By Marnie Vinall

Jasmine Garner was the unanimous choice at No.1.Credit: Chris Hopkins

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Eight seasons into the AFLW, there is a generational changing of the guard upon us.

The likes of pioneers and greats Daisy Pearce and Erin Phillips have hung up their boots and players who were spring chickens when the competition started are now in their prime – and dominating.

With the finals series set to launch on Saturday, we used a combination of season eight data and expert opinion to select the top-10 players in the competition right now.

How we picked the top 10

We were guided by stats that included possessions and clearances for winning the ball and impacting play, tackles for defence, and marks, score involvements and goals for attack.

We also consulted five experts, who each submitted their list of players ranked from one to 10. Our experts were a current coach, two former players, both now in the media, and two AFLW commentators. Three of the experts preferred not to be named so they could speak freely about players.

One of the commentators was women’s football pioneer Chyloe Kurdas, and one of the former players was ex-Brisbane, St Kilda and Hawthorn forward Kate McCarthy.

Kurdas explained that those who made it onto the list are “players who can turn games”.

“The quality of their possessions are worth more than one disposal because they give something to the person they hand the ball over to,” she said.

“There’s a level of space and creativity and the quality of the decision-making – and then the quality of the execution and where they put the ball. They give space and licence to the person they hand it over to.”

She said the really great players help their teammates by bringing them into the game and allowing them to play better because they’ve made “good preceding decisions”.

They are also, simply put, extremely talented footballers.

1. Jasmine Garner, North Melbourne

Top pick: Jasmine Garner.Credit: Chris Hopkins

North Melbourne’s Jasmine Garner was the first pick on everyone’s list and to everyone’s bemusement she’s never won a league best and fairest award. She finished second in disposals this season, and recorded 30 or more in a game on six occasions. She was second for clearances and contested possessions and third for score involvements. Her deep kick also saw her lead the competition for inside 50s.

As one expert explained, Garner can win games off her own boot. She’s a strong clearance player who’s good in the air and has a smart, penetrating kick.

2. Monique Conti, Richmond

Mon Conti in full flight for the Tigers.Credit: AFL Photos / Getty Images

Richmond’s Monique Conti is an incredible ball winner and can break games open by taking possession on the inside and getting to the outside cleanly, then often involves herself multiple times in chains of play.

McCarthy, a former AFLW inaugural player and now commentator and assistant coach, said “she just does things others in this list can’t”.

“[She’s] a true 360-degree player. I’m convinced she has eyes in the back of her head.”

This year, she led the competition for clearances and was fourth for overall possessions.

3. Chloe Molloy, Sydney

Swans captain Chloe Molloy in action at Henson Park.Credit: Getty

Since day one in the competition Chloe Molloy been able to impact games through moments or quarters of brilliance – she earned the Rising Star and club best and fairest with Collingwood in her first year – but has taken her game up a notch since moving to Sydney this year.

She is a creative player, who is clean and quick with great goal sense, who now has the workrate to consistently impact games, including bringing in her younger teammates to turn games. Shown best in finishing second in the competition for score involvements.

4. Ebony Marinoff, Adelaide

Ebony Marinoff celebrates a goal for the Crows.Credit: AFL Photos

Three-time premiership Adelaide player Ebony Marinoff is an incredibly tough player and led the competition for tackles this year with 101, just the second player to hit triple-digits in a single season.

She can take back control of games by winning the ball and gaining territory for her side with penetrating kicks. She was fifth overall for possessions this season and lead in kicks.

5. Kate Hore, Melbourne

Kate Hore has taken over captaincy from Daisy Pearce.Credit: AFL Photos

Melbourne captain and premiership player Kate Hore is the best forward in the competition – joint leading goalkicker this year with teammate Eden Zanker and finished second last season behind Jesse Wardlaw – while also versatile enough to be thrown in the midfield to have an impact on the ball when needed.

Hore also led the competition in score involvements with 70, 12 more than any other player.

She has an incredibly strong overhead mark but is equally damaging at ground level and often leads games in the tackle count. Not to mention, she’s a classy finisher.

6. Anne Hatchard, Adelaide

Anne Hatchard is part of the Crows dynasty. Credit: AFL Photos via Getty

Adelaide’s three-time premiership player Anne Hatchard is strong in the contest and takes clean possessions both in the air and at ground level. Her workrate is immense and can patrol up and down the ground all day, while able to find space and open up scoring opportunities for teammates. She is tied third with Garner for most score involvements this year.

7. Ellie Blackburn, Western Bulldogs

Ellie Blackburn has led the Dogs through a tough year.Credit: Getty Images

Kurdas lauded Western Bulldogs captain Ellie Blackburn as a “generational player”. This year she had a career-high season and had a huge impact in a struggling team, who notched just the one win.

She was able to win the ball and – as McCarthy said – be a “bull at the footy” and get her side back into games. She was sixth in overall possessions this season, seventh in clearances, and second for centre clearances.

8. Ally Anderson, Brisbane

Ally Anderson (left) with Emily Bates after winning the AFLW best and fairest medal in 2022.Credit: AFL Photos / Getty Images

Brisbane’s premiership player Ally Anderson is a reliable ball winner with consistent pressure, making her a tough opposition to play on.

The reigning W award winner has been phenomenal again this year for the Lions, according to McCarthy, after she came in eight in overall possessions and took on an extra workload after her ex-midfield partner Emily Bates left for Hawthorn.

“She works so hard defensively from contest and often out works her opponents,” said McCarthy.

9. Maddy Prespakis, Essendon

Maddy Prespakis is a prolific ball winner for the Bombers.Credit: Getty Images

League best and fairest winner Maddy Prespakis is a smart player, clean in the contest with great vision.

As one expert said, it’s amazing how consistent she is considering she plays in a young developing team and would get the most focus from opposition players every week because she’s Essendon’s clear best mid.

Prespakis finished sixth in overall possessions and seventh for contested possessions.

10. Bonnie Toogood, Essendon

Bonnie Toogood has been the best mark in the AFLW this year.Credit: Getty Images

Essendon’s Bonnie Toogood led the competition in marks with 65, 17 more than Dakota Davidson who came in second, of which 18 were contested and 18 were inside 50.

McCarthy explained Toogood “played a role as not only the link player between defence and forward but then had the workrate to get in front of the ball again and take contested marks and kick goals”.

The Bombers co-captain kicked 15 goals in 10 games and came in third for tackles inside 50.

Honourable mentions:

Bri Davey, Alyce Parker, Ash Riddell, Georgie Prespakis, Nina Morrison, Tyla Hanks, Charlie Rowbottom, Laura Gardiner.

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