Richmond has made its first AFLW list lodgement with eight players secured for the Club’s inaugural season.
The Tigers started the 22-day Sign and Trade Period in outstanding fashion by announcing the signature of one of the league’s most recognisable faces in Katie Brennan.
Brennan, 26, said the Club’s “amazing” Women’s Football program and “full investment in player development” attracted her to the Club, a sentiment that continued throughout her new teammates’ announcements.
Two of those, Christina Bernardi and Phoebe Monahan, were attracted back to the Club as expansion signings from GWS, having previously been involved in Richmond’s VFLW program.
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“I really liked it here in the VFL and I got to know some of the staff, it’s a good vibe so I was pretty keen to come back,” Bernardi, who was an All Australian in 2018 told Roar Vision.
The exciting goalkicker was one of three All Australian’s brought to the Swinburne Centre along with Sabrina Frederick (two-time) and Monique Conti who both arrived at the Club via trades.
Frederick made the move to Melbourne from Brisbane to be closer to family and was traded in exchange for selection No.16 overall (originally selection No. 12).
The 182cm power forward/ruck, like Brennan, was one of the competition’s original marquee players.
The Conti deal took until the second phase of the Sign and Trade Period, which was when the Tigers parted ways with the No. 1 selection in order to bring the cross-code star to the Swinburne Centre.
View this post on InstagramOur eight @richmondwomens AFLW Tigers, together for the first time #TheHuntBegins
Conti, at the age of 19, and with just two seasons of AFLW experience, is already one of the competition’s most decorated players.
Her resume includes a best and fairest, premiership, Grand Final best-on-ground medal and a spot in the 2019 All Australian team.
Fellow teenagers Iilish Ross and Maddy Brancatisano were also announced as expansion signings, crossing over from Collingwood and Melbourne, respectively.
Ross, 19, has impressed in her two seasons in the AFLW notching up 13 games for the Magpies while Brancatisano was the No. 15 selection in the 2018 draft.
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Former Geelong Cat, Hannah Burchell, rounded out the acquisitions when she signed at the Club earlier this week as a delisted free agent.
The Tigers are now armed with 11 picks in the 2019 AFLW Draft, with the remainder of the 30 spots on the list to be made up of free agents, rookie selections and VFLW pre-listings.
Under AFLW rules, the Club has priority access to up to seven players currently on their VFLW list that missed out on being selected in the 2018 AFLW Draft.
Richmond selections in the 2019 AFLW Draft are:
7, 25, 31, 40, 43, 55, 58, 71, 73, 85, 88
Richmond’s AFLW list by guernsey numbers:
2 Phoebe Monahan
3 Katie Brennan
4 Monique Conti
5 Maddy Brancatisano
6 Christina Bernardi
9 Hannah Burchell
14 Sabrina Frederick
21 Iilish Ross
