West Coast captain Emma Swanson has conceded the Eagles have failed to reach the standard of professionalism required at the elite level in the club’s first three AFLW seasons.
Eliza Reilly
West Coast arguably couldn’t have picked a better time to bounce back from a wooden spoon. But the Eagles will still miss out on some juicy match-ups in their bid to climb up the ladder.
The Dockers will face a test of their finals credentials throughout the season as the race to the top eight takes shape. And has a new rivalry been sold short?
An AFLW derby between local rivals Fremantle and West Coast will be held on a Thursday night under lights at Optus Stadium for the first time. SEE THE DOCKERS & EAGLES’ FIXTURES
East Fremantle are on the verge of WAFLW redemption, while Claremont are being spurred on by history as Saturday’s WAFLW grand final approaches.
From amateur football to the AFLW in the space of nine games, it’s been one heck of a year for Fremantle draftee Megan Kauffman.
Former Fremantle livewire forward Sabreena Duffy has joined Melbourne while Ashlee Atkins is set to be ruled out of Saturday’s WAFLW grand final after being listed by Gold Coast.
West Coast have backflipped on their decision to disallow AFLW draftees to play in Saturday’s WAFLW grand final, with new Eagle Mikayla Western set to suit up for Claremont.
In an open draft, experts believe Ella Roberts would’ve been one of the top three, if not the best AFLW prospect in the country.
West Coast and Fremantle have combined to draft 12 young footballers at the AFLW Draft on Wednesday night.
Eliza Reilly and Aaron Kirby
Is a former Eagle bound for a new nest interstate? Could two sisters be bound for the same club? And what about a few interstate talents nominating for WA?
How do you cope with the label of being one of Western Australia’s and even one of the country’s top three AFLW draft prospects? Ella Roberts can tell you. And for a few months last year, she didn’t cope.
Fremantle are backing themselves to find the next diamond in the rough at Wednesday’s AFLW draft despite being dealt a highly compromised draft hand.
West Coast will be forced to get creative to make the most of a strong AFLW draft hand with the 2022 pool significantly weaker than in coming years.
While lightly built, Tara Stribley can run opponents ragged, putting her decision-making to good use in space.
A train-on at Fremantle over the summer, Mikayla Western thought her involvement with the Dockers was over once round one rolled around. Will an AFLW cameo be enough to convince a club to list her for good?
Ashleigh Gomes Gomes has been a revelation both on and off the field for East Fremantle this season. But with both Fremantle and West Coast flush with midfielders, can they find room for her?
One of the hard-luck stories of last season, Britton has returned this season with a point to prove.
When a primary school teacher told Emily Elkington that football wasn’t a career path for females, her first instinct was to prove her wrong. Can she seek revenge at the AFLW draft?
Competitive, skilful and not afraid to take the game on, Madeleine Scanlon has earnt herself plenty of AFLW admirers.
Bella Mann has added more strings to her bow this season, improving her endurance and performing on a more consistent basis. But will it be enough to take the next step?
Abbygail Bushby is a natural accumulator who boasts speed and agility and looks certain to continue Swan Districts exceptional record of talent development.
Lauren Wakfer was on track to be one of the first three players picked and a handy inclusion for West Coast after Parris Laurie’s shock retirement. But how will an ACL tear impact her draft hopes?
If the AFLW clubs had a national draft pool to select from, experts say Ella Roberts would be taken in the first three picks, maybe even at the coveted number one selection. Luckily that’s not the case.
© West Australian Newspapers Limited 2022
