For the second year in a row, Port Adelaide has trumped allcomers, with more players featuring in the 2025 AFL Players’ Association’s 22Under22 squad, presented by Intrepid Travel, than any other side.
Amelie Borg, Molly Brooksby, Shineah Goody, Ella Heads, Matilda Scholz and Sachi Syme make up the six Power players selected in the squad.
Scholz is vying for her third appearance in the final 22Under22 team, while Heads and Borg are aiming for their second. Brooksby, Goody and Syme are yet to receive a spot in the final team.
West Coast and Sydney trail the Power closely with five players each featuring in the 2025 squad. Georgie Cleaver, Jess Rentsch, Charlotte Thomas, Lucia Painter, and Ella Roberts all received a nod for the Eagles, alongside Holly Cooper, Zippy Fish, Montana Ham, Cynthia Hamilton and Ally Morphett for the Swans.
All-time 22Under22 records are also in the gun with Geelong youngster Georgie Prespakis and Gold Coast star Charlie Rowbottom both competing for their fifth selection in the final team – potentially being the first AFLW players to do so.
Marcus Bontempelli is currently the only player to have appeared in a final 22Under22 team five times.
The 44-person squad was assembled by inaugural AFLW player and renowned commentator Kate McCarthy as Chair of Selectors, with support from the AFLPA and Champion Data.
McCarthy was highly impressed by the newest generation of AFLW players.
“The depth of young talented players in AFLW has gone to another level in 2025, and their impact on the competition continues to grow with each season,” she said.
“It was extremely difficult to reduce the players to a squad of 44 and unfortunately that means some players were unlucky to miss out.
“But that proves the strength of this crop of players, which will propel the competition well into the future. The future of AFLW is in safe hands.”
For a player to be eligible for selection in the squad, they must be 22 and under for the entirety of the season (including Grand Final day – 29 November) and have played at least five matches throughout the 2025 season.
Fans will now decide the final 22Under22 team, with voting now open at vote.22under22.com.au until midnight on Thursday, 6 November.
This year’s 22Under22 final line-up will be announced on Wednesday, 12 November via the AFLPA’s social media channels and website.
The AFLPA is proud to partner with Intrepid Travel as the major partner of the 22Under22 competition.
Intrepid Travel has been a world leader in responsible travel for 35 years. The company’s mission is to create positive change through the joy of travel, which comes to life on more than 900 trips all designed to truly experience local culture. With its own network of destination management companies in 28 countries, Intrepid has unique local expertise and perspectives. Globally recognised for their commitment to transparency and ethical travel, they became B-Corp certified in 2018. Intrepid Travel is also the first tour operator with near-term science-based climate targets through the Science Based Targets Initiative, and its not-for-profit, The Intrepid Foundation, has raised more than $16 million for more than 160 partners.