The teams are in for Thursday night’s AFLW season opener between Carlton and Collingwood

Sophie McKay, Kalinda Howarth and Bella Lewis. Pictures: AFL Photos

A HOST of debutants will be unveiled on Thursday night, with five top-20 draft selections to take to the field across two games.

Collingwood’s no.1 pick Ash Centra, Carlton’s father-daughter selection Sophie McKay, Gold Coast’s triple-threat ruck/midfielder/forward Havana Harris, West Coast’s no.7 pick Lucia Painter, and the Blues’ Poppy Scholz – sister of 2024 Rising Star winner Matilda – have all been named to make their debuts.

Kalinda Howarth will make her long-awaited debut for the Magpies alongside childhood Pies fan Airlie Runnalls, with Eliza James squeezed out of the team and listed as an emergency.

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Gab Pound will miss for the Blues with a shin issue, with Yas Duursma named on a wing after an injury-interrupted 2024.

After missing both pre-season hitouts, new West Coast co-captain Bella Lewis has been named to face Gold Coast.

Mik Western has passed a fitness test on a hamstring injury and will take to the field alongside Dana Hooker, who missed last season after giving birth to daughter Zara in December. Veteran Kellie Gibson has been named as an emergency.

For the Suns, five draftees including Harris will make their AFLW debuts, with Nyalli Milne, Mia Salisbury, Ellie Veerhuis and Tayla Gregory named. Lily Mithen will also make her club debut for the Suns, with the new additions squeezing out ruck Lauren Bella and speedster Elise Barwick.

Carlton v Collingwood at Ikon Park, 7.15pm AEST

CARLTON

B: D.Vescio 3 C.Fitzgerald 36
HB: M.Hendrie 49 P.Scholz 7 H.Cordner 21
C: Y.Duursma 11 K.Sherar 25 D.Finn 17
HF: E.Fitzpatrick 19 M.Guerin 18 S.McKay 5
F: T.Bohanna 42 M.Austin 22
Foll: J.Good 12 M.Hill 10 A.McKay – C 5
I/C: M.Robertson 15 K.Skepper 4 L.Goss 20 L.Keck 23 B.Harrington 16 

Emerg: L.Field 33 A.Velardo 1 A.Reidy 13

COLLINGWOOD

B: L.Cronin 27 L.Butler 23
HB: T.White 29 M.Atkinson 10 A.Schutte 21
C: A.Runnalls 36 A.Centra 16 G.Campbell 13
HF: K.Howarth 35 C.Remmos 30 V.Patterson 26
F:  S.Frederick 1 M.Cann 25
Foll: I.Barnett 4 R.Schleicher – C 18 B.Bonnici 8
I/C: G.Clark 19 A.Lee 5 K.Hogan 24 M.Hyde 22 A.Porter 9 

Emerg: E.James 2 G.Knight 12 S.Karlson 20

West Coast v Gold Coast at Mineral Resources Park, 7.15pm AWST

WEST COAST

B: Z.Wakfer 16 B.Schilling 30 
HB: C.Rowley 5 E.Swanson 13 C.Thomas 3
C:  J.Britton 18 A.Drennan 10 M.Western 21
HF:  A.Franklin 19 L.Wakfer 1 D.Hooker 17
F: L.Painter 8 I.Lewis – C 6
Foll: L.McGrath 27 J.Rentsch 7 E.Roberts 4
I/C: G.Cleaver 22 S.Lakay 23 A.Bushby 15 R.Roux 9 K.Dalgleish 32 

Emerg: K.Gibson 2 K.Kavanagh 25 C.Lindgren 31

GOLD COAST

B: M.Girvan 25 C.Wilson 22 
HB: N.McLaughlin 11 K.Bischa 26 E.Maurer 10
C: G.Clayden 18 L.Single – C 13 E.Veerhuis 33
HF: J.Stanton 17 L.Mithen 14 D.Davies 3
F: A.Kievit 1 H.Harris 12
Foll: C.Rowbottom 8 T.Gregory 32 M.Brancatisano 5
I/C: N.Milne 29 W.Randell 15 E.Smith 16 M.Salisbury 19 T.Oliver 44 

Emerg: L.Bella 2 E.Barwick 6 K.Fullerton 30