The Sydney Swans have added a further five athletes to their AFLW list, with Bridie Kennedy, Sarah Skinner, Paige Sheppard, Eliza Vale and Ally Morphett to pull on the red and white.

Kennedy joins the Swans from Carlton, having played 11 games at AFLW level across the 2018 and 2019 seasons. An athlete from the Dandenong Stingrays, Kennedy highlighted her natural ability by winning the TAC Cup Girls Best and Fairest award in just her second year playing Aussie Rules. 

Tasmanian born Skinner honed her skills and demonstrated her commitment to the game by travelling to Victoria on a weekly basis to line up in North Melbourne’s VFLW side. The talented utility featured in 27 games for the Kangaroos VFLW side across two seasons.

Paige Sheppard joins the club after three seasons and 195 games with the Geelong Falcons in the VFLW. The small midfielder earned Vic Country selection to play at the AFL Women’s Under 18 Championships in 2019 and enjoyed a stand-out year for the Falcons in 2021 finishing runner up in the best and fairest. 

Eliza Vale joins the club after a strong 2021 season with the Western Bulldogs VFLW side. The 20-year-old collected 22 touches, 10 marks and three tackles for the Bulldogs in a VFLW match earlier this month and is looking for an opportunity to take her game to the next level.

Ally Morphett comes to Sydney after the club traded draft pick 29 with GWS. The 18-year-old is one of the top NSW/ACT talents, with seven games of AFLW experience to her name. 

“It’s incredibly exciting to see five more athletes added to our AFLW side,” Sydney Swans Executive General Manager AFLW Kate Mahony said.

“The list build is entering its final stages after what has been an incredibly busy few months scouting talent across Australia’s east coast. We are thrilled to welcome these five talented players to the club and are confident they will all excel in the red and white.”

01:41

Kennedy and Vale primed for inaugural season challenge

Sydney Swans AFLW recruits Bridie Kennedy and Eliza Vale are excited by the opportunity to play in our upcoming inaugural season and show what they are made of

Sarah Skinner

Recruited from: North Melbourne VFLW
Height: 165cm
DOB: 15/10/1999
Position: Utility

Coach Scott Gowans said:

“I’ve watched Sarah play since she was a teenager through my connection at North Melbourne. She has always had great footy ability, but she has just needed some time to get her fitness and athletic ability up to scratch. 

“Sarah is a great footballer who plays forward and mid, but we think we will play her more up the front. She has a beautiful, accurate kick, she can take a mark and is hard at the contest.”

Bridie Kennedy

Recruited from: Carlton
Height: 175cm
DOB: 23/09/1999
Position: Midfielder

Coach Scott Gowans said:

“I have known Bridie since she was 16 from my time coaching at the Dandenong Stingrays. I coached her at Vic Country level too. 

“Bridie is a highly talented player that never really got an opportunity to be a consistent player purely through selection at Carlton. I believe this opportunity with the Swans will see her game go to another level. She is a midfielder who can play outside or inside, she has elite speed and great endurance.”

Paige Sheppard

Recruited from: Geelong Cats VFLW
Height: 157cm
DOB: 23/04/2001
Position: Midfielder

Coach Scott Gowans said: 

“Paige is a small outside runner who is really great at the contest. She loves tackling and finds plenty of the footy. At times I feel she has missed opportunities due to her smaller size, but she is someone who has always managed to find plenty of the football. 

“Paige’s hard work over the past few years has said to me that you can’t leave players like that if they’re that consistent. I think she will be a great midfielder for the Swans.”

Eliza Vale

Recruited from: Western Bulldogs VFLW
Height: 168cm
DOB: 10/01/2001
Position: Defender

Coach Scott Gowans said:

“Eliza grew up alongside some of the stars of AFLW, the likes of Isabel Huntington, but missed out on opportunities due to off-field commitments like studies and school. 

“She had an outstanding season at the Bulldogs in the VFLW, playing in the backline and she found a lot of the footy. She really uses the ball well by foot and I can see her playing a great role down back for us.”

Ally Morphett

Recruited from: GWS Giants
Height: 188cm
DOB: 11/11/2003
Position: Ruck/forward

Coach Scott Gowans said:

“Ally is a ruck who can also play forward. She is an extremely competitive player with strong hands and a booming kick, and she is quite athletic for her height. 

“We identified Ally’s talent early on, but at such a young age we thought she may have needed more time to develop. After watching her play against the Western Bulldogs last season, we witnessed her take several towering marks against some of the game’s best athletes. We knew at that point she was ready to take her career further and join us at the Sydney Swans.” 

It’s Game On for the Sydney Swans entry into the AFLW competition commencing in 2022. Follow along the Sydney Swans AFLW journey on our new social media channels on Instagram and Twitter.