WEST Perth top-age talent Kaitlyn Roper has quietly built a nice CV at the Falcons over the last few years, though admits she is never “100 per cent satisfied” and is craving to get better at every opportunity.

Coming into the 2024 season off a Rogers Cup club best and fairest and a high finish in the league gong as well, Roper said she was proud of her accomplishments but still hungry for more.

“It was just a huge pat on the back for the work that I put in,” she said. “I was just really happy, really satisfied, but I definitely am not 100 per cent satisfied, and I want to reach my potential in the league playing mid and I want to just keep that trajectory going higher.”

In the same year, Roper was one of the best afield in West Perth’s come-from-behind grand final win to salute for the second time in three seasons. The midfielder remembers the day vividly.

“It was very stressful obviously starting behind as a team,” Roper said. “I definitely play well under high pressure situations, so i was able to calm myself. It was a dream come true to win the grand final as a Rogers team, so hopefully we can bring that to the League team this year. it was a really great experience and I wouldn’t change it despite being down for the first three quarters.”

Speaking to Rookie Me Central at the WAFLW Preseason Testing event heading into the 2024 season, Roper said she felt that dropping back to Rogers Cup after making playing a full season at League in the Falcons’ inaugural year was a different challenge rather than easier.

“I felt like it wouldn’t say it was easier, it was definitely still hard,” Roper said. “I just felt like I had more IQ and I was more confident in what I was doing on the field and I felt strong and confident going back down. It was almost like a confidence boost, but it was definitely still a challenge playing in the midfield in Rogers.”

The Joondalup Kinross junior took up the code originally because a sports teacher at school told her to “give it a crack”. Over the last few seasons, Roper made her way up through the West Perth pathway and eventually after staring 2024 in the Rogers Cup, forced her way into the League side.

After cracking in for her season debut against Claremont in Round 6, Roper retained her place for the rest of the season in a quality side which made finals. Of her 12 games, two of her best performances came in finals, including a standout 23-disposal effort against Swan Districts in a do-or-die semi-final.

Making a habit of being a big game player after her Rogers Cup Grand Final performance the year before, Roper said she was always looking to improve areas of her game to become a better player.

“My main thing I want to improve on is my speed, my acceleration and my overhead marks,” she said. “Kind of more outside game because I’m good on the inside, I need to work on developing my outside game.”

An Eagles supporter who models her game on Gold Coast onballer Charlie Rowbottom, Roper said she had similar strengths at the coalface and prided herself on her “inside grunt work”.

“My strength would probably be my strength, being really strong,” she said. “As well as my contested ball and my almost competitiveness to win the ball.”

While her inspiration at AFLW level is across the other side of the country, the person who has had the most influence on her career to-date is far closer to home.

“My dad,” Roper said. “He’s always there pushing me there when I’ve got tears. He’s just been my go-to for my footy career for my whole life.”

While the top-ager did miss out on making the West Australian squad for the national championships, as she said preseason, 2024 was all about learning and developing at the Falcons to become a far better player.

“I’m hoping reaching as much potential as I can … and also just learn as much as possible,” Roper said. “Learn as much as I can and hopefully just develop as a player overall,” Roper said.