Richmond has welcomed exciting ruck Poppy Kelly onto its AFLW list, after a deal with St Kilda was finalised on Wednesday morning.
The Tigers traded pick No. 48 in the 2021 AFLW Draft, which they secured on Monday as part of a trade with Collingwood, in exchange for the 22-year-old.
Kelly, 184cm, has enjoyed a rapid rise up the football ranks since joining the Southern Saints VFLW side in 2019 with just a handful of games to her name.
The former basketballer's athletic prowess and natural skills stood out, and it wasn’t long before she was promoted to St Kilda’s inaugural AFLW list as a rookie.
She became a valuable contributor for the Saints in their maiden AFLW season, averaging 14 hit-outs, nine disposals and four clearances per game after making her debut in Round 4.
Kelly then played three games across the 2021 season, averaging seven disposals per game.
Richmond Head of Women’s Football, Kate Sheahan, said the Tigers had been impressed by Kelly’s raw talent and strong presence in the air.
“We can’t wait to see what Poppy can bring to our Club," Sheahan said.
"Her athleticism and ruck craft will complement our ruck stocks well.
“She’s still relatively new to the sport too, so we see a lot of upside in her and are excited for her to continue developing at Richmond.”
Kelly is the Tigers' second recruit of the 2021 AFLW Sign and Trade Period, after they secured former Collingwood utility Maddie Shevlin on Monday.
Richmond currently holds picks 5, 16, 23 and 40 in the AFLW Draft.
