THREE Bendigo Thunder footballers have made their mark as trailblazers of the AFL Women's League after Wednesday's inaugural draft.
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Young gun Isabella Ayre, skipper Emma Grant and defender Sarah Last were among the the first 145 players to be officially drafted to the new competition.
Teenager Ayre etched her name into the history books to become the first Thunder player drafted when she was taken with pick 51 by Carlton.
She was joined 40 picks later by Thunder midfielder Grant, who went to Collingwood with pick 91.
The Thunder did not have to wait long to have a third name read out, with Last, who was best afield for the Thunder in their VWFL Premier Division grand final loss against Deer Park, joining Ayre at Carlton with pick 94.
The central Victoria region's presence in the draft was boosted with former Kyneton and Thunder footballer Ainslie Kemp being chosen by Melbourne with pick 88.
Kemp spent the 2016 season with state league team Victoria University Western Spurs.
Key forward Ayre rocketed to prominence with a competition-high 38 goals for the Thunder in 2016, 14 ahead of her nearest rival, Port Melbourne Colt's Stacey Livingstone, who was drafted to Collingwood with pick 70.
She represented the Bendigo Pioneers in the Youth Girls Academy Challenge and was the competition’s leading goalkicker and winner of the coaches trophy.
Grant was at home watching the draft with Thunder teammate Jess Kennedy when her name was read out by the Blues.
The 2016 Premier Division league best and fairest said while she hoped to be drafted, the moment had left her a tad speechless.
"To have your name read out in the first ever women's draft is a dream come true," she said.
"I'm pretty lost for words, but super excited."
Grant had little time to let the moment sink in, with Collingwood coach Wayne Siekman calling a get-together of all the club's draftees for Wednesday evening.
She will start pre-season with the Magpies on November 22, with their first practice match scheduled for January ahead of the season opener in February.
Grant said she was rapt for Ayre and Last, who both went to Carlton.
"It's fantastic ... I am absolutely thrilled for them," she said.
"And it's not over for the others (draft nominees) yet, obviously there is a free agent period ahead, so there is still 12 spots in those four Victorian teams that need to be filled.
"Those other girls who missed might still get a chance."
Grant was arguably the most certain Thunder player to be drafted after representing Melbourne in a couple of AFL women's exhibition matches this season against the Western Bulldogs and Brisbane Lions.
Last's draft prospects rose after an excellent finals series for the Thunder.
The defender comes from a netball background, but has shown tremendous poise and skill in her career with Bendigo.
Newly appointed Thunder general manager Bryan Coghlan said having three girls drafted was a fantastic given the club was not a state league affiliated club.
"I wouldn't have thought that were too many other (Premier Division) teams that had that number of girls chosen," he said.
"It's a pretty big thing for Bendigo."
Coghlan said Ayre had stamped herself as one of the future stars of the women’s competition, being drafted shy of her 18th birthday.
“She was the first (Thunder player) selected at 51, so clearly they have identified that she is the up-and-comer; the one who is ready to roll as far as the AFL is concerned,” he said.
“She has great hands and great nous and she is a good kid to go with it.
“Lasty had a real consistent season – if we had of won that grand final she would have won the best on ground medal.
“She’s a player who has really kicked on.”
It is understood at least two Thunder players and as many as five will be considered for free agent positions on club lists.
