The Western Bulldogs are pleased to confirm that 27 players have re-committed to the Kennel for the upcoming AFLW season.
In a strong showing of loyalty to the red, white and blue, reigning Best and Fairest top three Ellie Blackburn, Alice Edmonds and Isabelle Pritchard lead the way.
Fan favourites and inaugural Bulldogs Kirsty Lamb, Bailey Hunt and Kirsten McLeod will remain in the red, white and blue, while last year’s draft class Rylie Wilcox, Heidi Woodley and Keely Coyne will move into their second seasons on a senior list.
Premiership Bulldogs Naomi Ferres and Deanna Berry will also continue, as will Celine Moody, Elle Bennetts, Rocky Cranston, Daisy Bateman and Millie Brown.
The future of the Club has also been secured, with Gabby Newton, Issy Grant, Eleanor Brown, Jess Fitzgerald, Elisabeth Georgostathis, Brit Gutknecht, Sarah Hartwig, Gemma Lagioia, Aurora Smith and Elizabeth Snell re-committing.
Executive Director of Football, Chris Grant, said locking in the majority of players was a fantastic result.
“To have emerged from both the Priority Signing Period and Sign and Trade period with the bulk of our list shows how much faith this group has in what we are striving to achieve under head coach Nathan Burke,” Grant said.
“It’s also a testament to the environment we have fostered here at the Kennel, built by both the staff and players.
“We are confident this group can achieve success and look forward to seeing continued improvement in the upcoming AFLW season and beyond. It is certainly an exciting time ahead for this group of players and our AFLW program.”
In other list news, the Bulldogs can confirm Amanda Ling and Annabel Strahan will not be offered contracts for season eight, while Brooke Vernon has announced her decision to step away from football.
Ling was drafted with pick 22 in the 2021 NAB AFLW Draft, and made her debut in the opening round of season six.
Strahan was added to the list ahead of the 2021 season, playing one game in season six, while Vernon was acquired via the 2022 NAB AFLW Draft after spending three seasons with Carlton.
“We thank Amanda, Annabel and Brooke for their contributions and dedication to our program,” Grant said.
“We wish them all the best in their next moves.”
The AFLW Bulldogs will now turn their attention to the 2023 Season Eight Supplementary Draft, where they’ll look to fill their three vacant list spots.
A final draft order will be released on Friday 31 March, ahead of the draft on Tuesday 4 April.
Western Bulldogs AFLW 2023 list – at the completion of AFLW PSP and Sign & Trade periods
• Daisy Bateman
• Elle Bennetts
• Ellie Blackburn
• Deanna Berry
• Eleanor Brown
• Millie Brown
• Richelle Cranston
• Keely Coyne
• Alice Edmonds
• Naomi Ferres
• Jess Fitzgerald
• Elisabeth Georgostathis
• Issy Grant
• Britney Gutknecht
• Sarah Hartwig
• Bailey Hunt
• Gemma Lagioia
• Kirsty Lamb
• Katie Lynch
• Kirsten McLeod
• Celine Moody
• Gabby Newton
• Isabelle Pritchard
• Aurora Smith
• Elizabeth Snell
• Rylie Wilcox
• Heidi Woodley
