SOUTH Fremantle ruck Lauren Wakfer continued her strong start to the 2022 WAFL Women’s season on Friday night, producing a big second half showing in the Bulldogs’ 19-point loss to Subiaco. The AFLW Academy-listed tall was at her dynamic best, building into the contest to impact both at and away from the ruck battle. We placed her Round 3 performance under the Player Focus microscope.

West CoastRuck

Lauren Wakfer

Height: 180cm

Weight: -

DOB: 23-04-2004

Strengths:

Accumulation

Athleticism

Contested marking

Ruck craft

Scoreboard impact

Vertical leap

Work rate

SEASON SO FAR

Averages: 15.0 disposals, 11.3 kicks, 3.7 handballs, 3.3 marks, 6.7 tackles, 3.3 inside 50s, 15.7 hitouts

Living up to her billing as an AFLW Academy member, and one of Western Australia’s top prospects, Wakfer has started her top-age campaign strongly. Arguably her highest output came in Round 1 as South Fremantle bagged its first-ever WAFLW victory, with Wakfer contributing 19 disposals, five marks, 16 hitouts and a goal. She then snared two majors against reigning premier Peel Thunder, before finding getting stuck in once again on Friday night with 15 touches, five marks and a season-high 20 hitouts.

ROUND 3:

South Fremantle 2.5 (17) def. by Subiaco 5.6 (36)

Stats: 15 disposals (12 kicks, 3 handballs), 5 marks, 5 tackles, 3 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s, 20 hitouts

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER:

First Quarter

With Subiaco securing a four-goal headstart in the opening term, Wakfer and her South Fremantle teammates were essentially beaten to the punch. Starting in her usual ruck role, the youngster essentially broke even at four of the term’s five centre bounces against a slightly taller Subiaco ruck, but only had a couple of contributions with ball in hand.

Wakfer’s first disposal came from a holding free kick on the defensive 50 arc, which she used to kick a high ball down the line off a couple of steps. Her other touch was a forward handball in the middle of the ground, but Wakfer made her presence felt with a handy body spoil and two tackles which she got down low for. There was better to come.

Second Quarter

Following on from a relatively steady start, Wakfer only had the opening centre bounce to attend in a goalless term two. Leaping with confidence, she cleaned up Subi’s primary ruck at said ball-up, which made her job a touch easier from there, on.

She set up well behind the ball at half-forward to intercept a Subiaco rebound and pump the ball back towards South’s attacking hot spot, but much of her impressive work was done in a defensive sense.

Wakfer again got low to lay several tackles at the contest, lunging to bring down opponents who looked to break to the outer. In a ruck sense, the prospect’s best moment was a double handed hit to advantage which saw South Fremantle clear from a throw-in. Again, there was better to come.

Third Quarter

The gears began to turn for Wakfer after half-time, as the 17-year-old got on top in the ruck battle and won plenty more of the ball in general play. She got her hands on a Subiaco kick to intercept, and did the same soon after but managed to stick the mark. Showcasing neat skills for her size, Wakfer also kicked cleanly and looked to be aggressive with her sights set on the corridor.

One habit the youngster can look to iron out with her disposal is getting further behind the mark, and not kicking off just one or two steps. On a couple of occasions, her chips over the top had a bit too much air on them, and opened the invitation for opposition defenders to intercept.

Still, Wakfer continued to jump strongly through her opposite number at the two centre bounces and snuck in another intercept mark during term three. Her best moment of the quarter came late on though, as she rose for a big contested grab just inside defensive 50, ensuring South Fremantle would not concede in the last 20 seconds. Her pass into the corridor was perhaps not the best decision, but a game sense choice that experience will mend.

Fourth Quarter

Running out the game strongly with arguably her best 18 minutes of the lot, Wakfer’s marking and ruck craft continued to shine. She took a nice, clean grab from a kick-in and after a teammate dropped her pass, she intercepted the turnover ball.

Despite some of the aforementioned kicking tendencies showing early in the quarter, Wakfer also hit a couple of more effective kicks and proved dynamic in her ability to get involved in the play. Fatigue may have been a factor in her going to ground on a few occasions, though it was also exemplary of her willingness to lunge for tackles and go when her name was called.

Overall, attending 10 of the game’s 11 centre bounces, Wakfer proved the dominant tall on the ground with 20 hitouts and further impacted aerially with five marks. She also got down low to be that fourth midfielder type at the contest, and with some work on her skills, is a highly developable ruck prospect.