South West AFLW Watch: Ella Roberts at the heart of West Coast’s record-breaking start to season

Margaret River product Ella Roberts has been at the heart of West Coast’s record-breaking start to the AFLW season with a series of brilliant performances. The Eagles had previously won only eight games across their five seasons in the competition but have already notched their best-ever win tally in an individual season by winning three of their four games so far. As part of an extended Melbourne road trip, they defeated Western Bulldogs by 11 points at Mission Oval last week before backing up with a 17-point victory over Collingwood at IKON Park on Tuesday night. The 19-year-old Roberts was among the Eagles’ best players in both games, gathering 23 disposals and laying six tackles against the Bulldogs and winning 19 disposals while applying another six tackles against the Magpies. She also kicked one of the season’s best goals in the win over the Bulldogs, bursting clear from a stoppage and thumping the ball over the goal-line from more than 40m out. Eagles coach Daisy Pearce said the skill execution of the effort was “just freakish”. “Any time you see Ella get the ball with a gulf of space in front of her, you get pretty excited,” she said. “Her composure not to kick straight away was really good ... that composure piece and thinking her way through the moment is a good sign.” The Eagles will be back in action at Mineral Resources Park against reigning premiers Brisbane on Sunday, with the game getting under way at 3.05pm.