AS PART of a new series leading into the 2023 Western Australian Football League (WAFL) Women’s season, we count down 23 players to watch who are under 23. We are only looking at those players who were born January 1, 2000 or later, have played a WAFL Women’s senior match and have never been on an AFL Women’s list. Today we continue our countdown at number #10 in West Perth hardnut Kayla Van Den Heever.

#10 Kayla Van Den Heever (West Perth)

DOB: 20/01/2005
Height: 164cm
Position: Inside Midfielder
Local club: Joondalup Kinross

One of two top-age West Perth talents in the list, Van Den Heever joins Liliana Grassenis in our countdown. Van Den Heever has cut her teeth as a midfielder and does not take a backwards step. Her courage and attack on the ball is superb, and she has no problems fitting in among the most contested players. The next step for Van Den Heever is adding second and third efforts into her game, particularly around that game sense.

From an overall perspective, Van Den Heever averaged the 13.1 disposals, 1.8 marks, 2.6 tackles and 1.1 inside 50s for the Falcons in the WAFL Women’s. She was restricted to eight games due to the AFL Women’s Under 18 Championships, but for the Sandgropers was able to step up and play all there games, winning 9.3 disposals, 2.3 marks, 1.0 clearance and 2.5 inside 50s per game. Learning a lot from that experience, Van Den Heever strung together some incredible form towards the backend of the season, not dropping below 13 disposals in her final four games.

Van Den Heever is a player clubs can rely on to win the contested ball and get first hands to the pill, feeding it out to her outside runners. Her second efforts and polish on her kicking are still areas to build on, but what she offers is clean hands at the coalface and not afraid to put her body on the line.

Throughout the 2023 season, Van Den Heever will be a player to watch because she will continue to develop those areas to improve on, and the non-negotiables are harder to teach. As she intrinsically has that attitude and hunger when it comes to competitiveness, she will remain a strong midfielder and one her teammates can rely on to be that first possession winner and set up transitional plays from a stoppage.