‘Bring them to the top’: Confident top AFLW pick wants to repay Tigers faith

Newly-crowned AFLW primary draft decide Olivia Wolmarans desires to repay Richmond’s religion by taking the struggling Tigers to the highest.

Richmond, who completed sixteenth and sacked coach Ryan Ferguson, traded for Gold Coast’s prime decide to have first crack on the cream of the crop on this 12 months’s draft.

After flirting with selecting both Scarlett Johnson (decide quantity two, GWS) or Chloe Bown (decide quantity 5, Adelaide), the Tigers opted for Perth-based energy ahead Wolmarans.

“I believe I’ve that power for Tigers to carry them up, and hopefully we are able to win a flag,” the assured 18-year-old mentioned.

“It means so much to me that they did that (traded up), however simply having conversations with them, they already backed me in, I may see they might imagine in me already as a participant.

“So I am now going to offer it again to them and present them how a lot I can enhance their group and produce them to the highest once more.”

Wolmarans, who desires to be a police officer sooner or later, will transfer east as quickly as attainable.

She relishes the prospect of taking part in alongside star Tiger Monique Conti and veteran Katie Brennan and is able to stamp herself on the league.

“I am all the time going to have that cheeky grin of mine, however I am fairly laid again,” she mentioned.

“You are going to see me transfer throughout the ball with my pace, and likewise me taking contested marks, so hopefully I take a hanger.

“I play my very own recreation. I do not actually play like anybody. I search for attributes from gamers, however I believe I play my very own recreation.”

Wolmarans was a heptathlete earlier than turning her consideration full-time to soccer, and has no regrets over her profession alternative.

“I’ve all the time identified since I used to be little that I needed to play AFLW,” she mentioned.

“Seeing the ladies on the TV, I simply needed to be identical to them.

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“And right here I’m standing right here, decide one, it is superb, and it is most likely my greatest achievement but.”

It was a banner night time for wooden-spooners Gold Coast, who had six academy picks inside the highest 15 and eight total.

The Suns matched bids for Sunny Lappin (4), Ava Usher (7), Georja Davies (9), Alannah Welsh (12), Mikayla Nurse (13) and Dekota Baron (15) within the first spherical earlier than snagging Bronte Parker (32) and Rhianna Ingram (44).

The Swans did not match GWS’s bid for Kiera Yerbury at decide 3 however snapped up Alex Neyland at 6 and grabbed Madeleine Quinn at 18.

It meant three Sydney prospects additionally landed within the first spherical, making for 11 academy merchandise within the northern states.

“It is superior. It reveals that it is positively a much bigger sport than simply Victoria,” Yerbury mentioned.

“I am glad that I can play my half in that. It is an amazing alternative for folks from different states to make their mark in footy.”

AAP