RAW but exciting forward Rosie Anderson is a naturally-gifted player inside 50, and she was our West Australian Football League (WAFL) Women’s Player Focus for Round 8. Having had an up-and-down season, Anderson played her best game of the year by far, slotting two goals from 15 disposals, three marks, eight tackles and six inside 50s to be incredibly lively in front of the big sticks.

From a profile perspective, Anderson is a fierce tackler with elite closing speed to mow down opponents, and though it can often result in free kicks against, there is little doubt her intent is terrific. She has natural goal sense, can get to the drop of the ball and can even win it at high half-forward, where she almost always spins around onto her right after a clean pickup to bomb it inside 50.

Though she is still quite raw and needs to improve her consistency quarter-to-quarter, Anderson is gradually working her way into games for longer. After a breakout first round game against West Perth, she made her way back via the Rogers Cup where she slotted 3.2 against East Perth. Though she returned to the League side in quiet fashion – with four touches and four tackles against ladder leaders East Fremantle, Anderson has had a strong couple of weeks, with her latest match the best of her season.

Given the Round 8 win over Subiaco was wind-affected, we have broken the Player Focus up into two halves, given she won 12 of her 15 disposals in the first and third quarters.

SEASON SO FAR

Averages: (5 games):

9.4 disposals
6.2 kicks
3.2 handballs
1.6 marks
3.6 tackles
3.4 inside 50s
0.4 goals

ROUND 6:

South Fremantle 8.2 (50) defeated Subiaco 1.4 (10)

Stats: 15 disposals (11 kicks, 4 handballs), 3 marks, 7 tackles, 6 inside 50s, 2 goals

HALF-BY-HALF:

First Half

Rosie Anderson’s intent was clear from the outset, with a fierce tackle at half-forward in the opening minute, then kick along the ground inside 50, which was followed up by pressuring an opponent to kick it out on the full. At the three-minute mark, Anderson picked it up cleanly off the deck from the stoppage, and gave it off to small forward Noa McNaughton who snapped a goal. Anderson’s clean hands off the deck were evident, with a couple of chances midway through the term, the first of which saw a spin and kick inside 50, and the second kick already inside 50 was smothered.

Into the second half of the term, Anderson dropped a mark inside 50 under pressure, but did apply pressure to the opposition as they took it away. Soon she showcased her class, with a nice pickup 40m out from goal stepping to the left, tricking her opponents with a nice ankle-breaker to get back on her right and steady off a couple of steps to slam it home with great composure. Not long after she took a great mark 30m out from goal but did not connect well at all and sprayed it off to the left.

The second term was quiet where she did not register a disposal with the ball up the other end, laying a good tackle in the 16th minute. At half-time, Anderson headed in with four disposals – three kicks – one mark, two tackles, two inside 50s and a goal.

Second Half

Back up the end with the wind, Anderson had her most productive quarter of the game, and her season. Given the week before the South Fremantle had 10 touches, it was ultra-impressive she picked up eight in the term, being lively in front of goal. Her first touch was a quick handball after a clean pick up that just missed the target, but laid a follow-up tackle then a second one to lock it in around the top of the 50m mark. A few times in the first five minutes she won the ball at a stoppage and spun onto her right to kick it inside 50, with two of those kicks intercepted, but the other going to a dangerous position.

Anderson put the nail in the coffin for her side for the win midway through the quarter, finding great space inside 50, marking 30m out and kicking the set shot goal with precision. Later on the term she laid a great tackle, then bumped her opponent off the ball in a one-on-one but not quite collect it. At the 14-minute mark she picked it up off the deck cleanly and bombed it long inside 50, then found herself immediately dispossessed in a tackle 30 seconds later after trying to get away. Her final touch of the term was yet another inside 50 off a quick pickup, to finish the quarter with eight disposals, one mark, three tackles, three inside 50s and a goal.

Like the second term, without the breeze, Anderson did not have the same impact, but she did pick up three disposals and lay a couple of good tackles, with a nice one-two by hand in the middle of the ground followed by a kick inside 50 her main moment. Her other long kick inside 50 just two minutes earlier was intercepted.

Overall, Rosie Anderson had a strong day out, and though the wind made it tough for forwards with a clear scoring end, she was lively inside 50 with her opportunities and pushed up to be the dominant player when it came to putting it into the forward 50.