Tomorrow (April 18) marks the last day of the Sign and Trade Period so it's not long until we know where everyone will play in 2020.
So let's find out what happened on Wednesday.
St Kilda
The club today announced the signing of Nat Exon and Kate McCarthy, as well as confirming Peta Searle as senior coach.
“I am super excited and very privileged to be the one taking charge of the inaugural women’s team,” Searle said.
“I grew up watching footy at Moorabbin, so to be able to bring footy back here through our women is really close to my heart.”
Searle was the first woman to hold a coaching position with an AFL club when she joined St Kilda in 2014 and assumed the role of Head of Female Football Pathways and VFLW Senior Coach in 2018.
St Kilda also added Brisbane Lion McCarthy, who was named in the All-Australian team in 2017 after proving a revelation as the Lions stormed into the AFLW Grand Final.
Exon also joins her teammate McCarthy at the club. She rose to prominence with Carlton in the inaugural season of AFLW as a hard-running midfielder, before joining Brisbane in 2018.
“For me the most exciting part is that it’s a brand new team, so we get to play a role in shaping the culture of the club and also be among the first women to play for St Kilda and give the members an opportunity to see women running around in the St Kilda guernsey,” McCarthy said.
North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos
Nicole Bresnehan and Daria Bannister are the latest Kangaroos to re-sign after impressive seasons.
Bresnehan, who has been secured until at least the end of 2021, had an immediate impact in her first AFLW season, after being selected with the club’s last draft pick at No.61 in 2018.
Launceston product Bannister made a successful recovery from an ACL injury and is hoping for an injury-free run.
She's looking at playing in a few games in the state league (TSLW) depending on advice from North’s medical team.
"They will monitor me throughout the whole season so I'll play a couple of games here or there," she said.
"Obviously, I want to get a couple of games under my belt, but I will keep the communication open with North to see what happens from here on."
The announcement comes after Tahlia Randall, Danielle Hardima, Jasmine Grierson and Daisy Bateman all re-signed for another season on Tuesday.
Brisbane Lions
All Australian and Lions Best & Fairest winner Ally Anderson has pledged her allegiance to the Club for the 2020 season.
All three Best & Fairest winners in the Club’s history; Anderson, Kate Lutkins and Emily Bates; have signed on for next season.
“I’m really excited to re-sign with the Lions, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” she said.
“We have a quality group of players and people and I can’t wait to get back into it.”
Joining Anderson are fellow foundation players Breanna Koenen and Shannon Campbell, in addition to Arianna Clarke, who played her second season for the Lions in 2019.
Another four stars put pen to paper for 2020! 🎉
— Brisbane Lions AFLW (@lionsaflw) April 17, 2019
Read more: https://t.co/twZPgfQFrZ pic.twitter.com/0xz3UKmUGk
The club will also have four opportunities to acquire the best young talent in the first round of the upcoming Draft after receiving three first round picks as compensation from the AFL for their traded players.
The Lions already hold the second overall pick.
The AFL have compensated the Club after Sabrina Frederick was traded to Richmond; Kate McCarthy to St Kilda and McKenzie Dowrick to West Coast Eagles.
“With the Gold Coast Suns coming on board this year the draft will be very competitive,” Lions Women’s CEO Breeanna Brock said.
“While we are disappointed to lose quality players to other expansion clubs, we feel this will give us an advantage.”
West Coast Eagles
The new West Australian team secured forward Kellie Gibson and ruck Alicia Janz from Fremantle alongside Dowrick, all on a two-year contract.
Western Bulldogs
They re-signed midfielder Aisling Utri, ruck Kim Rennie and defender Bailey Hunt.
The Women's Game will bring full squad list after 2020 AFLW Lists have been confirmed by the AFL.
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