The AFLW staged its first ever pre-season draft on Monday, with nine clubs combining for 11 selections in a fast-tracked top-up window built to fill list holes opened by pregnancies, injuries and retirements ahead of the 2026 season.
The draft ran from 7pm AEST in reverse ladder order from last season, broadcast exclusively on AFL.com.au and the AFL Live App. League-wide pre-season programs begin Monday May 11.
The draft order ran Gold Coast, Greater Western Sydney, Essendon, Western Bulldogs, Fremantle, West Coast, St Kilda, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Greater Western Sydney, West Coast.
Lily Quigley, the Brisbane academy product widely flagged as the No. 1 prospect, went to Gold Coast with the opening selection. The 18-year-old, 159cm midfielder previously played in GWS's academy before relocating to Queensland with her family. Pre-draft scouting noted she's "quick and smart with a good athletic profile" and has significantly improved her kicking skills this season.
Pick two went to GWS, who took Bond University ruck Maisy Evans, a 185cm prospect described as having played as ruck, key forward, and inside midfielder. Originally from Melbourne, Evans has made the move to Queensland one of the standout draft narratives.
Essendon's pick three on Irish All-Ireland Senior champion Emma Dineen confirmed the value clubs continue to place on the Gaelic football pathway, with three Irish prospects in the eligible pool. Mayo's Saoirse Lally went to St Kilda at pick seven; Antrim's Omalara Dahunsi was eligible but not selected. Lally was described pre-draft as a defender or all-field player linked to the Saints in the lead-up.
Western Bulldogs followed at pick four with Sydney Swans Academy ruck Amaia Wain, a project tall with a junior high jump background and a vertical leap that pre-draft assessments flagged as elite.
Other players named in the lead-up included Claremont's Juliet Kelly, a ball-winning defender who impressed in last year's under-18 nationals and was flagged as a potential target for WA-based clubs. Box Hill ruck Paige Price, an experienced VFLW campaigner previously on St Kilda's list, was another expected selection. Collingwood VFLW midfielder Dominique Carbone, a long-time AFLW train-on candidate previously on Hawthorn's list, was also in the mix.
The pre-season draft was created to provide a list-balance mechanism for clubs hit by mid-year and pre-season absences. Six clubs entered with confirmed list spots open: Bess Keaney (Essendon) and Ali Drennan (West Coast) are out for the year through pregnancy; Áine Tighe (Fremantle) and Nicola Xenos (St Kilda) are sidelined through injury; Blaithin Mackin (Melbourne) and Maggie Gorham (Western Bulldogs) have stepped away for personal reasons. Three retirements - Katherine Smith and Claire Ransom (GWS) and Sophie McDonald (West Coast) - opened additional vacancies.
The full draft order ran: 1. Gold Coast - Lily Quigley; 2. GWS - Maisy Evans; 3. Essendon - Emma Dineen; 4. Western Bulldogs - Amaia Wain; 5. Fremantle - Noa McNaughton; 6. West Coast - Sienna Gerardi; 7. St Kilda - Saoirse Lally; 8. Hawthorn - Mikaylah Antony; 9. Melbourne - Lauren Clifton; 10. GWS - Sophia Gaukrodger; 11. West Coast - Lily Smart.
The selections close out list-building work for the 2026 AFLW season.