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 looking only at 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 #3 with bottom-age speedster Zippy Fish.

#3 Zippy Fish (East Fremantle)

DOB: 04/06/2006
Height: 160cm
Position: Forward/Winger
Local club: East Fremantle JFC

Few names describe a player’s draft profile better than incredibly talented Sharks forward/wing Zippy Fish. The West Australian young gun, who measures in at 160cm but is able to play much taller than that, has German heritage on her father’s side, and plays like first name might suggest – with a lot zip. She has outstanding speed and athleticism and would likely be undisputed as the best ball user on our countdown list.

Growing up through the West Australian pathways, Fish has always been touted as a promising AFLW star, though has shared her time between football and basketball. Like any good dual sport athlete, Fish has dominated at both and represented her state in each code. As a bottom-ager in 2023, Fish will don the Black Duck jumper at the AFLW Under 18 Championships.

Long-term, Fish will likely play as a high half-forward; someone who can use her speed and work rate to get up the ground, and then her elite skills to hit targets inside 50. People will often do double takes in regards to her size purely because of her vertical leap and athleticism that enables her to compete in the air, then have the nimbleness to win the contest at ground level. Once in possession, Fish is a hard player to catch not just because of her speed, but also her footy smarts and evasion to escape would-be tacklers.

Fish is still a lighter bodied player compared to some, which is why she has played outside roles for East Fremantle’s League side. Factoring in that the Sharks went undefeated up until the grand final last season, the then double under-ager held her place throughout the year, indicating just how much of a special talent she was.

Going forward, Fish is one of the key players in the Sharks lineup, with East Fremantle having a strong inside midfield, and the youngster adds that splash of outside X-factor, and is the type of player that can turn a game on its head.

While her outside traits are well documented, Fish is not afraid to win her own ball at a stoppage, and cracks in against far stronger and more experienced opponents. Though physically she might be punching above her weight, Fish uses her smarts to know when to go in, and when to lay the tackle, something she loves doing. As an incredibly high-upside player, Fish is the leading candidate from the state for the 2024 AFLW Draft.