WITH change comes opportunity.

It's a saying that couldn't be truer for AFLW replacement signings, many of whom have earned contract extensions to remain in the system long after the player they were replacing has returned to the field.

It is a mechanism in the AFLW list management process that is somewhat unique in comparison to the men's game. The AFL has the pre-season supplemental selection period (SSP) and the Mid-Season Rookie Draft, through which the likes of Nic Martin, Jai Newcombe, and Marlion Pickett have landed onto lists.

In the AFLW, players can be replaced at any time throughout the pre-season, once another has been moved to the inactive list for varying reasons that can include long-term injury, pregnancy, or work commitments.

In 2024 there were 63 different players listed who were signed via the replacement process at some point of their career, including the likes of Sydney tough nut Tanya Kennedy, Melbourne's All-Australian squad member Maeve Chaplin, and Demon-turned-Hawk Casey Sherriff.

But the two clubs who had arguably the biggest impact from their new replacement signings last year were Fremantle and Port Adelaide.

The Power recruited delisted pair Caitlin Wendland and Teagan Germech from Brisbane and Greater Western Sydney respectively, both of whom played every game of the club's season, in which it reached a preliminary final.

Wendland proved dangerous around goal, not only through her nine majors to sit equal third at the club for the season, but in linking teammates across the line, while Germech was a rock in defence, particularly once captain Janelle Cuthbertson went down with an ACL injury.

For the recruiting team, the starting point is the welfare of their already-listed player, especially if their inability to play is a result of a long-term injury. But quickly they must shift focus to how best to fill that newly vacant place on the list.

"It goes from being really all about the welfare of the player, you really feel for that player, to 'OK, we've got to go back to the drawing board'," Port Adelaide AFLW list manager Naomi Maidment told AFL.com.au.

"The advantage of looking for that one injury replacement is (that) it's pretty specific, so you do have a little bit of time and space where you're really focusing on a positional requirement or a needs requirement that the coaching group might need."

One state over, the Dockers were thrown the challenge of replacing experienced duo Kiara Bowers and Ange Stannett for the year. Notably, instead of going down the route of swapping the pair with like-for-like players, the club saw an opportunity to fill some other gaps that had become clear.

Coming in for the tenacious 164cm Bowers and calm-headed 163cm Stannett was key position utility Tunisha Kikoak standing at 180cm, and 173cm runner Gabrielle Biedenweg-Webster.

"(We were) probably more focused on list need stuff at that point in time," Fremantle AFLW list manager Darryn Fry said.

"We'd recruited players, Aisling McCarthy and Gabby Newton, playing that mid-forward role, which we identified as we needed midfield depth. They came in, fulfilled their role… So, we focused more on the list needs."

Given the typically short run replacement signings get heading into an AFLW season, plucking out players who have the level of fitness that would allow them to hit the ground running is an important aspect of the task.

As a result, recently delisted players from other clubs are often a go-to choice which Wendland, Germech, and Biedenweg-Webster were.

"Another complication of it is (that) you might come in without a pre-season… so what kind of work have they done? Are they, themselves at risk of being injured because they haven't had a bulk of pre-season?" Maidment said.

"We were really fortunate with both Caitlin and Teagan, that they looked after themselves really well even not being on a list. So, it's another layer of complication in it all. Can they play AFLW straight away if you need them to?"

Relocation is another factor to consider, with the initial commitment typically no longer than six months.

Both Kikoak and Biedenweg-Webster made the move across the country, from Tasmania and Victoria respectively, knowing that there was a chance that this opportunity would end in just a few months' time. But they were determined to make the most of it, nonetheless.

"(Gab) took the jump. She did," Frye said.

"She was working over there, so it was a significant jump for her to say 'Yeah, I'm going to uproot my life potentially'. And we were really clear that it might only be a four-month gig, but she was prepared to take the risk. She was obviously very aspirational in getting back on a list."

Their sacrifice, and such a show of commitment didn't go unnoticed by the Dockers. Before the season had even kicked off, Kikoak had earned a contract extension until the end of 2026, while Biedenweg-Webster's security was locked in almost immediately following the season.

"I think it had a positive result, in the sense that she was just able to relax and play and had the confidence in us that we were backing her in," Frye said of securing Kikoak long-term.

Wendland and Germech were also duly rewarded for their impact with contract extensions, giving them security until at least the end of the 2027 season. Both players were informed of the club's commitment to keep them around during the season, which Maidment believes helped them settle into the club and start to build their lives.

"For Teagan, the ability to settle herself here in Adelaide and move her partner over from New South Wales, it definitely gave her some freedom on the field," Maidment said.

"And Caitlin, knowing that she's an Adelaide person, she was going to be able to have the next few years foreseeable in her own state after having an experience interstate which had its challenges.

"You see them open up more within the group. They're comfortable, they feel like they belong, and they know they're going to have a say in what we do over the next three years. So yeah, you can see them shift off the field."

It's a signal to those around the country who were overlooked in drafts gone by, or delisted from their first opportunity at AFLW level, that continuing to ply their trade at second-tier competitions can keep the dream alive.