SUBIACO continued its unbeaten streak alongside Claremont, who inflicted South Fremantle’s first loss of the WAFLW season in Round 4 as most clubs had to overcome the loss of some key State Academy members. As always, we took a look at how those in action performed.

>> WAFLW Round 5: Round wrap | Player Focus | Team of the Week

All notes are the opinion of the individual author.

East Fremantle:

#20 Maya Louvel-Finn (Defender)
Stats: 20 disposals, 8 marks, 4 tackles, 1 inside 50

Our standout top-ager for sheer consistency this season, Louvel-Finn was enormous out of defence for the Sharks in Round 4. She has a penetrating kick, competes hard in the air and at ground level and has a competitive attitude. For a full run down on her performance, check out her Player Focus.

>> WAFLW Player Focus: Maya Louvel-Finn

Subiaco:

#24 Sunni-Quay Peters (Defender)
Stats: 12 disposals, 3 marks, 1 tackle, 1 inside 50

Looked smooth in defence and often won her touches in clumps with multiple one-twos or getting into ball-winning positions in the back 50. Her second quarter was particularly busy and the athletic Peters followed up well with nice contest-to-contest work. Did her job and has acclimatised to league level in her debut season.

#27 Layla Quinn-Schofield (Forward)
Stats: 9 disposals, 6 tackles, 1 inside 50, 2 behinds

After three goals last week, Quinn-Schofield did not find the goals as easily, instead kicking a couple of behinds. One of them was a fairly impressive behind with a spin out of traffic and quick snap that just missed. Otherwise her defensive pressure as a medium forward was really good in the absence of getting many opportunities.

Claremont:

#11 Ella Gilbey (Forward)
Stats: 13 disposals, 2 marks, 3 tackle, 4 inside 50s, 1 goal

Like Peters, Gilbey had really adapted to League life this season and continues to hit the scoreboard every week. In Round 4 she nailed one on the run with a classy finish and then set up teammates for their own goals throughout the match. She is a distributor who though at times can float her kicks a touch, tends to work effectively. Elite speed that stands out on gameday as well.

#33 Juliet Kelly (Defender)
Stats: 21 disposals, 4 marks, 6 tackles

Was shuffled back to defence for Round 4 after spending time through the midfield last round. Kelly is a smooth-mover who is clean by hand or foot and uses the ball well. She is not the most explosive player but has elite endurance as shown in her past preseason testing. Kelly rarely panics and is a great user to have behind the ball both through her execution and decision making.

South Fremantle:

#31 Marie Polimeno (Defender)
Stats: 9 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles

Is quietly playing a very handy role this season, competing well one-on-one and showed her nous against Jacinta Valentini at one stage to nudge her under the ball and mark at half-back. Her multiple efforts within a passage of play holds her in good stead, while she is more than capable in the air and putting speed on the ball in transition.

Peel Thunder:

#7 Heidi Ireland (Defender/Midfielder)
Stats: 14 disposals, 6 tackles, 1 inside 50

Predominantly a defender who can push up to be around the stoppages, Ireland is becoming a fierce negator who can also find her own ball. Named the best by the coaches, she played a key role on Courtney Zappara at times, and then rotated onto whoever the most dangerous was in her zone. She is not afraid to take big jobs which is great to see from such a young player, and the bottom-ager is built for senior football.

#8 Tiama Collard (Forward)
Stats: 9 disposals, 1 tackle, 1 inside 50, 1 behind

Returned from the Under 16s carnival and showed some class from limited chances. She moves well in congestion and gets to space around the forward 50. Though she was a little quieter than her Round 1 debut, Collard is an eye-catching player when she pops up for a touch here or there. When Peel has more forward opportunities she will thrive, and no doubt in the coming years will develop into that midfield role like she was for the Sandgropers.

#26 Charlie Fletcher (Wing)
Stats: 16 disposals, 6 tackles, 6 inside 50s

Boasting phenomenal upside, Fletcher is the one who has some seriously untapped potential when it all comes together. Defensively she is outstanding with the way she throws herself at the contest and is not afraid to take on bigger bodies ore more experienced players. She has second and third efforts, and can win it cleanly in the contest, though her best work comes on the outside. Once she gets to space she explodes away and takes multiple bounce runs down the wing or inside 50 with a catch-me-if-you-can attitude. At times can blaze away and that will come with time, but unlike most players, Fletcher’s first instinct is to bounce and she stopped herself at one point once she spotted the loose Evie Parker forward of her and instead handballed off.

Swan Districts:

#5 Carys D’Addario (Midfielder)
Stats: 30 disposals, 6 marks, 8 tackles, 5 inside 50s, 1 behind

Easily had the most disposals of any State Academy member for the weekend was was the top performed player from the group. D’Addario provides an air of consistency in the way she goes about it, with just about every note involving either winning a contested ball at the stoppage and firing out a handball, laying a bone-crunching tackle to lock it up to forced a turnover, or clunking a strong mark at half-forward or half-back to keep the ball moving. Essentially those three elements are the crux of her game. D’Addario is a sublime inside ball-winner whose work rate allows her to get to the outside and she competes strongly in the air or at ground level.

#14 Ava Stewart (Forward)
Stats: 10 disposals, 2 marks, 1 tackle, 1 inside 50, 1 behind

Is still developing, but Stewart provided a target inside 50 having spent time at both ends over the journey. She almost clunked a contested mark via a specky in the goalsquare early in the fourth term but could not quite bring it down. However she did set up a scoring chance with a nice mark at the top of 50, before turning and hitting a target 30m out. Finished with the one behind from 10 disposals in a solid forward game.

Perth:

#34 Addison Opalinski (Defender)
Stats: 10 disposals, 2 marks, 2 tackles

Played her role in defence and was able to have a few nice moments across the course of the game. A highlight was a great intercept mark in defence 14 minutes into the second term, taking a couple of bounces and bursting away to kick long down the wing. There were a few ‘almost moments’ such as trying to run off half-back in the third term but getting caught then just not quite holding a mark on the wing late in the game, but did lay a follow-up tackle.

* East Perth had no State Academy members playing