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 explosive winger Charlie Fletcher who had an enormous breakout debut season last year.

Western Australia, Peel Thunder

Charlie Fletcher

Height: 167cm

Weight: -

DOB: 04-02-2009

Positional Analysis

Fletcher came off a successful AFLW Under 16s campaign with Western Australia as a midfielder, and rolled into the Peel Thunder squad seamlessly. She spent most of her time out on a wing or resting forward, but predominantly showed off her speed and endurance on the outside. With greater experience, she will no doubt eventually develop back to the inside, but shows so much excitement on the outside, that she is so well suited off a wing.

2025 Stats

WAFLW | 14.2 disposals | 2.5 marks | 4.5 tackles | 2.6 inside 50s | 1 goal (13 games)

AFLW U16s | 23.0 disposals | 2.0 marks | 7.0 tackles | 3.0 clearances | 2.0 inside 50s | 3.0 rebound 50s (2 games)

Key Strengths

Without a doubt, Fletcher’s ability to breakdown the opposition defensive zones and take the game on ins a massive strength. One of those players who can be bursting away, and just as someone is closing down on her, she somehow finds another gear to go to, and motors clear. Defensively she it fantastic, which means run-down tackles are going to be a regular highlight for Fletcher, almost as much as her multi-bounce runs down the wing.

At 167cm, Fletcher is a good size to play a variety of positions, and her ability to transition the ball forward certainly helps. She competes in the air, scraps at ground level, and is not afraid to get involved closer to the contest, or wait for the handball and then put the jets on to go clear. Essentially she is a player who as soon as you watch her play, you note down the name as she only needs a few touches to make the opposition pay.

2026

Fletcher is still developing into her body having come off a double bottom-age season at League level and is still a bottom-ager herself. She will look to further build strength when around the coalface, but pound-for-pound is incredibly tough. She has room to further improve in her game and make it an even more well-rounded profile, but as a whole, her progression last year was an ultra-exciting introduction to senior football.

Summary

Charlie Fletcher is a player who has the need for speed, and the ability to work over any opponent she plays on. From Ellie McKenzie-like multi-bounce runs down the wing to bonecrunching tackles or pressuring the opposition, the Peel Thunder junior has a lot of exciting traits that set the foundations for the bottom-ager to be a very good player into the future.