After being overlooked in the first two AFLW drafts, Ash Riddell finally earned her opportunity at the top level with North Melbourne's introduction into the competition.
With each passing game the decision by the rest of the competition to not snap Riddell up is proving more and more mystifying. She's evolved to become one of the most elite ball-winners in the competition. An ankle injury interrupted her first season at the top level but she exploded in 2020 to earn a place in the All-Australian team, before following up again in 2022. Her ability to burst through the contest with pace and power make her one of the most dangerous attacking threats in the middle of the ground, and her pinpoint disposal gives her forwards the best opportunity to thrive. She opened the 2022 season with a record-tying 35 disposals against the Cats, and she finished the home and away campaign by setting a new AFLW record for disposals in a game with 42. A third-place finish in the AFLW Best & Fairest was fair recognition before she took home the North Melbourne Club Champion Award after back-to-back third-place finishes.
