EVERY season, there are always players who take their game to the next level.

More often than not, it's the draftees and top-end talents stamping themselves on the competition to terrific and immediate effect. Those we all know about and will be looking forward to watching take the competition by storm in the seasons to come.

But then there are the bolters; players who have seemingly come from nowhere who have moved from the periphery into the limelight for 2025. 

Then there are the stalwarts of the competition who have found another gear to elevate their standing in the league even further.

No matter the age, team or experience in the AFLW, there have been many who have made the leap as the season reaches its zenith. 

Take a look at just a handful of players who have been standouts in 2025. 

DAYNA FINN

There's Irish flair, and then there's Dayna Finn. One of seven players from the Emerald Isle between Carlton's women's and men's playing lists, the 25-year-old from County Mayo has arguably been pick of the bunch in light of a phenomenal season that has perhaps come from the blue. Arriving at Carlton in 2023 after dominating the basketball and Gaelic football circuits, the relatively inexperienced code-convert has rocketed up the ranks this season to play an unmissable hand in propelling Carlton towards finals football; a win this coming Friday night over West Coast all but consolidating its place in November. Impressing in the midfield with her superior speed, crafty left foot and ability to create on the outside, Finn finds herself as Carlton's leader for total disposals, marks, ground-ball gets and uncontested possessions in 2025, as well as ranking in the top three for her side's clearances and inside 50s. The dynamic playmaker has impressively led Carlton's disposal numbers five times this season (and featured in the top three a further four times), with her performances against the Bulldogs and Giants coming in at 30-plus. Prior to this year, her best figures in a game sat at 17 touches, and the year before after crossing over from Ireland, that number was just nine. It certainly hasn't been a change that has come overnight. But it's the perfect testament to Finn's commitment to improving and willingness to embrace the uncomfortable aspects of coming into a foreign sport to make her way to the top. For all the Irish fans out there, Dayna Finn's season has been great craic.

INDY TAHAU

Indy Tahau has been no stranger to huge wraps on her football potential and ability, but this season may be the season where she has received the most praise. Although having always been equipped with the ability to play at either end of the ground, the Port Adelaide spearhead has locked down a place inside the forward line, and doesn’t look like vacating it any time soon. Leading the competition for goals this season with 23 majors. Ironically, the former defender has been a backline’s nightmare through her freakish skillset, strong marking presence and ability to kick goals from any which angle. Last week’s major in the Showdown against the Crows — which saw her break the record for the most goals in the women’s home and away season — was the perfect example of that, threading home a physics-defying goal from the pocket to put herself in the box-seat to claim Goal of the Year honours. In 2025, the 23-year-old has averaged over two goals per game; made even more impressive by the fact that she didn’t hit the majors column in her first two matches of the season. Tahau’s best came less than a fortnight ago against Hawthorn with a match-winning five-goal haul, all of which were hammered home after half-time as the brown and gold threatened to claim the four points after trailing by 35 points. While nothing short of a miracle can squeeze Port Adelaide into the top-eight with one game left to play, expect another huge campaign from Tahau in 2026 to get the Power back in the finals race.

ZIPPY FISH

There have been many players across the competition’s first 10 seasons who have become key pieces of their side in their first season. But the immediate impact of Zippy Fish has perhaps been in another league entirely. Zippy by name and zippy by nature, the top-five draftee only needed one game to write her name into the history books, amassing a record 26 disposals on debut before snaring a Rising Star nomination the following week for another prolific 27-disposal display. It hasn’t just been a flash in the pan however, with Fish continuing to find plenty of the Sherrin, including a career-best 34 touches against the juggernaut that is North Melbourne in round eight. Just a reminder, she’s doing this at 19 years of age. Arguably the frontrunner for this year’s AFLW Telstra Rising Star, Fish has cemented herself as a classy and composed member of Sydney’s brigade, utilising her sharp disposal and line-breaking legspeed to turn heads from a league-wide standpoint. Fish has accrued the most rebound-50s out of any player in the competition this season (80), which has been complemented by one of the most tidy kicking efficiencies (72.3 per cent) to give the Swans a major advantage when springing out of the defensive half. Despite the small sample size in terms of games played, Fish — who also leads Sydney for intercepts and is second for disposals in her debut year — is on an exciting trajectory that is only going to get better as she continues to develop from an eye-catching youngster into a match-winning icon of the AFLW.

COURTNEY HODDER

Already one of the competition's best forwards, Lions fans were tasted to an entrée of what Courtney Hodder could do through the midfield last season. This year, they — and the rest of the competition — got the main course, and it didn’t disappoint. While electrifying games and thrilling in front of goal with spectacular theatrics has always been part of Hodder’s repertoire, the small forward-turned-midfielder has surged right up to the top of the AFLW’s most dynamic players, with her increased time in the engine room adding another level to the Lions’ already fearful midfield. Most alarmingly for opposition sides, she hasn’t lost her lethality around goal despite the shift, with a career-best 12 majors to her name in 2025, including a lively four against Gold Coast in this year’s QClash. On the stats sheet on a numbers sense alone, it’s positive reading when it comes to year-on-year improvement. But although up to over 15 disposals per game as opposed to her career-average of a tick over 10, Hodder’s season is proof that quality will always win out over quality. Her impact with ball in hand has elevated the Lions to another level forward of centre, and when coupled with her intense pressure and relentless attack, renders her as one of the league’s most potent game-breakers whose importance to the fabric of the side can’t be overstated. Another example of a player who decided to pursue football after another prominent calling in another code (in this case, rugby), there’s no denying the competition is far better for having Hodder in it.

SOPHIE MCKAY

Pocket rocket, excitement machine, human highlights reel… use whatever term you want, it’s sure to be applicable to Sophie McKay. From just her handful of games, the vivacious first-year Blue has had an immediate influence on her side and a key contributor to her side’s tilt towards finals football. Equal parts creative and destructive (in an opposition sense) with ball in hand, the 19-year-old has caught the eye not just through her bright red locks, but through her superb pace which can weave her out of trouble — be it from her opponents or even errantly tackling teammates as seen this weekend just gone —  and ability to connect the Blues by hand when moving into attack. Much like Brisbane’s Courtney Hodder, McKay hasn’t needed to amass a wealth of possessions to make her presence felt. You certainly notice when she does have it, but McKay does start winning more of the footy in the coming seasons, her awe-inspiring traits are going to elevate tenfold. Going at over goal per game on average in her debut year, the father-daughter recruit is more than living up the esteemed family name as she and sister/captain Abbie will the Blues closer to November action. Alongside Poppy Scholz, who has had an equally impactful season and is also in the running for the AFLW Telstra Rising Star, Carlton’s youth is more than just good news for the ‘Baggers, but the evolution of the competition as a whole. 

JESSE WARDLAW

There are a number of St Kilda players to attribute to its potential surge into finals football, however the sheer dominance of Jesse Wardlaw is hard to ignore. It’s almost counterintuitive to label a player who has won the competition’s goalkicking award, All-Australian and premiership honours as having a ‘breakout season’, however it’s the way the New Zealand-born forward has been able to turn games on their head in a way very, very few players in the AFLW are able to do that has been the biggest leap in her game. Wardlaw’s unbelievable heroics against Port Adelaide earlier this year — in which she booted three final-quarter goals in five minutes to guide the Saints to the greatest three-quarter time comeback victory — was something staggering to bear witness to live as RSEA Park heaved, while her efforts against Essendon (three goals) in her 75th game were just as pivotal in securing the four points. Without those performances, St Kilda’s finals hopes would be on hold for yet another season. Although quieter over the past few weeks, Wardlaw has become everything the Saints have hoped her to be since making the move over from the Lions, dominating up forward and pinch-hitting in the ruck to serve to give her side a boost when she does get on a roll. If the Saints make history with their first AFLW finals appearance, expect Wardlaw to feature prominently.