2 months ago
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December 15, 2025 — 8.23pm
Richmond have pounced on West Australian key forward Olivia Wolmarans with the prized No.1 pick in the AFLW draft.
Athletic midfielder Scarlett Johnson had been in the mix for the Tigers’ pick as late as Sunday before Richmond, who are without a coach after sacking Ryan Ferguson following a 16th-placed finish, settled on Wolmarans.
“Unreal. I can’t tell you the feeling I’m feeling right now,” Wolmarans said.
The 18-year-old said she’d gone 10-pin bowling to avoid thinking about the draft on the day, shunning her mother’s suggestion of heading to an art gallery.
Richmond had traded with Gold Coast to ensure first dibs on the best talent ahead of GWS’s picks No.2 and No.3.
The Giants snapped up Johnson before successfully bidding on Sydney academy prospect Kiera Yerbury with the third selection, with the Swans opting not to match the bid.
A power key forward with a booming kick and huge contested mark, 180cm-tall Wolmarans had a background in heptathlon before turning to football.
She kicked six goals in this year’s national championships, including a bag of four against the Allies, and will likely be a foil to veteran Katie Brennan in the Tigers’ attack as she develops.
Top billing: Richmond drafted Olivia Wolmarans (left) from Subiaco with the No.1 selection.Credit: AFL Photos
The Suns traded pick No.1 to help them add as many top selections as possible to match bids on highly-rated academy prospects including Sunny Lappin, Georja Davies, Ava Usher, Dekota Baron and Alannah Welsh.
Lappin, who could have been a father-daughter selection to either Carlton or St Kilda, where her father Matthew played, was the first Suns academy cab off the rank, with Gold Coast matching Adelaide’s bid at pick No.4.
Three Suns academy selections were taken in the top 10 while Sydney snapped up their own top prospect Alex Neyland at pick No.6 after overlooking Yerbury.
The Crows rounded out the top five by snagging slider Chloe Bown, who had looked a potential No.1 pick for the majority of the year.
THE TOP SELECTIONS
- No.1: Olivia Wolmarans (Richmond)
- No.2: Scarlett Johnson (Greater Western Sydney)
- No.3: Kiera Yerbury (Greater Western Sydney)
- No.4: Sunny Lappin (Gold Coast) - matching Adelaide’s bid
- No.5: Chloe Bown (Adelaide)
- No.6: Alex Neyland (Sydney) - matching Collingwood’s bid
- No.7: Ava Usher (Gold Coast) - matching Collingwood’s bid
- No.8: Imogen Trengove (Collingwood)
- No.9: Georja Davies (Gold Coast) - matching Essendon’s bid
- No.10: Maggie Johnstone (Essendon)
AAP, more to come
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