Collingwood will take its first number one selection into a national AFL/W draft in a quarter of a century on Monday night, during the 2024 Telstra AFLW Draft.

Josh Fraser was the last name to be read out by the Pies at number one back in 1999, with Monday marking the first time Collingwood has had the maiden selection in the women’s draft.

Monday’s event will be the first time in the AFLW’s history that the draft is a fully national one, meaning all players who have nominated can be taken by any of the 18 clubs.

Along with pick one, the Pies will take picks 26 and 55 into the night.

Starting their draft hand with picks 1, 19, 37, and 55 as per the reverse ladder order, the Pies were busy in the trade period, acquiring two players at the expense of some of their picks.

Beginning by trading picks 19 and 37 for picks 22, 28, and 45, the Pies then used those two picks in the 20s to acquire explosive midfielder Mattea Breed and pick 26 from Hawthorn.

On the final day of the trade period, they then landed the speedy Airlie Runnalls, sending pick 45 to Fremantle. 

With a strong draft pool in 2024, the Pies will be adding a seriously talented player to their list regardless of whose name is read out at number one.

The likes of Zippy Fish from East Fremantle, Ash Centra from Gippsland Power, Havana Harris who is tied to Gold Coast’s Academy, and India Rasheed have all been marked as number one pick calibre players.

Also on the Pies’ radar is Violet Patterson – a potential father/daughter selection – after the Pies placed a nomination on the 18-year-old in the lead up to the draft.

Patterson is the daughter of Stephen who played 96 games in the black and white in the late 1990s. Father/daughter selections need their father to have played just one game at VFL/AFL level to be eligible for the rule.

With three picks and the all-important number one selection, it will be a big night in Collingwood history on Monday.

The draft can be watched via AFL.com.au, with the broadcast commencing at 7pm AEDT.