Sydney has added two more Swans to the club’s inaugural AFLW team with Brenna Tarrant and Jaide Anthony the latest to commit to the red and white.
Tarrant comes to Sydney from the Melbourne Demons after two seasons in the AFLW. The 19-year-old was recruited by Melbourne with pick No.72 in the 2019 AFLW Draft, and has since played for the Demons 12 times, including three finals.
The Sydneysider admits she’s had a desire to pull on the red and white since she first kicked a football, and is excited by the challenge of building a new team.
“My family and I have followed and supported the Swans for years now – I’ve never wanted anything more than this opportunity,” Tarrant said.
“I’ve been fortunate to have played AFLW over the past couple of years, including having finals experience, so I want to use that experience to help lift team and get us to a level where we can perform really well in our first season – and in the seasons to come.”
Tarrant can play at both ends of the field, and Sydney AFLW coach Scott Gowans said it’s a quality that caught his eye.
“Brenna is a very versatile player, she can play back, mid or forward, and we’ve really gone for her experience in that, playing through all three lines at AFLW level,” Gowans said.
“She’s come from a good program in Melbourne, and we believe she’s got some really good growth in her football that we can utilise.”
Meanwhile Anthony joins the Sydney Swans from the Dandenong Stingrays where she has been on the cusp of AFLW selection for a number of years.
The 18-year-old said she’s thrilled to be joining the Swans.
“I’m so excited to be with the Swans and am so keen to get started. When my manager told me I was joining the club I didn’t believe him, I got quite emotional,” Anthony said.
“It’s been quite a journey, a lot of ups and downs. It was obviously disappointing not to get drafted last year but I put in the hard yards to get here and am just so grateful to get this opportunity.”
Gowans said Anthony is an exciting mid-sized utility player who’s proven tough to beat in one-on-one contests.
“Jaide is a very clever footballer,” Gowans said. “She’s very good at identifying where the ball is going to land and getting there.
“She’s a highly skilled outside player who is able to impact the scoreboard but is also able to go back and play as a defender as well.”
BRENNA TARRANT
Recruited from: Melbourne Demons
Height: 173cm
DOB: 03/11/01
Position: Utility
JAIDE ANTHONY
Recruited from: Dandenong Stingrays
Height: 166cm
DOB: 20/11/03
Position: Utility
