BACK for another year, Rookie Me Central’s 24 to Watch in 2024 returns and this year, the focus is on underage players, being those who are yet to have an AFLW Draft chance. For the list of 2024, it will range between players who are predominantly 2006 (top-age) and 2007-born likely to take the WAFL Women’s by storm or set themselves up for the future.

East Fremantle forward Tiani Teakle is hoping to follow in the footsteps of older sister and Port Adelaide AFLW player Julia, when she enters her top-age year in 2024. The 169cm forward is cut from a similar cloth to her older sister, and was an inclusion in the Western Australia summer squad.

TIANI TEAKLE PROFILE

DOB: 01/06/2006
Height: 176cm
Position: Forward
Club: East Fremantle

SUMMARY

Teakle is relatively new to state level football even though she has run around with the Sharks in the past two seasons. Similar to her sister, Teakle made the trip south to chase her dreams, and though a little smaller than Julia, has a strong pair of hands and great goal smarts.

Playing in a powerful East Fremantle forwardline, Teakle had not locked in her best 21 spot, instead adding four League games last season to her five WAFLW matches in 2022. In that time, Teakle has kicked four goals across the nine games, averaging around five touches and two tackles per game, though as a 16-year-old, clunked 2.8 marks per match indicating she is more than capable in the air as she is at ground level.

The Northampton talent won a premiership at Rogers Cup level with the Sharks in 2022, and then returned to the WAFLW side in Round 4 of the season. Though ultimately dropping back to Rogers Cup level after for the majority of the year, Teakle was called back up in the final round against Peel Thunder, kicking a couple of goals and holding her spot for the elimination final.

She was forced out of the side for the semi-final, but showed signs at times throughout the season, that if given the chance could be a dangerous forward. With the two key forwards in Anjelique Raison (Claremont) and Georgie Cleaver (AFLW and netball commitments) not locks each week, Teakle looms as the perfect player to slot into the marking forward’s spot and put a lot of pressure on the scoreboard.

WAFLW 24 TO WATCH IN 2024:

>> Dakota Sexton (Peel Thunder)
>> Alira Fotu (South Fremantle)
>> Holly Britton (Peel Thunder)
>> Jasmine Bazeley (South Fremantle)
>> Sienna Gerardi (Swan Districts)
>> Grace Freeman (East Fremantle)