HARD-running West Australian Juliet Kelly is growing in confidence at stature at senior level, having gotten better as the year went on in her bottom-age campaign. The star dual-sport athlete, who also competes internationally at rowing, recorded the highest yo-yo test in the state 12 months ago. While missing out on the national championships due to her rowing commitments, the talented top-ager is ready to make her mark in 2025.

JULIET KELLY PROFILE

DOB: 28/07/2007
Height: 173cm
Position: Midfielder/Defender
Club: Claremont

West Australian Female Talent Manager Trent Cooper says:

“Obviously a real workhorse, did a great job in the grand final for Claremont last year when she played on Zippy [Fish] and was close to Claremont’s best player. She’s our best endurance athlete. Also an elite rower and missed the national champs last year because she was competing in the world rowing championships so she’s still balancing both, but expecting her to have a really good year in the midfield for Claremont and for us this year.”

SUMMARY

Kelly will run opponents off their feet and as she showed in last year’s grand final, can do run-with roles, while also still finding the ball herself. Given that elite endurance base, Kelly can still be going hard late in games, and what makes her different to a lot of potential run-with players is when she wins the ball, she can pick the right options and execute well.

Having started as a defender roaming off half-back, Kelly was not necessarily a huge ball winner, but she began to find more of it as her career progressed. In her bottom-age season she averaged 9.4 disposals and 1.0 marks per game, before essentially becoming a permanent fixture in the Tigers’ league side for 2024.

Kelly played two games at Rogers Cup level, but others featured in 12 for the senior Tigers, including the finals series where the 173cm talent averaged 16.2 disposals, 2.8 marks and 3.7 tackles, including having four games of 20-plus disposals and two career-high 25-touch efforts. Her best performance came in the final round against East Perth where she amassed 25 disposals, seven marks, eight tackles and kicked her only two goals of the season.

Coming into 2025, Kelly looms as a high-upside prospect who a now former teammate gave her such big wraps, she said she would not be surprised if the Claremont junior pushed for a Top 10 spot. Given her fast development from year one to year two at WAFLW level, it will be fascinating to see how she progresses in her top-age season.