Four new faces to don blue and white in Season 7

THERE will be four new faces calling GMHBA Stadium home for the AFLW’s seventh season following a busy trade period down at Kardinia Park.

West Coast’s Mikayla Bowen, Richmond’s Ingrid Houtsma, and Melbourne’s Jacqueline Parry and Shelley Scott will join the Cattery for the 2023 premiership season, set to start on August 25.

Houtsma, the first of the Cats’ four acquisitions during the sign and trade period, is a former Geelong Falcons prospect and has yet to make her AFLW debut.

The Cats will look to rectify that following impressive showings for Richmond’s VFLW affiliate in Port Melbourne, averaging three tackles and 10 disposals a game in her four outings earlier this year. “We’re thrilled to welcome Ingrid to the club and look forward to watching her continue to grow and develop as a footballer at the Cats,” Geelong Cats head of AFLW and pathways Brett Johnson said.

“Ingrid’s talent will complement our list, and we see her as a versatile, long-term prospect for our club.”

A 21-year-old midfielder signing from the Eagles, Bowen averaged 13 disposals and five tackles a game last season and made history as West Coast’s inaugural AFLW signing.

She will now look to help make history in Geelong, bringing Rising Star Award nominee calibre of talent to the club.

The Cats have also bolstered their squad with a pair of Melbourne signings, managing to net AFLW veteran Shelly Scott and tall forward Jacqueline Parry.

Parry, 25, has 22 AFLW games under her belt and will present a sizeable threat to Geelong’s opponents this season.

The athletic key forward’s quickness and prowess in the air will be used heavily by head coach Dan Lowther moving forward.

Scott remains one of the stalwarts of the AFLW, approaching the 50-game milestone after six seasons with the Demons.

But the Colac-raised talent, former Melbourne best and fairest, and former Melbourne co-captain will clear that achievement a little closer to home.

The pairing of Parry and Scott came at the cost of long-serving Cats star Jordan Ivey and pick 51 of the nearing draft, but the club was quick to recognise Ivey’s contribution to the club’s program starting in 2017.

“Jordan has been a wonderful player since the inception of our women’s program in 2017 and has made a significant contribution on & off the field, we wish her well in this next phase of her journey,” Johnson said.

“We’re excited to boost our attack with the addition of Shelley and Jacqueline.

“They bring a wealth of experience and leadership and will assist us as we look to take our attacking game to a new level in season seven.”

Up next for Geelong is the AFLW draft, scheduled to take place on June 29. The Cats will have picks 33, 42, 56, 67 and 85.