Fremantle’s trade recruits in Gabby Newton, Ash Brazill and Aisling McCarthy will make their official Club debuts in purple for this Saturday’s season opener against Essendon at Windy Hill.

All three made appearances in the recent 30-point win over Collingwood for the final practice match of the pre-season, showcasing their seamless transition into the side.

Former no.1 pick Newton currently has 36 AFLW games under her belt, playing for her former side in Western Bulldogs.

While Newton has shown she can play anywhere, the young gun has been training with the group as a forward during pre-season, adding physicality and strength to the side and is also known for her strong aerial ability.

The utility’s 2023 season saw her register multiple career-best numbers, including 21 disposals against West Coast, nine marks against St Kilda and 407 metres gained against Sydney.

Following her retirement from netball, cross-coder Brazill has completed a full AFLW pre-season for the first time in her football career.

During an interview with the Club earlier this year, Brazill expressed due to the tight timelines between both sports’ seasons, she was never able to commit fully to a footy pre-season.

“I’ve never done a pre-season with footy, so I’m excited to see what I’m like as a footballer,” Brazill said.

“I made sure I didn’t miss any netball, so I was super fit, but probably more netball fit than footy fit.

“I’m super excited to give 100% of me to one sport.”

With 32 games to her name, the former Magpie was recognised for her athletic ability, work ethic and skill, when she was announced as a member of the 2019 All-Australian team, and runner-up best and fairest winner for Collingwood in the same year.

Irish recruit, Aish McCarthy has made an impact in the midfield early on, with two outstanding performances during the pre-season campaign against Collingwood and her former side in the Eagles.

Showcasing her competitiveness around the footy, physicality at the contest, and multiple clearance wins, McCarthy had 22 disposals, 12 contested possessions and four score involvements in the match against the Pies.

The 43-gamer has already built her a strong connection with her teammates, in particular the midfield group, working closely with Hayley Miller, Dana East, Jess Low and Mim Strom.

Fremantle's full round one team to take on Essendon will be announced at fremantlefc.com.au on Thursday 29 August at 4.20pm WST.