Rucks were in high demand in the 2024 Telstra AFLW Draft and one of the rebel VFLW’s brightest stars is now headed to the highest level among three talls to be drafted from the state league.
Western Bulldogs star Keeley Hardingham enjoyed a dominant breakout season which was capped by her being promoted by the Bulldogs, who added her to their AFLW list with pick 49 in Monday night’s Draft.
All three draftees from the rebel VFLW have links to Geelong, with Hardingham having played five games for the Cats while representing the Geelong Falcons in 2022.
Meanwhile, Geelong’s two rucks during the 2024 rebel VFLW season were taken either side of Hardingham.
Geelong promoted Piper Dunlop onto its AFLW list with pick 37 and Sydney grabbed mature-aged local Caitlin Reid at pick 60 after she headed south to play six games for the Cats this year to give herself the best chance to be selected.
Hardingham, who turns 21 on Christmas Day, played all 18 matches for the Bulldogs this year and was clearly the best ruck in the league.
In addition to being named in the Team of the Year, she won the Debbie Lee Medal for the VFLW Rising Star and finished second in the rebel Coaches MVP Award before upstaging Lambert-Pearce medallist Dom Carbone to claim her club’s best and fairest.
The 182cm gun from Colac Imperials and St Joseph’s averaged 17.6 disposals, 22.6 hitouts, 2.7 marks, 4.4 clearances, 5.3 tackles and 3.7 inside-50s and also kicked nine goals.
She contributed 15 touches and 24 hitouts to be the Bulldogs’ second highest ball winner in the Grand Final loss to North Melbourne in July.
Sandhurst product Dunlop, a 186cm ruck who turned 21 in September, made her debut against Carlton in Round 7 and played the last seven matches for Geelong.
She averaged 9.6 disposals, 26.7 hitouts, 1.4 marks, 2.4 hitouts and 3.9 tackles, with her best performance being 10 touches and 44 hitouts against minor premier Williamstown in a Round 10 game the Cats lost by 86 points.
Reid played her six matches for Cats in between 14 appearances in the AFL Sydney Premier Division for East Coast, where she was named in the best 13 times and played a key role in the Eagles winning the premiership.
The 27-year-old, who stands at 185cm, also represented AFL Sydney against Canberra.
At Geelong she averaged 11.5 disposals, 20.5 hitouts, 2.2 marks, 2.2 clearances and 4.8 tackles, having 17 possessions against Box Hill Hawks, 31 hitouts against GWS Giants and 12 disposals and 22 hitouts against Hardingham and the Bulldogs.
There were 10 other young guns drafted from the Coates Talent League who made their rebel VFLW debuts throughout season 2024, including six first-round selections.
Box Hill handed VFLW debuts to Eastern Ranges quartet Grace Belloni (pick 9, Essendon), Georgie Brisbane (pick 14, Fremantle), Georgia Knight (pick 26, Collingwood) and Evie Parker (pick 38, Fremantle).
Bendigo Pioneers young gun Alexis Gregor (pick 10, Geelong) and Northern Knights pair Holly Ridewood (pick 12, Essendon) and Zoe Hargreaves (pick 20, Richmond) all played games for Carlton.
Oakleigh Chargers pair Maggie Mahony (pick 21, Melbourne) and Sarah Poustie (pick 25, Western Bulldogs) represented Collingwood, while Bendigo Pioneers bolter Lavinia Cox (pick 15, Hawthorn) played for Essendon..
