seasons at the club.
Small forward Maguire was delisted after 10 games for the Cats, having come through the club’s VFLW program in 2020.
Remmos is a former basketballer who played two AFLW matches, but was a constant presence in the club's VFLW team.
The talented Taylor, 22, was selected with pick 20 in the 2018 draft, and impressed over her 18 games as a mid-sized forward and defender.
Her 2020 season was ended prematurely with a serious ankle injury, and she sat out the 2022 season. She has retired to pursue interests outside of football.
Geelong has brought in Mikayla Bowen, Jackie Parry, Shelley Scott and Ingrid Houtsma through the Sign and Trade Period, while Phoebe McWilliams (Carlton), Jordi Ivey (Melbourne) and Steph Williams (Richmond) have moved on. Danielle Higgins has also retired, and Renee Garing will be unavailable after giving birth to son Parker in late May.
ACL halts former skipper's career
ST KILDA has delisted former skipper Rhiannon Watt, who tore her ACL in round eight.
The 34-year-old ruck has not ruled out a return to football in the future, but is unavailable for the upcoming season.
Watt was a heart-and-soul player in St Kilda’s inaugural AFLW list build, co-captaining the side in 2020 and 2021 before being named vice-captain this year.
A former Australian volleyballer, she leaves the Saints after 22 games from three seasons, as well as a further two at Carlton in 2019.
"Rhi’s playing contribution at St Kilda won’t be measured in the number of games or the individual honours she has earned," CEO Matt Finnis said.
"Rather it will be for the way she united a group of young women from a vast array of backgrounds behind the cause to establish the footprint for women’s football at St Kilda.
"Rhi embraced all of the challenges and opportunities associated with pioneering a new program, and the players who follow in her footsteps will continue to benefit from the foundations she co-created for years to come.
"From the moment she walked through the doors at St Kilda – following in the footsteps of her grandfather Bob Watt (46 games between 1952-57) – Rhi has won the respect and friendship of all who have supported or been involved in our AFLW program.
"Her competitiveness on the field is matched only by her professionalism off it, and Rhi’s care for her teammates has been a cornerstone of her leadership.
"On behalf of all Saints people I thank Rhi for her unique contribution to our club and wish her every success in sport and life beyond football."
Inaugural Sun one of two delistings
GOLD Coast has made a further two changes to its list, delisting Dee Heslop and Alana Barba.
Midfielder/defender Heslop is an inaugural Sun, playing 23 of a possible 26 games over her three seasons at the club.
Victorian Barba earned her opportunity as a top-up player this season, the midfielder playing two games for the Suns after plying her trade with Essendon’s VFLW team.
The Suns came into the season with four top-up players, so needed to make changes in order to get its numbers from 34 to a maximum of 27 before the draft.
They have also lost five players to Port Adelaide and two to Hawthorn, while Jade Pregelj will be unavailable for Season Seven due to a torn ACL.
Irish Demon among two to depart
MELBOURNE defender Lauren Magee has chosen to step away from AFLW footy to return to Ireland and focus on her ambitions in Gaelic football.
Magee, a four-time All-Ireland champion from Dublin, joined the Demons ahead of the 2021 season, joining Dublin teammates Sinead Goldrick and Niamh McEvoy and played 11 games over two seasons.
"It's always challenging for international athletes, so we are fully supportive of Lauren's decision to step away from AFLW," Melbourne list manager Todd Patterson said.
"We thank Lauren for all that she sacrificed in trying to learn a new game a long way from home. We wish her all the best in her future pursuits, particularly with Dublin."
The Demons have also delisted untried replacement player Maeve Chaplin.
"Unfortunately, having an additional player on our list made it difficult to juggle how many available spots we had leading into the draft, where we have to make three mandatory selections," Patterson said.
"We still think Maeve has plenty to offer the competition and don’t anticipate her being absent from AFLW for very long."
All-Australian Lion axed
BRISBANE has delisted inaugural Lion and premiership player Jess Wuetschner.
The small forward was All-Australian in 2018 and led the Lions' goalkicking in 2018 and 2019.
Incredibly honest and open about her mental health – particularly in the wake of a horrible workplace incident when she was struck by lightning in 2020 – Wuetschner stepped back from playing in the second half of the 2022 season but continued to train with the club.
"Jess has been a valued part of the team since its inception," Brisbane head of women's footy Bree Brock said.
"As an inaugural Lion and premiership player, Jess can be incredibly proud of what she has achieved during her time at the club.
"It's always a difficult time of the season when we say goodbye to some people who have put in a lot of hard work for the team and for the football club. We thank Jess for her service and wish her all the best for the future."
Wuetschner was selected with pick No.34 in the 2016 NAB AFLW Draft, and finishes her time with the Lions with 37 goals from her 38 games, which puts her eighth overall.
PLAYER MOVEMENT Who's going? Who's staying? All the latest news
AFLW LIST CHANGES (as of June 9)
Adelaide: Ange Foley, Justine Mules and Erin Phillips (Port Adelaide), Nikki Gore (Fremantle), Jess Sedunary (West Coast)
Brisbane: Maria Moloney and Indy Tahau (Port Adelaide), Jess Wuetschner (delisted)
Carlton: Georgia Gee, Maddy Prespakis (Essendon), Charlotte Wilson (Melbourne), Nicola Stevens (St Kilda), Grace Egan (Richmond), Lauren Brazzale (Collingwood), Courtney Jones (Gold Coast)
Collingwood: Sophie Alexander (Essendon), Ebony O'Dea (Port Adelaide), Bella Smith and Aliesha Newman (Sydney), Amelia Velardo (Carlton), Imogen Purcell (delisted)
Fremantle: Ann McMahon, Tiah Toth (delisted), Jasmin Stewart (stepping away), Steph Cain (Essendon), Gemma Houghton and Maggie MacLachlan (Port Adelaide), Sabreena Duffy (delisted)
Geelong: Danielle Higgins and Denby Taylor (retired), Jordi Ivey (Melbourne), Phoebe McWilliams (Carlton), Olivia Barber (Collingwood), Sophie Van De Heuvel (Essendon), Steph Williams (Richmond), Millie Brown (Western Bulldogs), Rene Caris, Madisen Maguire and Carly Remmos (delisted)
Gold Coast: Janet Baird and Sarah Perkins (Hawthorn), Hannah Dunn, Kate Surman, Jacqui Yorston, Britt Perry and Cheyenne Hammond (Port Adelaide), Dee Heslop and Alana Barba (delisted)
GWS: Katie Loynes and Erin Lorenzini (retired), Ally Morphett, Bec Privitelli and Lisa Steane (Sydney), Louise Stephenson (Hawthorn), Libby Graham (Richmond), Erin McKinnon (St Kilda)
Melbourne: Brenna Tarrant (Sydney), Krstel Petrevski and Issy Simmons (West Coast), Jackie Parry and Shelley Scott (Geelong), Lauren Magee and Maeve Chaplin (delisted)
North Melbourne: Jess Duffin (Hawthorn), Daria Bannister (Essendon), Aileen Gilroy and Kaitlyn Ashmore (Hawthorn), Lexi Hamilton (Sydney), Daisy Bateman (Western Bulldogs), Brittany Gibson and Elisha King (delisted), Tara Slender (retired)
Richmond: Akec Makur Chuot (Hawthorn), Christina Bernardi, Sarah Sansonetti and Hannah McLaren (delisted), Sarah Dargan (Sydney), Ingrid Houtsma (Geelong)
St Kilda: Tilly Lucas-Rodd (Hawthorn), Cat Phillips and Jacqui Vogt (Essendon), Alana Woodward, Tahlia Meyer, Kate McCarthy, Paige Price, Rhiannon Watt (delisted), Isabella Shannon (stepping away)
West Coast: Tayla Bresland, Melissa Caulfield, Andrea Gilmore, Courtney Guard and Parris Laurie (retired), Ashlee Atkins and Lauren Gauci (delisted), Mikayla Bowen (Geelong), Maddy Collier (Sydney), Niamh Kelly (Adelaide), Grace Kelly (St Kilda), Amber Ward (Adelaide)
Western Bulldogs: Ash Guest and Hannah Scott (retired), Bonnie Toogood (Essendon), Izzy Huntington (GWS), Ellyse Gamble (Essendon), Brooke Lochland (Sydney)
