THE AFLW enjoyed its first season with the full complement of 18 clubs last year, six years after launching with just eight clubs. From that inaugural season, 108 players were still listed in season seven, spread across all 18 clubs.
Some players still played for their original club, while others were in different colours.
So, where were your club's inaugural players in AFLW season seven?
ADELAIDE
Sarah Allan
Dayna Cox*
Ange Foley
Kellie Gibson
Anne Hatchard
Ebony Marinoff
Justine Mules
Sarah Perkins
Erin Phillips
Chelsea Randall
Jess Sedunary
Stevie-Lee Thompson
Deni Varnhagen*
Still listed at their inaugural club
*Inactive in season seven
Spent at least one season unlisted
Has retired or been delisted since the conclusion of season seven
Five inaugural Crows ran out for the club in season seven – Sarah Allan, Anne Hatchard, Ebony Marinoff, Chelsea Randall, and Stevie-Lee Thompson – while six others donned opposition guernseys – Angela Foley, Justine Mules, Erin Phillips (all Port Adelaide), Sarah Perkins (Hawthorn), Kellie Gibson and Jess Sedunary (West Coast).
Notably, Sedunary spent a season at St Kilda in 2020 before returning to Adelaide in season six and ultimately landing at West Coast in the second half of 2022.
Along the way, Allan, Hatchard, Marinoff, Phillips, and Randall have been named in multiple All-Australian sides. Of those 2017 players who were still around last season, seven boast three premiership medallions – Allan, Hatchard, Marinoff, Mules, Phillips, Randall, and Thompson.
Dayna Cox (work commitments) and Deni Varnhagen (pregnancy) were both inactive in season seven, but at this stage are still listed by the club.
While not a player, inaugural Crows coach Bec Goddard is now coaching at Hawthorn.
BRISBANE
Ally Anderson
Kaitlyn Ashmore
Emily Bates
Shannon Campbell
Sabrina Frederick
Tayla Harris
Breanna Koenen
Kate Lutkins
Jordan Membrey
Tahlia Randall
Jamie Stanton
Sharni Webb
Jess Wuetschner
Kate McCarthy
Still listed at their inaugural club
*Inactive in season seven
Spent at least one season unlisted
Has retired or been delisted since the conclusion of season seven
As the only team in the state back in 2017, Brisbane gathered up the best talent in Queensland (and some more from around the country) for its inaugural side. Six of those players are still with the Lions – Ally Anderson, Emily Bates, Shannon Campbell, Breanna Koenen, Kate Lutkins and Sharni Webb.
Bates and Anderson made history last year winning both AFLW best and fairest awards (season six and seven's awards respectively), while five Lions still on the list were part of the club's 2021 premiership – Anderson, Bates, Campbell, Koenen and Lutkins. Webb missed playing in the flag giving birth to her first child that same year.
Tahlia Randall (North Melbourne), Jess Wuetschner (Essendon), Kaitlyn Ashmore (Hawthorn via North Melbourne), Kate McCarthy (now retired, Hawthorn via St Kilda), Sabrina Frederick (Collingwood via Richmond), Jordan Membrey (Collingwood), Tayla Harris (Melbourne via Carlton) and Jamie Stanton (Gold Coast via North Melbourne) all lined up for other sides throughout season seven.
CARLTON
Lauren Brazzale
Kate Darby
Brianna Davey*
Alison Downie
Nat Exon
Danielle Hardiman
Jess Hosking
Sarah Hosking
Jordan Ivey
Bianca Jakobsson
Maddy Keryk
Tilly Lucas-Rodd
Breann Moody
Natalie Plane
Gab Pound
Bec Privitelli
Kate Shierlaw
Darcy Vescio
Bella Ayre
Alison Brown
Still listed at their inaugural club
*Inactive in season seven
Spent at least one season unlisted
Has retired or been delisted since the conclusion of season seven
Carlton has the most inaugural players still floating around the competition of any of the first eight clubs, with 20 former Blues listed in season seven. Just four, however, donned the navy blue last season: dual All-Australians Breann Moody and Darcy Vescio, Gab Pound (All-Australian in 2019) and club favourite Natalie Plane.
Ten 2017 Blues were listed by opposing clubs throughout season seven. AFLW best-and-fairest winner, and former Carlton captain, Brianna Davey spent the season on the sidelines for the club she now co-captains, Collingwood, as she rehabs an ACL injury. At the Pies Davey was also reunited with Lauren Brazzale and Alison Downie.
Twins Jess and Sarah Hosking both wear the yellow and black now, Danielle Hardiman is a Kangaroo, Bianca Jakobsson and Nat Exon are Saints, Maddy Keryk a Cat and Tilly Lucas-Rodd is the inaugural captain of Hawthorn.
Another six inaugural Blues earned another shot at AFLW level after a season or more spent out of the elite level – Kate Darby (Geelong), Jordan Ivey (Melbourne via Geelong), Bec Privitelli (Sydney via GWS), Kate Shierlaw (St Kilda), Alison Brown (Melbourne via St Kilda) and Bella Ayre (Essendon via Brisbane). The latter pair have since been delisted by their respective clubs.
Inaugural captain Lauren Arnell's playing days may be over, punctuated by a premiership with Brisbane in 2021, but she is still involved in the competition, coaching Port Adelaide's AFLW side.
COLLINGWOOD
Brittany Bonnici*
Sophie Casey
Steph Chiocci
Sarah D'Arcy
Alicia Eva
Jasmine Garner
Emma King
Stacey Livingstone
Ruby Schleicher
Nicola Stevens
Christina Bernardi
Jess Duffin
Still listed at their inaugural club
*Inactive in season seven
Spent at least one season unlisted
Has retired or been delisted since the conclusion of season seven
Five inaugural Pies were still with Collingwood in season seven. Steph Chiocci, still captaining the side - albeit sharing duties with Brianna Davey, unassuming defender Sophie Casey, and star trio Stacey Livingstone, Ruby Schleicher and Britt Bonnici who boast five All-Australian guernseys between them.
Alicia Eva moved north to Greater Western Sydney after one season with Collingwood, and has captained the Giants for the last four seasons, while Jasmine Garner and Emma King have been starring for North Melbourne since 2019.
Sarah D'Arcy is at Richmond, Nicola Stevens spent five seasons with Carlton before a recent move to St Kilda, Jess Duffin retired as a Hawk after four seasons as a Kangaroo, while Christina Bernardi was a top-up player for Carlton last season after time spent as a Tiger.
FREMANTLE
Ebony Antonio
Kiara Bowers
Steph Cain
Dana Hooker
Gemma Houghton
Akec Makur Chuot
Hayley Miller
Gabby O'Sullivan
Belinda Smith
Kara Antonio
Ashley Sharp*
Still listed at their inaugural club
*Inactive in season seven
Spent at least one season unlisted
Has retired or been delisted since the conclusion of season seven
It was an end of an era for Fremantle at the conclusion of last season, saying goodbye to inaugural captain Kara Antonio, who retired with 49 games to her name. Antonio was one of six inaugural Dockers still at the club in season seven.
AFLW best-and-fairest winner Kiara Bowers might have missed the first two seasons due to injury, but has made up for it with her impact since, while Hayley Miller took over the captaincy from Antonio ahead of season six. Meanwhile, both Ebony Antonio and Gabby O'Sullivan battled injury but showed just how important they are to the side.
Ashley Sharp was inactive throughout 2022 while pregnant, and has now pressed pause on her AFLW career.
Five other 2017 Dockers lined up in different colours in season seven. Steph Cain co-captained Essendon, Dana Hooker and Belinda Smith are with cross-town rival West Coast, Gemma Houghton joined expansion side Port Adelaide, while Akec Makur Chuot was an inaugural Hawk after three seasons at Richmond.
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
Nicola Barr
Bec Beeson*
Maddy Collier
Jess Dal Pos
Hannah Dunn
Erin McKinnon
Phoebe McWilliams
Aimee Schmidt
Louise Stephenson
Emma Swanson
Still listed at their inaugural club
*Inactive in season seven
Spent at least one season unlisted
Has retired or been delisted since the conclusion of season seven
Just two inaugural Giants, Nicola Barr and Bec Beeson, were still with the club in season seven – the fewest of any side. Eight others lined up for other clubs, spread right across the country.
Aimee Schmidt and Emma Swanson are now key Eagles, the latter captaining the side. Jess Dal Pos and Phoebe McWilliams are both Blues, with McWilliams journeying through Geelong on the way. Maddy Collier is a co-captain of cross-town expansion side Sydney, while Hannah Dunn (Port Adelaide via Gold Coast) and Louise Stephenson (Hawthorn) have also joined expansion sides.
Former All-Australian Erin McKinnon had a strong start to season seven after a trade to the Saints, but missed the second half of the season through concussion.
MELBOURNE
Deanna Berry
Harriet Cordner*
Richelle Cranston
Jasmine Grierson
Emma Humphries
Ainslie Kemp
Sarah Lampard
Lily Mithen
Aliesha Newman
Elise O'Dea
Karen Paxman
Lauren Pearce
Catherine Phillips
Pepa Randall
Shelley Scott
Katherine Smith
Daisy Pearce
Still listed at their inaugural club
*Inactive in season seven
Spent at least one season unlisted
Has retired or been delisted since the conclusion of season seven
Five inaugural Demons were part of the club's maiden AFLW premiership in season seven. Retiring captain Daisy Pearce, five-time All-Australian Karen Paxman, Lily Mithen, Sarah Lampard, and dual All-Australian Lauren Pearce.
Two 2017 Demons returned to the AFLW in season seven after some time out of the competition, as Ainslie Kemp became an inaugural Hawk and Emma Humphries joined West Coast after two seasons at Melbourne and one with the Kangaroos between 2017 and 2019.
A further 10 players were at other clubs last year. Deanna Berry (Western Bulldogs), Harriet Cordner (Richmond), Richelle Cranston (Western Bulldogs via Geelong), Jasmine Grierson (GWS via North Melbourne), Aliesha Newman (Sydney via Collingwood), Elise O'Dea (Carlton), Cat Phillips (Essendon via St Kilda), Shelley Scott (Geelong), Pepa Randall and Kat Smith (both GWS).
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Libby Birch
Ellie Blackburn
Katie Brennan
Ellyse Gamble
Bailey Hunt
Emma Kearney
Kirsty Lamb
Jaimee Lambert
Brooke Lochland
Meghan McDonald
Kirsten McLeod
Still listed at their inaugural club
*Inactive in season seven
Spent at least one season unlisted
Has retired or been delisted since the conclusion of season seven
Of the 11 inaugural Bulldogs still listed in season seven, just four were still wearing the red, white, and blue. Captain Ellie Blackburn, Kirsty Lamb, Bailey Hunt and the injury-ravaged Kirsten McLeod have all been Bulldogs since the inception of AFLW.
Famously, three big Western Bulldogs names joined expansion clubs over the years. Inaugural captain Katie Brennan made the move to Richmond in 2020, star midfielder Emma Kearney joined North Melbourne in 2019 and most recently Brooke Lochland became a Swan last year. Meanwhile, Meghan McDonald was delisted after one season as a forward at the Dogs and in 2019 re-emerged with the Cats, becoming a two-time All-Australian key defender.
All four of those former Bulldogs now captain their respective new clubs.
Another 2017 Bulldog, Libby Birch, made history in season seven when she became the first AFLW player to win a flag with two different clubs (2018 with the Bulldogs, 2022 with Melbourne).
Jaimee Lambert made the move to Collingwood ahead of the second AFLW season, and has since won two All-Australian guernseys, while Ellyse Gamble joined Essendon in the most recent round of expansion.
