Geelong will receive Pick 1 in the 2023 AFLW Supplementary Draft following a trade with Sydney on the final day of the AFLW Sign and Trade Period.
Young midfielder/forward Laura Gardiner will head to the Swans as part of the trade.
Gardiner, who was taken with Pick 20 in the 2020 draft, played 18 games across three seasons with the Cats, becoming a regular in Season 7 with 10 appearances.
The 20-year-old established herself as one of the leading VFLW midfielders in her time with the state league team, finishing runner-up in the Club’s 2022 Best and Fairest.
Geelong will now have the first selection in the League, able to choose a player from the Victorian draft pool or, for the first time in the AFLW, the national draft pool.
Geelong Cats Head of AFLW and Football Pathways Brett Johnson thanked Laura Gardiner for her time at GMHBA Stadium.
“We thank Laura for her contribution to the Club over the past three seasons. She has made great strides as a developing midfielder/forward since coming to the club ahead of the 2021 season, and we wish her all the best at Sydney,” Johnson said.
“We are excited by the possibilities that open up by holding the first pick in this year’s supplementary draft.”
The 2023 AFLW Supplementary Draft will be held on April 4.
2023 AFLW Sign and Trade Period Summary
Day 7 – Geelong traded Maddy Keryk and Pick 12 to Port Adelaide in exchange for Kate Surman
Day 11 – Geelong traded Laura Gardiner to Sydney in exchange for Pick 1
