ATHLETIC top-ager Ella Gilbey is focusing on having an injury-free season and playing some consistent football in 2025, with the West Australian talent impressing once again at the recent WAFLW Preseason Testing event.
Gilbey has largely played for Claremont through the Rogers Cup over the last few seasons, cracking in for her League debut in 2024 against West Perth in Round 6 before going on to play five more games for the Tigers. We spoke to her at the testing event about her football journey, and what she hopes to accomplish this year.
Q: Ella, tell us a bit about your footy journey?
EG: “I actually did a year of Auskick way back when I was younger, only girl in my club, but I restarted footy in about Year 8, just playing club with a couple of my friends. Did two years of that, then came down and played Rogers at Claremont and been at Claremont ever since.”
Q: What’s the experience been like coming through that pathway considering the success of that program?
EG: “It’s been really good seeing how the program’s developed and just the skill level getting better every year in the Rogers program. It is such a big jump from club to Rogers but I reckon the gap between Rogers and League is just getting smaller and smaller, so it’s been really good to see that.”
Q: What do you see as some of the strengths in your game?
EG: “Probably my high speed running and evasiveness. I’m pretty small so I don’t have the best contest work, but if I am able to get the ball on the outside, I can run for days.
Q: What are you looking to improve on at the moment?
EG: “Probably just put a bit more mass on so that I can be a bit more competitive in those one-on-one contest situations because I can get a bit thrown around at the moment.
Q: What role do you see yourself playing this year?
EG: “Off the wing, or a high half-forward, somewhere I can run and really use my strengths.
Q: What has your experience with the summer squad been like?
EG: “I’ve really enjoyed the summer squad. It’s so much fun to just be up here with those girls. The skill and the connection with the group of girls is just amazing. I feel like it’s really helped develop aspects of my footy that I wouldn’t really have expected it to.”
Q: Which AFL/AFLW club you support?
EG: “West Coast.”
Q: Whose someone that you’ve looked up to at the top level or modelled your game on?
EG: “I’m not really sure. Any good running winger just I love to watch them play, just running the whole field, getting some good balls on the outside. Anyone like that.”
Q: Whose had the most individual influence on your career?
EG: “Probably my dad. He was my first coach and he’s really pushed me to just explore how far I can go and really push my limits.”
Q: Finally, what goals do you set for yourself this year?
EG: “I really just want to have an injury-free season, because most of my seasons so far have been clouded by shin splits, a couple of broken fingers, things like that. So yeah, injury free and playing League footy.”
