Essendon has retained more experienced talent, with Georgia Nanscawen, Brooke Brown and Georgia Clarke all signing on until the end of 2026.

Brown put pen to paper on a two-year extension to solidify her future with the club, whilst Clarke and Nanscawen extended by a further year after already being contracted for the 2025 season.

The news comes off the back of a further five re-signings announced for the Club this week.

Clarke enjoyed a career-best season with the Bombers out of defence in 2024, rocketing up the leaderboard to finish third in the club’s Best and Fairest after an outstanding second half of the year.

The 24-year-old averaged 13 disposals and four marks per game throughout the campaign, including a personal best of 25 touches in an important win over the Dogs in round seven.

“Seeing ‘GC’s confidence grow was a major highlight for us this season and we’re rapt to have her commit until the end of 2026,” AFLW List and Recruiting Manager Georgia Harvey said.

“Her importance within the four walls was already known but her performances this year garnered plenty of attention for all the right reasons. We’re only excited to see where she can go from here.”

Nanscawen elevated her game to new heights this year, finishing as runner up in the club’s Best and Fairest due to her tenacious play in the middle of the park.

Rising as a premier midfielder in the competition, Nanscawen averaged 23 touches per game for a top four finish in the league’s Best and Fairest, cementing one of the more inspiring AFLW late-career success stories.

“As our inaugural AFLW signing, it’s given us all a great sense of pride to see how ‘G’ has elevated her game once again this year,” Harvey said.

“Her resilience, ‘lead by example’ actions and standards are massive for our younger group, and it’s terrific to have her commit for an extra year on top of her existing deal.”

Brown’s importance to Essendon’s back six was reiterated in the second half of 2024.

Entering the campaign off an injury setback in pre-season, Brown’s return was a timely one for the Bombers in the wake of their midweek footy run, providing freshness and an experienced head in defence for the final five games.

The 27-year-old former Roo stood out in the important round 10 win over the Blues which secured the side’s spot in the finals, finishing with 15 touches out of the back half.

“Brooke is a really important player for us structurally in defence and it’s terrific to have her re-sign for a further two seasons,” Harvey said.

“Whilst Brooke had an injury-interrupted 2024 campaign, her resilience to get back to fitness and play the remaining five games of the season was a credit to her and the work she put in.

“She is very athletic and versatile, and we look forward to seeing what she can bring in 2025 and beyond.”