The AFLW Pre-Season Draft saw two WA prospects taken in succession yesterday, both staying west at Fremantle and West Coast.
Noa McNaughton was taken from East Fremantle after a strong start to the year, timing her run perfectly to be snatched up at pick five by the Dockers.
Swan Districts’ Siena Gerardi was taken right after McNaughton at pick six, the Swans now missing their small forward who will be joining the Eagles.
WA Talent Pathways Coach Development Manager, Trent Cooper, joined Sports Breakfast this morning.
“Clubs went fairly local across the board this year in the Pre-Season Draft. The pre-season starts next Monday and it’s a big exercise and expensive exercise moving players in as well. So most of them went fairly local to where they were,” he said.
“We were really confident on one which was Sienna Gerardi, and then hopeful on maybe three others.”
East Fremantle’s top prospect has had a stellar start to the season and her absence will be sorely missed as they knock on the door of the top four heading into the middle portion of the season.
Averaging 20.6 disposals and kicking four goals for the year so far, Noa McNaughton is expected to add strong small forward pressure to the Dockers side, also averaging 5.2 tackles per game.
She’s someone who Cooper says will likely make her AFLW debut early in the season.
“She’s one who I wouldn’t be surprised if she could debut in round one. I think she’s probably ahead of a lot of the draftees that Freo picked up as far as being ready to play.”
“This year she’s had a solid pre-season at East Fremantle, settled in and she’s been playing really good footy the last few weeks in particular and I think she’s a small forward that can make an impact.
“Good pressure, really lively around the contest. That forward line always looks dangerous and I think she’s one who I’d expect to debut this year.”
Spending most of her developmental years choosing between basketball and footy, Sienna Gerardi has always been a natural athlete and has served Swan Districts as a small forward.
The draftee had a goal of pursuing a career in basketball through the college system in the US, and despite it not working out she has by no means fallen short of a career in professional sport.
“Talent’s never been the issue for Sienna, she’s extremely talented, lightning quick, she’s got all the tricks and an amazing athletic profile.”
“As soon as she decided that’s what she wanted to do [footy], if she could get her actions in place it was just a matter of which club was going to take her. There was a lot of interest in the draft and I think West Coast fans are really going to enjoy watching her play.”
The pair are likely to have already played their last games with their WAFLW clubs, now turning to the AFLW preseason starting Monday.
Someone who was unlucky to miss out was Jaime Henry who has been a clear frontrunner for the Dhara Kerr Medal, starting the season with an average of 34.1 disposals and hitting the scoreboard on multiple occasions.
“She’s been playing really good footy and I thought she might have been a chance but we sort of talked to the AFL clubs, they still weren’t really keen and it’s probably a speed thing where clubs are really looking for speed in that game.”
“If you’ve got a couple of midfielders similar to Jaime then you don’t need another one but she’s just got to find the right opportunity where a club needs a player like her.
“Unfortunately it didn’t happen in the Pre-Season Draft but she’s very likely to be selected in the WAFLW state side for the South Australia game next week.”
Beginning on Monday, the AFLW preseason will put players through a gruelling three months before the home and away season kicks off in August.
IMAGE: Rookie Me Central