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.
#10 Ella Roberts (West Coast)
DOB: 17/12/2004
Height: 175cm
Position: Forward/Midfielder
Games: 10
West Australian young gun Ella Roberts acclimatised to the AFL Women’s as the season went on, finishing off last year with a career-best performance. Roberts entered the league off the back of a brilliant junior pathway, winning an AFLW Under 19 Championships MVP as a bottom-ager, and back-to-back MVPs for her state. Regarded as the best talent across the country in her draft, the Eagles were quick to snap her up with their first selection, which was a bargain thanks to the state-based drafting system at 14th.
Roberts came into the league as a forward, but spent a lot of time early through the middle for the Eagles, providing the speed and aerial presence, as well as a bigger body to win the ball and get it forward. The pressure ramped up a notch so her efficiency was not always as high as she has the capacity to do, but she was one of a number of young gun Eagles who will shape the future direction of the club.
SEASON 7 KEY STATS:
Games: 10
Goals: 2
Disposals: 13.4
Disposal Efficiency: 51.5
Marks: 3.5
Contested Marks: 0.9
Metres Gained: 203.4
Tackles: 2.9
Inside 50s: 2.7
Intercepts: 1.8
Score Involvements: 2.0
Time of Ground %: 88
Roberts only has the one season to go off which was her debut season last year. She played in all 10 games and picked up 10-plus disposals in nine of them. As mentioned her efficiency was a bit hit or miss, but that was also due to the pressure of going to the next level and and playing a largely contested role, particularly early in the season. Generally a damaging kick, Roberts makes things happen with her creativity and vision, and her impact far outweighs her stats.
Impressively, she spent more than 84 per cent of time on the ground in Season 7 even when mostly playing midfield. Her aerial dominance was on displsay with several breathtaking grabs. She would only kick the two goals, with the first coming against Hawthorn in Round 6 at Frankston. That was the start of a purple patch for Roberts, who clunked 22 marks over the next five weeks.
Roberts saved her best until last, recording 22 disposals, seven marks, three clearances and 447 metres gained in an outstanding game against eventual premiers Melbourne. Those kind of performances are what fans can expect to see from Roberts more frequently as her upside is enormous and her talent, as she showed at junior level, is evident.
LOOKING AHEAD
Roberts will be a key part of an emerging West Coast Eagles outfit, with Charlie Thomas in defence, Bella Lewis and Courtney Rowley in midfield and recruit Amy Franklin in attack. The Eagles, though they might be a while off being a premiership contender, are evidently a team that has potential to go a long way if they can retain their core group of young stars.
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