By Ant Wingard
A plethora of Queensland’s most promising footballers have made their way onto the AFLW stage after a mammoth 14 players were selected in the NAB AFL Women’s Draft, held at the Melbourne Showgrounds this morning.
The catalogue of Queenslanders that were selected was headlined by Lily Postlethwaite, who made her way to the Brisbane Lions with the third overall pick and the club’s first of the draft.
Postlethwaite nominated for the Brisbane zone and was perhaps the most well-rounded Queenslanders in the draft after earning back to back All Australian honours in both 2018 and 2019 at the NAB AFL Women’s Under 18 National Championships.
The midfielder also captained the state team at the 2019 championships and was also named the Rising Star in the QAFLW.
Brisbane held four first round selections following the departure of Sabrina Frederick, Kate McCarthy and McKenzie Dowrick in the offseason.
Along with Postlethwaite, The Lions used those picks to secure Maroochydore’s Belle Dawes, Wilston Grange’s Catherine Svarc and Coorparo’s Hannah Hillman.
The trio join the Lions’ den to bolster their midfield group with Hillman, an athletic ruck, capable of filling the void left by Lauren Bella in the offseason.
The Gold Coast SUNS made their first selection of the draft with the 18th overall pick which they used to select Bond University’s Serene Watson.
Watson also earned back to back All Australian honours in 2018 and 2019 and is fast defender who is strong in the air.
Tahlia Hickie became the Lions’ fifth selection at the draft where the selected her with pick 28 before Hickie’s fellow Coorparoo teammate Tarni White made her way to St Kilda two selections later with pick 30.
White, who returned from a knee reconstruction in June of 2019, joined the Saints after producing a strong end to the season which included four games in the Queensland jumper and a QAFLW premiership with Coorparoo.
She was one of two Queenslanders to be chosen from interstate clubs with former Brisbane and Collingwood forward Jordan Membrey again being selected by Collingwood with pick 74.
Brisbane rounded out their draft selections with agile tall defender Selina Priest (pick 45), athletic tall forward/ruck Dakota Davidson from University of Queensland and Red Lions’ midfielder Maria Moloney.
The Gold Coast SUNS rounded out their list with smooth moving midfielder Dee Heslop with pick 69, tall defender Jade Pregelj (pick 86) and New South Wales and Coolangatta talent Georgia Breward (pick 91).
Queenslanders selected in the NAB AFL Women’s Draft
Pick 3 – Brisbane Lions: Lily Postlethwaite (Maroochydore)
Pick 15 – Brisbane Lions: Belle Dawes (Maroochydore)
Pick 16 – Brisbane Lions: Catherine Svarc (Wilston Grange)
Pick 17 – Brisbane Lions: Hannah Hillman (Coorparoo)
Pick 18 – Gold Coast: Serene Watson (Bond University)
Pick 28 – Brisbane Lions: Tahlia Hickie (Coorparoo)
Pick 30 – St Kilda: Tarni White (Coorparoo)
Pick 45 – Brisbane Lions: Selina Priest (Coolangatta Tweed)
Pick 60 – Brisbane Lions: Dakota Davidson (University of Queensland)
Pick 69 – Gold Coast: Dee Heslop (Yeronga South Brisbane)
Pick 74 – Collingwood: Jordan Membrey (Coolangatta Tweed/Hawthorn VFLW)
Pick 75 – Brisbane Lions: Maria Moloney (University of Queensland)
Pick 86 – Gold Coast: Jade Pregelj (Yeronga South Brisbane)
Pick 91 – Gold Coast: Georgia Breward (Coolangatta Tweed)
