Richmond has made five changes for tomorrow night’s sell-out clash against Melbourne at the Swinburne Centre.
The Tigers will welcome back inaugural players Kodi Jacques, Laura McClelland and Sarah Sansonetti while the Club’s most recent recruit Meg Macdonald has been selected for her debut.
Energetic forward/midfielder Sarah Dargan has also been named for her first game of the season.
Jacques who was an emergency last week will offer the Tigers pressure and football nous up forward and through the midfield, while McClelland has an ability to play across a number of positions.
Macdonald has played most of her football across half back but won the eyes of Richmond recruiters for her performances as an inside midfielder at VFLW level last season.
Sansonetti has been used mainly in defence across her nine game AFLW career and can also play on the wing.
The inclusions will replace Emelia Yassir (concussion), Poppy Kelly (knee) and Maddie Shevlin (AFL Health and Safety Protocols) who have each been ruled out after impressing in their club debuts last week.
Experienced defender Sarah D’Arcy and livewire Tayla Stahl will also miss the match due to AFL Health and Safety Protocols.
Yet to debut draftee Ingrid Houtsma has been named as an emergency along with top-up player Akayla Peterson.
Peterson won Carlton’s VFLW best and fairest in 2021 after joining the club from Cairns Saints where she was a dual premiership player.
Tomorrow night’s game will be the AFLW Tigers’ first match under lights at the Swinburne Centre and just the second time the Club has met Melbourne in the competition.
Richmond put in a spirited performance against the finals bound Dees in the corresponding game last year but will be eager to improve on the 28-point loss suffered at Casey Fields.
Melbourne and the Tigers both recorded comfortable victories on the weekend, with the Demons doing no harm to their heavily fancied top four claims.
Friday night’s game starts at 7.10pm and will be broadcast live on FOX FOOTY and Kayo.
Richmond Round 2 AFLW Team v Melbourne:
B Rebecca Miller, Harriet Cordner
HB Laura McClelland, Jess Hosking, Bethany Lynch
C Tessa Lavey, Sarah Hosking, Kate Dempsey
HF Stella Reid, Christina Bernardi, Kodi Jacques
F Katie Brennan, Courtney Wakefield
R Gabby Seymour, Maddy Brancatisano, Monique Conti
I/C Hannah Burchell, Meg Macdonald, Megan Kiely, Sarah Dargan, Sarah Sansonetti
EMG Ingrid Houtsma, Akayla Peterson
NEW: Meg Macdonald (Casey VFLW)
IN: Kodi Jacques, Laura McClelland, Meg Macdonald (debut), Sarah Sansonetti, Sarah Dargan
OUT: Maddie Shevlin (AFL Health and Safety Protocols), Sarah D’Arcy (AFL Health and Safety Protocols), Tayla Stahl (AFL Health and Safety Protocols), Emelia Yassir (concussion), Poppy Kelly (knee)
