A dream to be in the AFLW that Amaia Wain has worked hard towards for many years has come true.
The 18 year-old was selected by the Western Bulldogs at pick No.4 in tonight's first ever Telstra AFLW Pre-Season Draft.
Amaia has long been a rising star in the AFL North Coast winning several individiual awards as well as being a key member of North Coast Force junior representative teams.
In 2024 she became the first player to win both the AFL North Coast's Youth Girls 17s and Senior Women's Best & Fairest awards in the same year.
Her family moved to Urunga from the outer suburbs in Melbourne during the Covid period.
In 2021 she played her first matches for Bellingen and immediately showed she had enormous potential notjustwith her football ability but also her athleticism.
She quickly became a member of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy program which began a long period of travelling to and from Sydney tofurtherdevelop her obvious talent.
In 2023 Amaia not only played for the Academy in the AFL Under 16 Girls National Development Championships but was also granted a dispensation to playa handful of Senior Women's games for the Sawtell Toormina Saints.
After being drafted earlier tonight, the AFLW website described Amaia as:
"A raw, but super talented ruck option, Wain developed a strong endurance base as a high jumper in Coffs Harbour. Previously travelling the 12-hour round trip to play footy in Sydney, she has excelled since making the move to the state's capital, spending less time in the car and more on the track. With an enormous vertical leap and a turn of speed, there is plenty for the Bulldogs to work with."
