A HUGE, five-club, seven-player trade is set to be announced on Friday morning, which will see Jesse Wardlaw finally make her way to St Kilda.
Jordan Membrey will move to Gold Coast, as well Ella Maurer and Clara Fitzpatrick, while Ellie Hampson will switch to cross-town rivals Brisbane.
Lulu Pullar makes her way to North Melbourne, and Serene Watson is set to come down to St Kilda.
A large number of picks are also expected to change hands.
Wardlaw was the leading goalkicker in season seven, and will have to be the face of a new-look St Kilda forward line which has lost Kate Shierlaw (North Melbourne) and Caitlin Greiser (Richmond).
The 23-year-old has kicked 45 goals from her 47 AFLW matches, and was All-Australian last season.
Membrey will return home to the Gold Coast, continuing her long AFLW journey which started at Brisbane in 2017. A sharpshooter in front of goal with unerring accuracy, she spent a year in the football wilderness before earning another opportunity at Collingwood.
The mid-sized forward has 28 AFLW games under her belt for 14 goals, and will be a handy replacement for Courtney Jones (Richmond).
Key defender Fitzpatrick was keen to move north for work purposes. The Irishwoman has had a few interrupted years of late with visa issues and a torn ACL, but played seven of a possible 10 matches last season, missing a handful with a knee complaint.
TRADE LATEST All the moves from the AFLW trade period
The final piece of Gold Coast’s puzzle is Tasmanian Maurer, a forward/midfielder who played one game in two seasons on the strong North Melbourne list.
She has previously worked with Suns coach Cam Joyce when he was running Tasmania’s talent pathways.
Pullar also wanted to move interstate for work reasons, having a job as a doctor in Victoria. The 24-year-old played nine games in season six, establishing herself as a reliable rebounding defender, but was an emergency for the final eight straight games of season seven.
Hampson was one of the very first players signed by Gold Coast as an underage academy product, hailing from Townsville.
The bullocking midfielder has struggled with injury over her four seasons, playing 23 games, including eight last season, averaging 15 disposals a match. Emily Bates’ move to Hawthorn has opened up a spot in the Brisbane engine room for Hampson.
Finally, Watson was also an early signing for the Suns as their inaugural draft pick. The versatile defender/midfielder was keen for a fresh start having played 33 games at Gold Coast, and her silky skills will be a boon for the Saints.
