Surging towards their maiden AFLW finals appearance, Port Adelaide has dominated the 2024 AFL Players’ Association’s 22Under22 squad, presented by Torrens University Australia.
Six Power youngsters – Abbey Dowrick, Shineah Goody, Julie Teakle, Matilda Scholz, Molly Brooksby and Amelie Borg – feature in this year’s squad, showing the future is bright at Alberton.
Following closely behind are Melbourne and West Coast, with four players from each club being selected in the 44-person squad.
Geelong star Georgie Prespakis and Gold Coast gun Charlie Rowbottom are both vying for their fourth appearance in the final 22Under22 team, while Giant Tarni Evans and Tiger Ellie McKenzie are aiming for their third.
In an exciting sign for the strength of the competition’s future, 27 players are making their debut in the initial squad.
The 44-person squad was chosen by foundation AFLW player and All Australian Kate McCarthy as Chair of Selectors, with support from the AFLPA and Champion Data.
McCarthy said it was a wonderful, but challenging, experience to be part of the 22Under22 selection process.
“As we know, there is some incredible young talent in our league, and to try to narrow the squad down to just 44 players has been very difficult,” she said.
“This squad is a credit to the youth we have seen come through the pathways and make a large impact on the competition. We have a number of first-year players in the squad, which shows the upward direction our competition is heading.”
“Best of luck to those attempting to select their 22 players – I feel like this squad is one with incredible depth, so finalising that down to 22 is going to be incredibly tough, for all the right reasons.”
For a player to be eligible for selection in the squad, they must be 22 and under for the entirety of the season (including Grand Final day – November 30) and have played at least five matches throughout the 2024 season.
Fans will decide the final 22Under22 team, with voting now open at vote.22under22.com.au until midnight on November 13.
This year’s 22Under22 final line up will be announced on November 20 via the AFLPA’s website and social media channels.
The AFLPA is proud to partner with Torrens University Australia for the AFLW 22Under22 campaign.