SOUTH Fremantle has never been short of strong youth, but in 2023, it will be about providing experience around that natural talent to ensure competitiveness each and every week. Manager, Female Football and Community, Marty Atkins said the club had “no doubt” it had improved over the first three years, but the Bulldogs were realistic of where they sit when it comes to the upcoming WAFL Women’s season.

Atkins said the Bulldogs “took a lot of positives” out of the 2022 season, with four wins, including a trio of victories over West Perth and importantly, a victory over inaugural club Subiaco.

“Beating West Perth three times is an indication that our program has improved, and then to get a scalp of a one of the inaugural clubs was fantastic,” Atkins said. “It certainly gave us some positives in relation to the program improving, but then we also certainly realised that we’ve still got a whole lot more work to do and then the need to continue to improve and keep going with the competition.”

Along with the positives, Atkins conceded South Fremantle also better understood what it required to be more competitive at the level. While having an incredibly talented bunch of young prospects helped the long-term future of the club, the Bulldogs were more mindful of monitoring the youth and ensuring the older, more senior bodies surrounded them to provide support.

“The challenge is making sure you keep the talent and then unfortunately for us, in wanting to try and be competitive week-in, week-out we might have exposed some of those young kids too early,” Atkins said. “Our focus this year was to ensure we try and get a stronger senior squad so that our talented young Rogers Cup players would get exposed at the right time and not in a rush.”

In a new initiative by the West Australian Football Commission (WAFC) and WAFL Women’s clubs, the inaugural female Metro development squads were established. The squads identify the best young talents from across Western Australia, and help filter them into the respective clubs.

In South Fremantle’s case, a long list of 50 names started training with the Bulldogs, and of those players from Under 14s, 15s and 16s (Futures), a dozen players are now of the club’s Rogers Cup list.

In terms of the League side in 2023, South Fremantle will look forward to the return of State Academy trio Noa McNaughton, Molly O’Hehir and Rosie Anderson, with the former two in particular having injury-interrupted years.

“She (McNaughton) played some senior footy early in year last year but suffered an injury that pretty much rubbed her out for the rest of the season,” Atkins said. “Molly O’Hehir, another fantastic up and talented player and also suffered from injuries last year. Just to get those two back on the track and playing consistent football is going to be fantastic for our club.

“You’ve got young Rosie Anderson as well who’s in the State Academy as well. Another Rogers Cup Best Player award winner. Again it will be great to get her on track and out playing some consistent football as well.”

Both McNaughton and O’Hehir – who have played as a pressure forward and utility respectively – are both chances to earn midfield minutes at some point during the 2023 season.

“(O’Hehir) is really a mid-sized utility so she can play half-forward and wing. Again, trying to protect her and not exposing her too much to the big hits,” Atkins said. “There’s no issues with Molly running through the midfield and it’s the same with Noa.

“Whilst Noa is a quality forward player, there’s no issues at all with Noa going to play the traditional rover position in the midfield. She’s very clean with her hands, she’s a good user of the football so why wouldn’t you have that up in the midfield.”

Though the club’s season will be built around the youth, the Bulldogs will also look to the experienced players who will help ensure the team can remain competitive, week-in, week-out.

“That’s the plan, is to get that young but then I think everyone knows we get great service from some of our more senior players in Lauren Vecchio and Liusaidh Gilchrist and Pia Durk and Casey Byrne,” Atkins said. “Hopefully all those girls can stay fit and firing which will lead us to have a much more consistent season.”

South Fremantle has also bulked up its list by scouting the local and amateur leagues. Among the players the Bulldogs have recruited are Piara Waters’ Tahleah Mulder, Warnbro’s Heidi Hughes and Curtin Uni’s Abbey Barber. The trio come into the line-up alongside exciting mature-age key forward Zoe Huggett who is fresh off her first full preseason in three years.

Atkins said while ultimately the 2023 goal was to make finals – like all clubs – it was more about providing players with the education to develop and improve, and therefore play an effective gamestyle.

“Hopefully every game this year right up until the end of the season is about qualifying for finals which we haven’t done so far,” he said. “Now into our fourth year, that will be the aim. We won’t be talking about finals, but we will be talking about consistency to give us the opportunity. That will rely a little bit on our players staying fit, but it will also be about their application in relation to the way that we play the game.”

South Fremantle kicks off its season on Sunday, March 12 against Subiaco at Leederville Oval.