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 #5 with strong Swan Districts midfielder/defender Jaime Henry.

#5 Jaime Henry (Swan Districts)

DOB: 05/10/2005
Height: 176cm
Position: Inside Midfielder/Defender
Local club: Upper Swan

Talented top-ager Jaime Henry is arguably the most rock solid and consistent players in the draft crop. She rarely has a bad game and is a player that teammates and coaches can rely upon each and every week. Boasting a skillful left boot and clean by hand or foot, Henry is a player that can be trusted with ball-in-hand going forward. She comes in at number five in our countdown, though in terms of readymade players, she would likely be number one.

At 176cm, Henry started her WAFL Women’s career as a defender, where she played both a defensive and offensive role. She quickly caught the eye with her composure under pressure, and her ability to deliver the ball consistently over varying distances. She represented the Black Ducks at the AFLW Under 17 Championships in 2021, where she played through the middle, averaging 22.5 disposals, 2.0 marks, 4.0 tackles and 3.0 clearances.

A year later, Henry was called upon to play at the AFLW Under 18 Championships for her state, competing against the best in the country as a bottom-ager. Naturally she stepped up to the level, averaging the 18.7 disposals, 2.7 marks, 2.3 clearances and 2.7 inside 50s as a contested ball-winning midfielder. from that point on, Henry moved from defence into the middle for Swan Districts, and finished the 2022 WAFL Women’s season with an averaged of 15.3 disposals, 2.3 marks and 4.8 tackles.

Of the West Australian draft hopefuls, Henry is certainly the most consistent, but also the cleanest both in winning the ball and disposing of it. The area where she is continuing to work on is in her explosive power and athletic traits compared to her peers, but when it comes to natural footballing ability, no one could question Henry’s profile. It measures up to among the better players in the AFLW Draft crop, and she duly earned a place as an AFLW Academy member.

Heading into 2023, Henry is a one of those players you can lock in to have a good season, and will be a key ball-winner in the Swan Districts midfield. She has areas to improve on, and could easily emerge as the front-runner from the state with a good nationals carnival. At her size in the midfield, Henry can outmuscle opposition players, then outmark them when in space, and her versatility to role into defence is natural. Keep an eye on Henry to see whether she can continue to add more strings to her bow, as one of the most consistent players going around.