OVER the next three weeks, Rookie Me Central will be counting down our 23 Players Under 23 years of age to watch in the upcoming 2023 season. The criteria is the player must be born in 2001 or later, and must have played at least one AFL Women’s match in Season 7. As the list is completely subjective, the opinion is that of the individual author.

#12 Charlotte Thomas (West Coast)

DOB: 05/09/2003
Height: 175cm
Position: Defender
Games: 20

Charlie Thomas is one of a number of emerging stars at the West Coast Eagles, having been a high draft selection two years ago. It is easy to forget that players who are two seasons into their AFL Women’s career are only turning 20 during Season 8, having 20 games under their belts already.

Thomas is a tall utility who spent time all over the field for Subiaco in the WAFL Women’s, where she played seven games across two seasons. A naturally gifted footballer, Thomas fractured her arm at he start of 2021, and while she hoped to get back for the national carnival, did not manage to get up for it. She was still taken with pick three in the draft despite only playing one game that year.

She has since shown reliable durability, not missing a game for the Eagles across her two seasons, making her debut in Round 1 of Season 6. After some promising signs in her debut season, Thomas took her game to another level in Season 7.

SEASON 7 KEY STATS:

Games: 10
Disposals: 14.7
Disposal Efficiency: 74.8
Marks: 2.7
Metres Gained: 309.5
Tackles: 2.6
Rebound 50s: 5.4
Intercepts: 5.3
Time of Ground %: 83.7

Thomas showed all the talent of a top five draft pick in Season 7, being one of the few shining lights in an otherwise disappointing season for the Eagles. The youngest team running around, the Eagles are developing a talented group of players, and Thomas is at the forefront of that. She averaged 14.7 disposals at 74.8 per cent efficiency, while doubling her metres gained up to 309.5 metres per match.

Setting into that intercepting and rebounding role, Thomas has the class and skill to be a distributor behind the ball and can push up the ground to hit targets in the forward half of the ground. In the absence of Evie Gooch, Thomas became a prime defender and a young star in the making.

After her nine touches in Round 1, Thomas did not dip below double-figure disposals in the last nine matches, while maintaining a disposal efficiency of over 68 per cent in every game. She racked up 23 disposals, seven marks, seven rebound 50s and 11 intercepts in the Round 7 match against Richmond in a career-best performance. In the final round of the season, Thomas eclipsed her rebound 50s (12) and metres gained (499) in a 19-disposal performance against Melbourne.

LOOKING AHEAD

Charlie Thomas is one who could catapult herself from being a young star into a genuine star of the competition over the next season or two. She showed all the traits of an All-Australian defender in the making, and has the skill and smarts to be a key player in West Coast’s future success. Expect her to go from strength to strength in Season 8.