North Melbourne have confirmed that Grace Campbell will miss the upcoming AFLW season after rupturing her ACL at training, with Hannah Bowey called up as a replacement player to take her spot on the list.
Bowey, sister of Melbourne premiership player Jake and daughter of former Saint Brett, has spent two years playing for Collingwood's VFLW team, now offered an opportunity on a senior AFLW list.
Campbell has played 18 games (15 at North Melbourne, 5 at Richmond) since making her debut in 2020. The 26-year-old is contracted until the end of 2022.
Head of women's football at North Melbourne Nathan Hrovat said that while the injury is disappointing for Campbell, it does present an opportunity for Bowey to impress.
"We are really disappointed for Grace. She has had an excellent pre-season, we couldn’t fault the way she has gone about it," Hrovat said.
"Despite this setback, Grace will continue to be an important part of our group across season seven and we will continue to support her throughout her rehab.
"Hannah had a really consistent year with Collingwood in the VFLW with her speed and athleticism really impressing.
"We think her traits add some further flexibility to our squad. At 23 years of age, we think she’s ready to take this opportunity with both hands and make an impact for us from the get-go."
North Melbourne's season gets underway on August 27 at Blundstone Arena against the Gold Coast Suns.
