Ash Centra

Ash Centra
Personal information
Full name Ashley Centra
Nickname Cench
Born (2006-06-02) 2 June 2006 (age 20)
Seaspray, Victoria
Original team Gippsland Power (Talent League)
Draft No. 1, 2024 AFL Women's draft
Debut Round 1, 2025, Collingwood vs. Carlton, at Princes Park
Height 177 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Position Midfielder
Club information
Current club Collingwood
Number 16
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2025– Collingwood 19 (14)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of the 2026 season.
Career highlights
Source: AustralianFootball.com

Ashley Centra (born 2 June 2006) is an Australian rules football player who plays for the Collingwood Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition. She was selected with the first overall pick in the 2024 AFL Women's draft.

Early life and junior football

Ash Centra was born in Seaspray, Victoria. After choosing football over basketball, played junior football with Gippsland Power in the Talent League Girls and was selected for Vic Country at the 2024 AFL Under‑18 Championships.

Centra averaged 27.7 disposals and kicked 18 goals over 13 games in the 2024 season, and was named as the league's best and fairest. She earned All-Australian honours at the AFL National Championships and recorded a standout 47-disposal, 4-goal game in Round 2.

AFL Women's career

Centra was selected by Collingwood Football Club with the first overall pick in the 2024 national draft. In December 2024, Collingwood extended Centra’s contract until the end of the 2027 season, before she had played an official AFLW game.

Prior to her round one debut against Carlton, Centra went viral for bouncing the football between her legs like a basketballer. She kicked a goal that night on debut. In round five, Centra collected a career-best 18 disposals, and was rewarded with a Rising Star nomination.

Centra starred in the round eight, 2026 clash against Melbourne, collecting 30 disposals and kicking a goal to secure her second Rising Star nomination.

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2025 season.
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2025 Collingwood 16865615111226230.80.67.66.414.03.32.94
Career 8 6 5 61 51 112 26 23 0.8 0.6 7.6 6.4 14.0 3.3 2.9 4

References

  1. 1 2 "Ash Centra". Rookie Me Central. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  2. ↑ Black, Sarah (5 December 2024). "All eyes on Ash: Ball-magnet on 'high standards', family, No.1 hype". AFL Media.
  3. ↑ "Ash Centra's 47-disposal performance elevates draft hype". SEN. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  4. ↑ Bastiani, Gemma (16 April 2024). "In her wildest dreams: Vic Country star has No.1 in sight after monster game". .afl.com.au/aflw. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  5. ↑ "Collingwood welcomes Ash Centra as First Draft pick". collingwoodfc.com.au. 16 December 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  6. ↑ Bastiani, Gemma (11 August 2025). "Why Centra was surprised to be named No.1 pick". AFL Media.
  7. ↑ "Collingwood Magpie Ash Centra gets new deal before debut". AFL.com.au. 19 December 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  8. ↑ Black, Sarah (14 August 2026). "One year on: Pies' gun on Pendles, 'the Bounce' and being No.1". AFL Media. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
  9. ↑ McWilliams, Phoebe (15 September 2025). "Take Centra stage: Pies young gun earns Rising Star nom". AFL Media.
  10. ↑ "Former No.1 pick nabs Rising Star nom after career-best turn against Dees". AFL Media. 5 October 2026. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
  11. ↑ "Ashley Centra - Player Stats By Season". Australian Football. Retrieved 24 December 2025.