ANOTHER season of WAFLW Women’s action is just around the corner, with the season kicking off on March 28. As we did with the SANFL Women’s competition, Rookie Me Central will count down 15 players to watch in the upcoming year, focusing on either top-age or bottom-age prospects to keep in mind.

We continue our top 15 players to watch countdown – which will run over the three weeks to finish on the eve of the WAFL Women’s season – with dynamic forward/midfielder Tiama Collard who oozes X-factor and upside.

Western Australia, Peel Thunder

Tiama Collard

Height: 160cm

Weight: -

DOB: 08-04-2009

Positional Analysis

Collard has played both as an inside midfielder and forward, with her ability to find the ball and extract it from stoppages a key trait. At Under 16s level against her peers and lighter bodies, Collard looked at home around the ball, but up against bigger, stronger opponents at WAFLW level, the Peel Thunder double bottom-ager was played at half-forward to build up to the rigours of senior footy.

2025 Stats

WAFLW | 8.6 disposals | 1.4 marks | 3.4 tackles | 1.6 inside 50s | 4 goals (10 games)

AFLW U16s | 19.5 disposals | 2.0 marks | 6.0 tackles | 4.0 clearances | 1.5 inside 50s | 2.0 rebound 50s (2 games)

Key Strengths

Collard is best known for her all-round athletic prowess, with her explosive speed and sidestep natural eye-catching traits in her game. She is one of those players who, if you give her an inch, she will take a mile, and often gain a stack of distance on an opponent before they have even realised. While she only kicked four goals for Peel last season, it was in a side that struggled offensively, and Collard still managed to provide a spark.

While Collard is still building her strength and endurance, once she has ball in hand she is hard to catch, and if the Peel bottom-ager can get goalside, the opposition is in trouble. Watch for her to build on her game from last season and set up for a big top-age campaign in 2027.

2026

As a bottom-ager, Collard still has two full seasons until she is draft eligible, so the key will be consistency and working on her improvements. With hard work and a focus on strength and running, Collard can be a danger for longer and in more situations which will be the key to taking the next step. Though unlikely to ever be a massive one-on-one contest player, Collard beats her opponents through smarts, skills and speed.

Summary

Collard is a naturally gifted player with enormous upside and terrific X-factor. She can play midfield or half-forward, with the latter likely to be where she predominantly lands. Pushing up to a wing rotating with fellow bottom-ager Charlie Fletcher would also not be out of the question, especially if she builds her tank early in the season.