NEARLY a week has passed since the opening of AFLW Fantasy for 2025, and some ownership trends are already starting to emerge!
We are one week away from the first set of match simulations for AFLW, so no better time than now to assess how the keenest Fantasy coaches have been putting together their squads this season.
Defenders
For the second season in a row, star West Coast youngster Charlie Thomas looks like she will be the most popular defender in AFLW Fantasy, already featuring in nearly 50 per cent of teams. Carlton rookie Poppy Scholz and Richmond’s Isabel Bacon are the coaches’ choice so far, due to some positive pre-season chatter about their chances to feature early in the season. Ella Heads, fresh off her pre-season move to Port Adelaide, is one that could definitely benefit from a slight boost as the Power’s prime ball mover.
Buyer Beware: Daisy D’Arcy will miss the 2025 season (ACL)
Charlie Thomas kicks the ball during West Coast’s clash against Brisbane in round four, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos
Midfielders
She’s the queen of AFLW Fantasy, Ebony Marinoff, and coaches clearly feel that she’ll repeat her rampant scoring again in 2025, with only one in four teams not picking Adelaide’s star mid. Pick 1 Ash Centra (Collingwood) and pick No.5 Zippy Fish (Sydney) will both get chances to play in round one, and boast junior scoring pedigree, so are logical selections this year. Kiara Bowers stands out as a selection with substantial value: prior to the rise of Marinoff, Bowers’ tackling had made her the supreme ruler of AFLW Fantasy scoring and she is set to have a full off-season under her belt (she missed 2024 giving birth to her son Luca).
Kiara Bowers attempts a smother during round nine, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos
Rucks
The ruck line clearly has coaches divided in 2025. No position has fewer players with more than 20 per cent ownership than the rucks. Mim Strom is a worthy choice as her 2024 season was fantastic. She is markedly more expensive than the next most highly owned, the rookie trio of Keeley Hardingham, Havana Harris, and Erica Fowler. Harris, the 2024 No.2 draft pick to Gold Coast, is the pick of the bunch, as she appears comfortably most likely to play in round one. Be on the lookout for a healthy Ally Morphett in the pre-season, her 2023 scoring was uber-elite, and an injury-free off-season could be the launching pad for more of the same this year.
Mim Strom and Jessica Allan compete in a ruck contest during the 2024 semi-final between Adelaide and Fremantle at Norwood Oval. Picture: AFL Photos
Forwards
As coaches look to find value in 2025 (in order to afford the astronomically expensive Marinoff), it appears the forward line is the place to find those discounted scores. Bonnie Toogood has too much value for coaches to ignore, priced nearly $800k cheaper than in 2024. Chloe Molloy has returned from her ACL injury sustained after week one last season, and she should score far closer to her 2023 output (80 average) than her singular 54 in 2024. Hannah Ewings and Ange Stannett are also not to be ignored after missing the entire 2024 season. Port Adelaide’s Lauren Young, currently the most popular rookie, sadly won’t debut until at least the middle of the season with 8-10 weeks remaining on her return to play schedule from an ACL injury.
Buyer Beware: Celine Moody has retired and will not play in 2025.
Chloe Molloy poses for a photo during Sydney’s official team photo day on July 15, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos
Most popular team
Based on these numbers, here is a team made up exclusively of the more popular players so far.
Coaches seem to have focused on grabbing the best players on each line, with the most expensive player in each position forming the backbone of this team. The forward line is value central, with four of the five on-field options all having injury related discounts on their (far higher) 2023 averages. The rookies on field all have good pathways to playing early in the season. The rookies on the bench are a mixed bag, with Aleisha Newman, Keeley Hardingham, and Georgia Clark all having less than guaranteed spots in their respective best 21s for round one.
