King crowned number one in women's draft

[bornadog]

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Emma King has been crowned the No.1 pick for 2015, with the West Australian joining the Western Bulldogs at Monday night's women's draft.

The 20-year-old ruck was the first picked when the Bulldogs and Melbourne representatives gathered at Etihad Stadium for the third annual women's draft.

King, who boasts excellent endurance and an impressive leap, was selected ahead of No.2 pick Danielle Goding, also a ruck, who joined the Demons. The Bulldogs had the first choice after losing to the Demons the past two years.

AFL football operations manager Mark Evans was present at the draft as each club selected 17 players (16 on team lists and an emergency) who will don their colours later this year.

Coaches Craig Starcevich (Western Bulldogs) and Michelle Cowan (Melbourne) called names of the draftees, many of whom were present at the meeting. Interstate prospects watched via online stream.

For the first time, this year the drafted players will take part in two curtain-raisers ahead of both Melbourne and Western Bulldogs' AFL games.

The opening will take place at the MCG on Sunday, May 24, before the clubs meet again on Sunday, August 16, at Etihad Stadium.
Each club was able to retain six players from last year's squads, with Melbourne choosing to re-list 2013 No.1 pick Daisy Pearce, Chelsea Randall, Tayla Harris, Kirby Bentley, Kara Donnellan and Melissa Hickey.

The Bulldogs will have Aasta O'Connor returning, alongside Katie Brennan, Moana Hope, Darcy Vescio, Emma Kearney and Stephanie Chiocci.

Western Australia was best represented in the top-10, with four players selected, including King, Kiara Bowers, Kellie Gibson and Emma Swanson.

Practice matches were played ahead of the selection process, but players who missed out have a second opportunity to be picked at a mini-draft held on July 22.

Overall, 268 women nominated for the 2015 draft. This year marks 100 years since the first recorded women's football match.

2015 AFL WOMEN'S DRAFT SELECTIONS:

1. Western Bulldogs - Emma King (Coastal Titans, WA)
2. Melbourne - Danielle Goding (Morphett Park, SA)
3. Western Bulldogs - Meg Hutchins (Eastern Devils, Vic)
4. Melbourne - Kiara Bowers (Coastal Titans, WA)
5. Western Bulldogs - Kellie Gibson (Swan Districts, WA)
6. Melbourne - Ellie Blackburn (Melbourne University, Vic)
7. Western Bulldogs - Emma Zielke (Coorparoo, QLD)
8. Melbourne - Elise O'Dea (Darebin Falcons, Vic)
9. Western Bulldogs - Katie Loynes (Diamond Creek, Vic)
10. Melbourne - Emma Swanson (Peel Thunderbirds, WA)
11. Western Bulldogs - Renee Forth (Coastal Titans, WA)
12. Melbourne - Hayley Miller (Coastal Titans, WA)
13. Western Bulldogs - Kaitlyn Ashmore (Melbourne Uni, Vic)
14. Melbourne - Ebony Rose Antonio (Coastal Titans, WA)
15. Western Bulldogs - Lauren Arnell (Darebin Falcons, Vic)
16. Melbourne - Dana Hooker (Coastal Titans, WA)
17. Western Bulldogs - Jessica Wuetschner (East Fremantle, WA)
18. Melbourne - Leah Mascall (Coastal Titans, WA)
19. Western Bulldogs (Heather Anderson, Belconnen Magpies)
20. Melbourne - Kira Phillips (Peel Thunderbirds, WA)
21. Western Bulldogs - Emily Bates (Yeronga, QLD)
22. Melbourne - Brooke Whyte (Melbourne Uni, Vic)
23. Western Bulldogs - Leah Kaslar Coolangatta Bluebirds, QLD)
24. Melbourune - Lauren Morecroft (Diamond Creek, Vic)
25. Western Bulldogs - Hannah Scott (Eastern Devils, Vic)
26. Melbourne - Cecilia McIntosh (Melbourne Uni, Vic)
27. Western Bulldogs - Madeleine Keryk (Melbourne Uni, Vic)
28. Melbourne - Bree White (St Albans, Vic)
29. Western Bulldogs - Phoebe McWilliams (St Kilda Sharks, Vic)
30. Melbourne - Brianna Green (East Fremantle, WA)
31. Western Bulldogs - Jordan Zanchetta (Yeronga, QLD)
32. Melbourne - Courtney Cramey (Morphettville Park, SA)
33. Western Bulldogs - Pepa Randall (St Kilda Sharks, Vic)
34. Melbourne - Jodi Hicks (Riverina Lions, ACT)

[bornadog]

Won't be long and there will be more curtain raisers as the womens' league builds up.

Great to see us (and Melbourne) getting behind womens' football.

[Twodogs]

How long until the AFL point out that we had the number one draft pick in the Women's draft when we start asking about competitive balance again?

The only Western Suburban girl (Bree White, St Albans) picked was by Melbourne. It's not a good look.

[GVGjr]

Enjoyed the game last year and will get there early for this one.
Some familiar names

[Twodogs]

Enjoyed the game last year and will get there early for this one.
Some familiar names

It's good when you start to recognise the names and think "oh yeah, that's the girl with the big leap or the booming left foot". You know whether the player you got is any good.

[LostDoggy]

It is a favourite game for my daughter Anneliese and I each year, we read up on the players before the match so we can call out "Go Emma!" etc. during the game and really get into the match. Anneliese met a few of the players at the match in 2013 and was absolutely rapt that girls were wearing the hoops.

[bornadog]

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