Carlton Supporters Club

There has been a lot of discussion by the “experts” about the current crop of AFLW players having played junior footy and moving on to senior footy without a break.  As a result, they are said to be more skilful and more natural footballers than those who played in the first few seasons of AFLW.

While there’s some truth to that, I still think that Erin Phillips is the best all round AFLW player by some margin.  And then there’s the Irish girls who, unlike Australian cross-coders, have had absolutely no exposure to Aussie Rules before their first training session. 

Dayna Finn and Erone Fitzpatrick are two of the best and most skilful players on our list.  If it wasn’t for the occasional Gaelic Football touch, it would be easy to believe that they’d grown up playing Aussie Rules.

So, while an uninterrupted footy journey clearly contributes to good skills and footy nous, an athletic girl with stamina, strength, good hand/foot-eye coordination and an aptitude for team sports can be equally adept at the game.