AN EPILEPSY diagnosis caused by a skateboard accident at 16 may have cut Ryleigh Wotherspoon's cricket dreams short, but it did put her on the path to footy.

A talented cricketer and soccer player, Wotherspoon - a draft bolter who rose from obscurity to pick No.12 in the 2023 AFLW draft - played footy as a junior before turning to other sports.

Fresh off a starring role in Melbourne's stirring semi-final win over Adelaide, she has revealed the medical condition that caused her sporting life to change course.

"I played as a junior in Mackay from about age eight to 11, just playing with the boys. There wasn't really a pathway for the girls, so kind of gave that up and went into my cricket (representing Australia at under-15 and under-18 level) and my soccer," the young Melbourne forward told AFL.com.au.

"I moved to Brisbane in the hopes of becoming probably a cricketer, but I had an accident when I was about 16 and got diagnosed with epilepsy, and I dislocated my shoulder at the same time. 

"I just fell off my skateboard, and we believe that triggered the brain injury (and subsequent epilepsy).

"A couple of years later, I was at uni, and I'd had (follow-up) shoulder surgery, and one of my mates was playing footy (with local club Sherwood). At the time, it was off-season for cricket, so I was going down and running water. The coach, Mitch Merritt, he asked if I wanted to play, and he was real keen.

"I ended up playing about four games, because I was working on my shoulder rehab. I didn't realise it at the time, but Mitch was part of the Brisbane Lions Academy staff, and he got Michael Swann (Lions list manager) down to watch me. And it moved really quickly from there."

The epilepsy was well-managed over her fledgling sporting career, and five years after her accident, she has been cleared to stop taking medication, with post-traumatic epilepsy able to go into remission.

"I had to work through that with both clubs, like when I met with Brisbane (as a train-on), I had to make sure I was medically all good from the doctor's point of view," Wotherspoon said.

"Now with Melbourne, we just keep a close eye on it, especially when I had a couple concussions last year, there was a bit of extra care that went into it, which is good. It's nice that the doctors will have your back and to have open conversations and do the right things medically to make sure that's all cleared.

"I had a neurologist in Brisbane, but went to see one in Melbourne earlier this year to try to get off the medication. We did some brain scans and stuff, and have been given the green light to not use medication anymore. So I'm just living normally now, which is nice."

With less than 24 hours to go before the 2023 AFLW Draft, the murmurings about Wotherspoon had started.

There was a girl up in Queensland, a cricketer who had only played a handful of local games and then somehow became a train-on for the back half of Brisbane's season. 

The Lions knew they had a talent in their back pocket, and were confident she'd slip through the cracks.

But somehow, Melbourne had picked up on her, and was keen. Extraordinarily keen. And suddenly, the google hits on Ryleigh Wotherspoon's name went through the roof, as the AFL.com.au editorial team dug up as much information on this cricketer-soccer-softball player from Mackay as they could, because she was about to become an all-time draft bolter and land at the Dees with pick No.12.

As to how Wotherspoon caught the eye of then-Melbourne list manager Todd Patterson, the sometimes-maligned scrimmages for non-selected and train-on players were key, as was a cricketing connection with current Dee Georgia Gall, the pair having represented Australia together at a junior level.

"I'm very grateful that Brisbane took me in and started my development," she said.

"[Melbourne's approach] was unexpected, because I didn't really have footage and I didn't have an agent, so I was trying to piece together some footage myself. 

"Georgia reached out and I was open to it, because you just never know what was going to happen. So when she reached out, I just gave her some film and we went from there."

Melbourne's AFLW side was originally built on the old Darebin Falcons core of Daisy Pearce, Paxy Paxman, Lauren Pearce, Elise O'Dea and Melissa Hickey, along with players like Lily Mithen, Sarah Lampard, Cat Phillips, Shelley Scott and Katherine Smith.

There's been additions along the way – Kate Hore and Eden Zanker arrived in 2018; Tyla Hanks and Shelley Heath in 2019; Sinead Goldrick in 2020 – but there's been a big influx of young talent in recent years.

While skipper Hore starred in Melbourne's tough 11-point semi-final victory over Adelaide on Saturday, it was Wotherspoon who kicked a crucial fourth-term goal, and she wasn't the only kid to help secure the win.

Draftee Maggie Mahony (12 disposals, two goals) produced her best game in her fledgling career; key back Tahlia Gillard – who's still just 21 – stood even taller than her 190cm, taking on champion Chelsea Randall and won; first-year Molly O'Hehir showed her mettle at half-back and Gall (22) and Georgia Campbell (21) held down structurally key roles in attack without the injured Eden Zanker.

"The last two years since I've been with the program, we've probably had a lot of movement with our list changes, but it's brought in new, exciting faces and fresh energy, and I think that's what the club wanted," Wotherspoon said.

"We're very lucky with all the new girls – we've got really good bonds in and outside of the club. I love playing footy with everyone.

"It's handy there's still a veteran on every line; they're passing on their knowledge and wisdom to us younger girls. Their leadership is still very noticeable out there on the field, knowing when the time's right to take the game on, and when to slow down. We've got a good balance."