So we have now lost our ruck in O'Connor in addition to the best player in the league in Kearney, Bruton and Bannister and have been handsomely awarded draft pick 26 as compensation!

Geelong the big winners as AFL announces order for AFLW draft

EXPANSION club Geelong has been awarded the first two picks in October’s AFLW draft after the league used its discretion to reorder the draft in the interest of competitive balance.

While the Cats landed inaugural Melbourne marquee Mel Hickey and Western Bulldogs premiership ruck Aasta O’Connor, the league still gave the fledgling club four compensation picks as it only signed 13 players during its list build period, compared to rival expansion side North Melbourne’s 17.

The Cats win means Carlton, which originally had the No. 1 pick after finishing last this season, has been pushed back to pick No. 3 of the Victorian talent.

Collingwood now has pick 5 and after losing top liners Emma King, Jas Garner, Jess Duffin and Mo Hope, also received pick 13.

The Western Bulldogs were granted a compensation pick at No. 26 for the loss of big name players including Emma Kearney (North), O’Connor (Geelong) and Jenna Bruton (North).

North Melbourne has to wait until pick 12 for its first try at the draft and was allocated five picks.

The AFL’s compensation equation is understood to have taken into account a player’s rating and payment tier and the value lost to a club.

Brisbane, which was angered by the Kangaroos aggressive approach and lost four players to Arden Street including speedster Kaitlyn Ashmore, and GWS will be compensated with additional rookie list spots.

Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich has been scathing of the recruiting tactics of North Melbourne, who secured 13 AFLW players.

Starcevich told ABC Grandstand the expansion list build rules would need to be reviewed ahead of next year, with four new teams — Richmond, St Kilda, Gold Coast and West Coast — to enter the competition in 2020.

“I think a little bit of it is to do with the spirit of how we build the competition, I’m not sure North have been super with it, to be honest,” Starcevich said.

“ ... There’s a little bit there about respecting each other’s space and not necessarily going in and pillaging each other’s players and doing it with some ounce of integrity.

“They’ve been into some of the players for the best part of six months.

“I’m not sure that sits that comfortably with us, even though the rules don’t allow that.

“You’ve got to do things a little bit underhanded at times to try and get where you want to get in terms of building your list so that’s disappointing.

“ ... it’s probably a lesson learnt for next year when there’s four new clubs that will take us up to 14 teams in the comp as to what is the right mechanism, what conversations do we all need to be having about what’s the right build for the expansion clubs, it can’t just be a free-for-all.”

A North Melbourne spokesman said: “We take exception to any suggestions we acted outside the rules, and against the spirit of the game.”.

AFLW DRAFT ORDER:
GEELONG: 1 (compensation), 2 (compensation), 11, 14 (compensation), 15 (compensation), 35, 46, 57

CARLTON: 3, 16, 27, 38, 48 (compensation), 49,

FREMANTLE: 4, 17, 28, 39, 50,

COLLINGWOOD: 5, 13 (compensation), 18, 24, 29, 40, 51,

ADELAIDE: 6, 19, 30, 41, 52,

GWS GIANTS: 7, 20, 31, 42, 53,

MELBOURNE: 8, 21, 32, 37 (compensation), 43, 54,

BRISBANE LIONS: 9, 22, 33, 44, 55,

WESTERN BULLDOGS: 10, 23, 26 (compensation), 34, 45, 56,

NORTH MELBOURNE: 12, 25, 36, 47, 58