AFLW Welcome to TIGERLAND AFLW - #71 Laura Bailey

[TigermanM2]

12. LAURA BAILEY
Height: 166cm
D.O.B.: 19-Aug-92
Nickname: Bails
Occupation: Emergency Services
Local Club: Old Xavs
Club supported growing up: Essendon
Hidden Talent: Guitarist
Greatest sporting achievement: Being drafted in the inaugural AFLW season
Greatest inspiration: Lisa Hardeman because she is a pioneer of womens football
Favourite type of kick: Drop punt
Favourite pump up song to listen to before a match: Holy Grail by Jay Z
Which AFL/AFLW player do you model your game off: Bri Davey, I admire her leadership and sportsmanship on the field.
Favourite teammate and why: Lauren "Toss" Tesoriero





Dempsey, Bailey become AFLW Tigers
Tate Spiteri, richmondfc.com.au
Sep 20, 2019 10:43AM


Richmond has locked in a further two players to its inaugural AFLW list with VFLW Tigers Laura Bailey and Kate Dempsey signed as pre-draft selections.

The Tigers have committed to selecting Bailey with selection No.71 overall in the 2019 NAB AFLW Draft (pick No.35 Victoria only draft) and Dempsey with pick No.85 overall (44 Victorian).

MEMBERSHIP Become one of the Club's first inaugural Women's Football Foundation members

The duo of signings come as a result of a recently introduced rule, which allowed expansion clubs the opportunity to add Academy players to their list before the draft.

Alana Woodward was added to the list immediately with Dempsey, Bailey and another VFLW Tiger, Grace Egan, subject to a bidding process that took place with existing AFLW clubs this morning.

Dempsey, 24, who is an original member of the Richmond Women’s program, has played 28 of a possible 29 games across the past two seasons.

The 160cm midfielder was Richmond’s best in their recent elimination final defeat, gathering 20 disposals including 18 kicks.

An ultra-consistent performer who is renowned for her foot-skills and intercept marking, Dempsey received a bid from Collingwood (No.42 in Victorian Draft) which the Tigers matched with their next available selection.



Bailey, 27, has earned a second chance in the AFLW after a standout year playing at both ends of the ground.

The policewoman by trade played eight games for the Western Bulldogs in the 2017 and 2018 AFLW campaigns before being squeezed out of the premiership-winning list.

After being known as a reliable medium-sized defender, Bailey added versatility to her game this year, showing capability as a crafty forward.

Bailey’s best game in the front six was a three-goal display against Casey Demons in Bendigo, where she also gathered 14 disposals and laid three tackles.

The 27-year-old received a bid from Carlton at pick No. 59 overall (30 Victorian) which the Tigers matched by using their next available selection.

Egan, 19, who has developed into a fine midfielder under the tutelage of Tom Hunter at the Swinburne Centre, will join Carlton as a first-round selection after the Blues committed selection No.13 (nine Victorian) to the Shepparton product.

It is a rapid rise for the Murray Bushrangers product who missed out on U/18 Victoria Country and draft selection just last year.


Richmond Head of Women’s Football, Kate Sheahan, said that it was a great thrill to have 12 Richmond VFLW players fulfill their dreams of being on an AFLW list.

“We are so excited to have Laura and Kate officially part of our AFLW program and tremendously proud to see Grace as a first-round draft pick,” she added.

“All three girls have worked extremely hard to be given this opportunity and we wish all of them the best. We are delighted for our entire football program.”

“When Tommy (Hunter) was asked by AFL Victoria in March a headline that he would like to see at season’s end, he said that it was for 10 of our girls to become AFLW players, we’ve got 12.”

The NAB AFLW Draft will take place on October 22 with a further 11 spots remaining on the Tigers’ list.

 

[TigermanM2]

You'll be happy about this Stan Judkins

 

[Tigers Time]

Well deserved. Thought she was one we should list . Disappointed we couldn’t get Eagan too. I was really impressed with her too. Can’t win them all. But so happy we could get Laura.

 

[Stan Judkins]

You'll be happy about this Stan Judkins

Too right TigermanM2
Kate and Laura are great gets and are the 2 of 3 i thought would be upgraded
The other was Grace Egan, but no Carlton had to bid PICK 13, are you kidding me
They are low lifes of the highest order, which just increases my hatred for them
As MEATLOAF sang "don't be sad cause 2 out of 3 aint bad"
Go Tigerettes

 

[balmainforever]

This is well overdue.
Love the intensity she brings.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

It mentions Footscray.

No doubt happy to play alongside Conti and KB again.

 

[tugga]

Pissed off we didn't get to retain Grace Egan. Good Shepp girl and pours a nice schooner at the Aussie Hotel.

 

[TigermanM2]

pi**ed off we didn't get to retain Grace Egan. Good Shepp girl and pours a nice schooner at the Aussie Hotel.

100% agree. I think with Carlton selecting Grace at 13 we could have kept her with our next pick at 25 but didn't.

Was coming along nicely and at 19 lots of upside.

 

[Stan Judkins]

100% agree. I think with Carlton selecting Grace at 13 we could have kept her with our next pick at 25 but didn't.

Was coming along nicely and at 19 lots of upside.

I think we must have plans for pick 25 (vic pick 12), key back/forward Laura McClellend?
Can only guess that we have a lot of mids and Blues bid pick 13 (vic pick 10) was way to high
Suppose Blues have to stock up on mids since Brianna Davey left, as I believe they'll grab Lucy McEvoy with their first pick
Grace Egan is a great success story and Blues bidding so high is a testament to our football department
good luck to her going forward in her AFLW career

 

[tugga]

I think we must have plans for pick 25 (vic pick 12), key back/forward Laura McClellend?
Can only guess that we have a lot of mids and Blues bid pick 13 (vic pick 10) was way to high
Suppose Blues have to stock up on mids since Brianna Davey left, as I believe they'll grab Lucy McEvoy with their first pick
Grace Egan is a great success story and Blues bidding so high is a testament to our football department
good luck to her going forward in her AFLW career

Grace is a ripping kid too.

 

[TigermanM2]

AFLW Pocket Profile: Laura Bailey

By richmondfc.com.au

Get to know a little more about AFLW Tiger Laura Bailey...
Guernsey number: 12
Position: Utility
Height: 167cm
D.O.B.: 19/08/1992
Nickname: Bails
Instagram handle: @lauralbailey13
Occupation: Emergency Services
Local club: Old Xavs
Club supported growing up: Essendon
Hidden talent: I can play the guitar
Pre-game meal: Pasta
Favourite holiday destination: Los Angeles
Favourite TV show: Power
Most-used app: Instagram
Cats or dogs: Dogs
Greatest inspiration and why: My nan, I have idolised her since I was a little kid because she always sees the good in everything and everyone.
Favourite type of kick: Drop punt
Favourite pump up song to listen to before a match: I listen to any type of acoustic music to calm the nerves.
Which AFL/AFLW player do you model your game off: Brooke Lochland because she's a hard worker and good leader.

 

[TigermanM2]

Writing history: Bailey’s big week

By Laura Bailey on Dec 4, 2019

As Richmond embarks on its inaugural AFLW season, the players will be taking Tiger fans on the journey with them as they share their experiences. First up is utility Laura Bailey, to detail the opening week of pre-season...
What a week! Our first week of pre-season as AFLW Tigers certainly didn’t disappoint.
It all kicked off at our inaugural training session last Monday night. It was an incredible opportunity to have all our family and friends there and one of the highlights of my football career so far.

As Richmond’s inaugural AFLW team, we didn’t know what to expect when we ran out onto Punt Road Oval for the first time as a group.
But to have the wider Richmond community there cheering us on, including the members, cheer squad, club staff and young, aspiring AFLW players was amazing. Having them all there to be a part of our journey made it so special.

There was such a loud cheer as we took to the track and it was great to see the smiles on everyone's faces, particularly the younger players who are new to the program and have never experienced that type of support before.
Our first session focused mainly on fundamentals and our structures. We worked on our skills, showcasing the brand of football we want to be playing to our family and friends.
It was awesome to see the group gelling so well from the get-go. The connection we have within in our group is going from strength to strength. We have a lot of great leaders within our squad and all the girls really do make you feel like a family.
We have a really diverse group of girls and we all bring different qualities that we’ve learnt from being in different environments. Personally, I bring my experiences from being a police officer.
In our short amount of time together, we have focused a lot on the strong culture within our team, and I know that we will proudly represent the Richmond Football Club.
As an older player and one who has played AFLW before, my main focus during the week was to make sure the younger girls felt comfortable in their new environment, especially the ones who have moved down to Melbourne from the country. They’ve all settled in really well and I’m excited to see the impact they have on the league.
Over the next couple of weeks pre-Christmas, we’ll be focusing on our skills and conditioning, to make sure that coming into games we are fit and showcase a great brand of footy.

On Friday night, we excitedly boarded the bus for our inaugural AFLW camp with absolutely no idea what was in store.
Over an hour later we arrived at our surprise destination, HMAS Cerberus, a Navy training base.
Once we arrived at the Navy base, we started to get a bit nervous about what we were going to be put through.
We know that service men and women are resilient and have such a strong work ethic, so we knew we’d be put through our paces physically and mentally.
Discipline. Respect. Teamwork. Many of the qualities that exist in our team also mirror what is valued in the Army and Defence Force.
Throughout the weekend, we took part in many team building and obstacle exercises. The main focus for us was working as a team throughout the shared challenges we faced.

My favourite activity was called the 'Mud Run', requiring us to carry each other through the mud.
It was a really special moment to see the girls get through it all together, just like how we want 2020 to look like from a team perspective.

On camp, we got to know everyone on a more personal level and we built on those relationships when we were tested. After getting through the weekend together, we feel so ready to tackle the rest of the pre-season. I know we’ll bring the discipline we learnt on camp to each and every session.
It’s incredible to see how much we’ve grown just in the first week. I’m so happy with where the team is at the moment and the direction we’re heading in.