Three players from the Cats AFL Women’s team have been named in the AFL Players Association AFLW 22under22 squad.

Denby Taylor, Becky Webster and Olivia Purcell have been named in the initial squad of 40, which will be whittled down to a team of 22 following a fan vote.

>> Pick your 22under22 team <<

Purcell previously made the squad in 2020, but Nina Morrison (2020) is the only Cat to have featured in a final 22under22 team to date.

Purcell’s season ended early, following an ACL injury in Round 5 against Richmond, but to that point she had been carrying on the fine form that saw her named the Cats’ 2020 best and fairest.

Over the first month of the AFLW season, the 20-year-old averaged 18 disposals and four tackles a game.

Webster and Taylor, both in their third seasons as well, enjoyed breakout seasons.

Webster has been named among the defenders in the squad, but embraced the challenge of spending more time in the midfield in 2021.

She averaged 15 disposals and nearly 3 tackles per game, and kicked the first two goals of her AFLW career.

Webster’s grit and determination around the contest was a highlight of her game, and she was often seen breaking tackles and carving through packs.

After injury restricted Taylor to two games in 2020, the 20-year-old revelled in being back on the field this season.

She played eight matches, but her day was over almost before it started after a heavy bump early in the Round 8 against GWS Giants, which ended her season prematurely.

To that point, the defender had averaged nine disposals and three tackles a game, with her cool head under pressure a feature in the Cats’ defence.

Voting for the 22under22 is open until Wednesday 14 April.

To select your 22under22, click here.