South West AFLW Watch: A recap of each South West AFLW players’ performances during impressive season

With the regular AFLW season at an end, South Western Times journalist Carly Laden takes a look at how the South West’s stars fared during the season. Dana East In just her second season as a Fremantle Docker, Manjimup’s Dana East has continued to make an impact across the midfield and forward lines. The 20-year-old featured in all but one game during the seventh AFLW season, missing only Fremantle’s round seven clash against the Adelaide Crows due to showing delayed signs of concussion following a physical match-up against Melbourne in round six. Throughout the season, East managed a total of 91 disposals, 13 marks and 45 tackles and kicked three goals. In the midst of several solid performances throughout the season, East managed a career-best four clearances during Fremantle’s round four draw with Carlton, nine tackles during their round nine clash with Sydney, and three marks during the round eight match against Collingwood. Ella Roberts If anyone could be a contender for having one of the best debut AFLW seasons ever seen, you simply cannot go past Margaret River’s Ella Roberts. The 17-year-old featured in all 10 games this season, making her debut in round one and causing plenty of damage across the midfield and forward lines. Throughout the season, Roberts put in impressive efforts, managing a total of 134 disposals, 35 marks, 29 tackles, 14 hitouts and two goals. The young gun also impressed critics enough to earn a Rising Star nomination following the Eagles’ round six clash against Hawthorn, as well as a Mark of the Year nod for an impressive aerial effort during the Eagles’ round nine match against the Western Bulldogs. Beth Schilling Former Carey Park ruck Beth Schilling had a quiet season during her second campaign with the West Coast Eagles. The key defender featured in three games, starting out in the opening two rounds before being omitted from the line-up and later missing round four with an ankle injury suffered during a training session. Despite managing to recover from her injury, returning for round six, another quiet outing saw Schilling listed as an emergency for the remainder of the season. Schilling managed a total of seven disposals, nine hitouts — all from the round six loss to Hawthorn — and six tackles for the season. Ella Smith Bunbury’s Ella Smith was another South West player to make her AFLW debut this year after joining the West Coast Eagles as a train-on player last year and later becoming a priority signing. The former South Bunbury Tiger made her AFLW debut during the Eagles’ round six match against Hawthorn and continued to build momentum in round seven against Richmond until a nasty head knock seemed to stop her in her tracks. Despite managing to recover from heavy bruising and swelling to her right eye, Smith ended up missing out on making a third appearance due to tweaking her ankle during a training session. While Smith was named as an emergency for the last two games of the season, she finished with a total of six disposals, five tackles and a minor score for the season.