Richmond Women's recruiter Lauren Tesoriero is confident the Tigers' AFLW draftees will fit into the mix well, being “not just good footballers but good people”.
The Club’s first ever AFLW draft selection went to Ballarat midfielder Sophie Molan at pick 7.
MEMBERSHIP Become one of the Club's first inaugural Women's Football Foundation members
There’s plenty to like about the hard-working teenager, but it was her time in the VFLW with the Western Bulldogs that really made her stand out to Tesoriero.
“We’ve been watching Sophie for the last couple of years at nationals, but her VFLW season really set her above the rest,” Tesoriero said.
Richmond’s second selection in the draft, Lauren McClelland, turned heads with her strong marking and competitive nature.
“Aerially she’s quite good but she’s also really aggressive,” Tesoriero said.
“She’ll bring a bit of grunt to our backline but she’s also quite versatile so she can go through the midfield or up forward if needed.”
Hard-running midfielder Ella Wood claimed the Tigers’ third selection at pick 31, thanks to her versatility, class and composure.
“Ella’s a standout in terms of her decision-making,” Tesoriero said.
“(She’s a) left-footer and very creative when she has the ball in hand. I’m very excited to see what she can provide at AFLW level.”
Wood joins Richmond alongside GWV Rebels teammates Molan and Nekaela Butler (pick 55), with Tesoriero excited for the trio to continue to jell together.
“We’ve picked connection in the NAB girls that are teammates previously,” Tesoriero said.
“They’re good teammates, they’re a good solid bunch up there.
“But also, we’ve taken girls from our own Academy because we’ve had them before and we know what their qualities are.”
At pick 40 and Richmond’s fourth selection, Sarah Sansonetti will complement the Tigers' backline. She’s a reliable defender with football smarts, who has demonstrated an ability to perform in big games.
“She’s quite a crafty back. She’s not quite a key or small, she’s sort of in between,” Tesoriero said.
“Her ability to read the play is what stood out the most and we’d love to see her across half-back for us.”
Richmond’s first four selections all arrived at Tigerland following opportunities in the VFLW this year.
Having that experience competing against bigger bodies is something Tesoriero values “very highly”.
“The VFLW level has gone up a couple of notches in the last couple of years. So, it’s good to see that those girls can compete at the level, because as we know, the AFLW goes up even more,” she said.
With the Tigers’ final draft selection, pick 96, they chose the recruiter herself, Tesoriero.
The 33-year-old proved her fitness last Friday after suffering a knee injury midway through the VFLW season.
While she conceded she was slightly embarrassed to pick herself in the draft, Tesoriero was given her role at the Club hoping she would join the AFLW ranks again.
“I was here as a player first before my role in recruiting and I’m excited to get back out there and help the team,” she said.
“If I’m needed to play every game then I will.
“Having a knee injury in the middle of the VFLW season, I thought I may need to retire. But, we’ve worked pretty hard to get me back on the track.”
Tesoriero said it was a huge moment for the Tigers to have finally completed their inaugural AFLW list.
“The girls have been itching to get a bunch of new teammates. Hopefully we can get the new girls here quickly and they can start to bond,” she said.
“I know it’s going to be easy because we’ve got such a good group of girls.”
