A NEW era is about to begin at the West Perth Football Club, with the Falcons set to make their West Australian Football League (WAFL) Women’s debut in season 2022. The league’s newest side will now overtake South Fremantle as the most recent addition to the now seven-team competition. Most importantly, it is the first Perth side to join, with Perth and East Perth the only other two WAFL clubs yet to take part in the competition. Funnily enough, West Perth also opens its season taking on South Fremantle, a side yet to have a win in two prior seasons, making it a history-making event one way or another.

The Falcons head into the 2022 season as an unknown quantity, but do have some good youngsters a part of the State Academy program. The Under 18s squad will be headlined by Liliana Grassenis, who only turned 16 last December. The bottom-ager averaged 12.5 disposals and 3.0 rebound 50s at the AFLW Under 17 Championships, and alongside Kayla Van Den Heever (18.0 disposals, 2.5 rebounds) will be ones to watch in season 2022. Additionally, the Falcons have Megan Norbury, Chloe Shearing and Jamarah Walley all at Under 16s level, so a few more names to remember for the coming years to breakthrough into the League squad. All bar Walley have been named in the Falcons’ inaugural Round 1 team.

West Perth is coming off a Rogers Cup flag last season, and will be keen to show it can make the jump up, though as with all brand new sides, 2022 is expected to be an initiation year. Not only will the side need to gel at the higher level, but will have plenty of new faces needing to adapt. Outside the State Academy program, inaugural coach Stephen Hazel will also have the likes of Teal Bennett and Elissa Price in the line-up.

From a fixture perspective, the Falcons take on South Fremantle three times during the year, with bottom two side from 2021 – East Fremantle – the other side the Falcons play thrice in the 17-round season. West Perth’s three byes are spaced out with an early one in Round 2, before having them in Round 8 and Round 15. After no doubt a long off-season the league’s newest club is ready to spread its wings in the 2022 competition.

2022 WEST PERTH FIXTURES:

Round 1: @ South Fremantle
Round 2: Bye
Round 3: @ Swan Districts
Round 4: vs. Claremont
Round 5: @ East Fremantle
Round 6: vs. Subiaco
Round 7: @ Peel Thunder
Round 8: Bye
Round 9: vs. South Fremantle
Round 10: vs. Peel Thunder
Round 11: vs. Swan Districts
Round 12: vs. South Fremantle
Round 13: @ East Fremantle
Round 14: @ Subiaco
Round 15: Bye
Round 16: vs. East Fremantle
Round 17: @ Claremont