THE CLASS of 2025 has started to form, with a handful of players having already hung up the boots
This piece will be updated as retirement announcements are made.
DANA HOOKER (WEST COAST)
Inaugural AFLW player Dana Hooker will retire at the end of West Coast’s season after a nine-year career at two clubs.
Hooker was drafted by Fremantle ahead of the first ever AFLW season in 2017 and played three seasons at the Dockers before joining the Eagles in 2020.
She won the Eagles’ inaugural Club Champion award before missing the entire 2024 season to give birth to her second child.
With the club on the verge of maiden finals campaign heading into the final round of the season, Hooker is hoping to finish on a high.
“(Finals) something I’ve desperately wanted for this team for such a long time, and we get the opportunity to make it happen on Friday night,” she said.
Dana Hooker with baby Zara during West Coast’s official team photo day at Mineral Resources Park on May 15, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos
“Not many athletes get to have that fairytale end to their career, but if we make finals, and go deep into finals, that will be it for me.
“When I got drafted back in 2016, I remember thinking to myself that I was only 24 at that stage, I’d just had Alice (her first daughter), and I thought about how good it would be to play five years in the AFLW.
“I stand here today just shy of 10 years, and I feel nothing but proud and grateful for the opportunity to have stayed here for as long as I have.”
ALIESHA NEWMAN (GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY)
Inaugural AFLW player Aliesha Newman will play her final game at the end of this season.
A former soccer player who was the last player signed to Melbourne’s list ahead of the 2017 season, she currently has 66 games to her name, having also played for Collingwood, Sydney and the Giants.
The speedy small forward and Ningy Ningy woman provided plenty of on-field highlights, but has also been a significant contributor off the field as an ambassador for Indigenous athletes.
She has designed a number of Indigenous Round jumpers for every club she has played for, and also created the AFLW’s first Indigenous Round guernsey in 2021.
Aliesha Newman and Claire Ransom wear GWS’s 2024 AFLW Indigenous Round guernsey. Picture: GWS
“Football has given me so much more than I could have dreamed of,” Newman said.
“It’s given me a sense of belonging, a family away from home and the chance to grow into someone I never thought I could be.
“Through this game, I’ve found my purpose, I’ve been able to give back through coaching, mentoring and connecting with the next generation, especially within the Indigenous community.
“Above all else, football has given me teammates, coaches and lifelong friends who have become family.”
MADDY COLLIER (SYDNEY)
Former Sydney skipper Maddy Collier has announced her retirement at age 30.
An inaugural AFLW player with Greater Western Sydney, the hard-nosed utility played 47 games across 10 seasons, including a stint at West Coast when the Eagles first entered the competition.
She returned home to New South Wales for the Swans’ debut season, captaining the team alongside Lauren Szigeti and Brooke Lochland.
Collier battled a wide array of injuries over her near-decade in the League, including a torn ACL and a few serious ankle issues.
“I’ve supported this club since I was a kid so to pull on the Swans guernsey was a real ‘pinch me moment’, and it was an incredible honour to be named co-captain in the first year,” Collier said.
Maddy Collier in action during Sydney’s clash against Greater Western Sydney in round four, 2024. Picture: Getty Images
“When I look back, I’ve probably spent more time here in rehab than I have playing, but it has taught me so much about being a good club person and given me an appreciation for all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.
“I’d like to thank Scott (Gowans, coach) and Kate (Mahony, head of footy) for bringing me here and the faith they put in me, as well as my mum for her unwavering support – I wouldn’t be here without her.
“Being on this journey with the girls has been by far my favourite part. Their company and camaraderie will be the thing I’ll miss the most, as it has been a pleasure to ride the highs and lows with them.”
JODIE HICKS (RICHMOND)
Dual-sport athlete Hicks will hang up the boots at the end of the season.
Hicks, 28, previously played WBBL with Sydney Sixers, and has played 58 AFLW games across eight seasons, which included a mid-career break for a year when she lost her love of the game.
The tenacious defender started her career with Greater Western Sydney, moving to Richmond ahead of last season.
Jodie Hicks looks to handball under pressure during round 10, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos
“I have been very lucky … I have made friends all over the world and had a lot of cool opportunities. It is something I never thought a little girl from Hay would be able to do,” Hicks said.
“Coming to Richmond, I did not know if it was a really random move, but as soon as I walked in the door, it was the best thing that happened.
“Obviously, I still love playing footy, so I might just go tear up a local club, ideally, and play a bit of cricket. I have bloody loved it.”
