Fremantle and Adelaide have finalised the trade for midfielder Nikki Gore, with the Crows premiership player officially joining the Club ahead of Season 7 of the NAB AFL Women’s Competition.

The 21-year-old arrives at Fremantle in a trade with Adelaide that involved Freo also receiving pick no.60 in exchange for picks 40 and 75.

Gore battled to work her way into the Crows’ stacked midfield, instead playing primarily as a defender in 2022, making eight appearances including in the Crows’ Grand Final win against Melbourne and their Preliminary Final win against Fremantle.

Senior Coach Trent Cooper said Gore had been on Fremantle’s radar since her impressive draft year where she made the 2018 All Australian squad at the U18 National Championships, made the SANFLW Team of the Year and won South Adelaide’s best and fairest award.

“Nikki has been someone that we’ve been tracking since the State 18s, when she was South Australia’s best performer in that carnival,” Cooper said.

“She’s been playing for Adelaide, who are the benchmark of the competition over the past few years. She’s played some good footy for them but has still struggled for opportunity to break into that really strong midfield.

“When she’s been playing in the SANFLW competition, she’s been consistently racking up 25 touches and 15 tackles.

“She’s a premiership player but we think she’s got a lot more to give and we’re stoked that she could give us that in purple.”

Gore said she was excited to have more opportunity as a midfielder at Fremantle.

“I feel like I can play my best football as an inside mid, while rotating forward as a small forward trying to sneak some goals,” Gore said.