ROUND 7 of the WAFL Women’s competition produced some eye-catching individual performances across the four games, headlined by memorable WAFLW debuts from East Fremantle’s Sienna Lilly and West Perth’s Trista Smoker among others. We took note of how the West Australian Summer Squad members fared across each game.

All notes are the opinion of the individual author.

EAST FREMANTLE:

#24 Sienna Lilly (Tall Forward)

Stats: 8 disposals, 3 marks, 1 tackle, 1 inside 50, 1 goal

A debut to remember for Lilly, who marked her first WAFLW appearance with a composed goal in the third term that brought her entire side in to celebrate. Playing at full-forward, she held her line 30 metres out, took a clean uncontested mark and converted the set shot straight in front with no fuss. She added a free kick for a hold 13 minutes into the third quarter and thumped the ball to the hotspot. There were learning moments too – a mark at the behind post in the second term led to some indecision as she ran around and ended up handballing, with Claremont rushing it up the other end – but the composure she showed in her biggest moment was a genuine first impression.

#37 Olivia McCay (Wing)

Stats: 13 disposals, 1 mark, 3 tackles

McCay worked hard off a wing and was a dependable link across the ground. Her best early moment came in the third minute, quick hands to a teammate driving inside 50 that led to a free kick – fortunate but a sign of her willingness to keep the ball moving. She was tidy in defence, gathering cleanly and distributing to the wing, and a clean mark on the wing with a good kick inboard followed shortly after. A strong tackle to lock the ball up at a stoppage in the second term was another contribution, and while her decision-making wasn’t flawless – one gather thrown on the boot rather than by design – it worked out. A reliable, busy game.

CLAREMONT:

#15 Hannah Seaborn (Tall Utility)

Stats: 6 disposals, 1 mark, 6 tackles, 1 inside 50

Deployed in defence, Seaborn was a committed and physical presence all day, with six tackles telling the story of her work rate. She was proactive in the back half from the outset, firing a long handball out of defensive 50 early and showing clean hands at half-back to quickly dish off under pressure in the second term. She attempted a spoil following an opponent into the middle in the second quarter and mopped up well in general play, before a couple of handballs on the wing in the third term. Though not a huge ball-winner, she was active and competitive throughout.

#25 India Bonadeo (Tall Defender)

Stats: 20 disposals, 1 mark, 5 tackles, 2 inside 50s

Bonadeo had one of her better WAFLW outings, accumulating 20 disposals while doing the less glamorous work of tracking her opponent – often Sarah Wielstra – across the ground and keeping her in check. She pushed up to the wing but stayed disciplined in trailing her, and in the second quarter mopped up a poor kick, passed it off quickly and followed up to hold a high line. She cleared the area with a long handball in defence in the third term and was rewarded for her persistence in the final quarter, winning a handball at half-forward after good follow-up work before taking the ball over the boundary. Really finding her feet at League level after the one game last year.

WEST PERTH:

#13 Rikisha Nannup (Wing)

Stats: 13 disposals, 4 marks, 3 tackles, 2 inside 50s

A typically busy outing from Nannup, who was a reliable presence off a wing throughout. Her best sequence came in the second term — a 50-metre penalty awarded before she chipped well to centre half-forward and followed up with a handball — and she showed her willingness to take the game on with a long thump down the wing in the third term and a thumping kick from the back pocket in the fourth. A good shepherd at half-back and consistent pressure acts rounded out a solid if unspectacular day, though a held-ball free kick on the wing in the final quarter was an unnecessary blemish. The reliability and engine remain consistent features of her game.

#25 Lexi Strachan (Midfielder/Forward)

Stats: 20 disposals, 7 marks, 4 tackles, 4 inside 50s

Strachan was one of the better players on the ground across four quarters, quietly compiling 20 disposals and seven marks in a two-way performance that built as the game went on. She was unassuming around the contest in the first half – winning touches without fanfare – before the third quarter produced her most eye-catching moment: a four-bounce run down the wing before a deep inside 50 drive that turned heads. In the final term she crashed a pack to win a free on the wing, found a nice kick to half-forward, and capped the afternoon with a strong intercept mark at half-back late in the game. A significant performance.

#31 Cara Dziegielewski (Ruck/Forward)

Stats: 10 disposals, 1 mark, 5 tackles, 15 hitouts, 1 inside 50, 1 behind

Dziegielewski brought good energy to the ruck role and her tap work was tidy throughout, with the National Academy member’s ruck craft always top notch. She followed up at half-forward off a ruck stoppage in the second term and showed clean hands with quick ball movement when she got near it. A free kick and 50-metre penalty in the final quarter set up a set shot from 35 metres out at a slight angle that just drifted right for a behind. There were a few moments where the ball slipped through her hands and one short kickout that came up shy of the target, but the pressure acts – five tackles – and hitout numbers reflect a player who worked hard across four quarters.

#38 Trista Smoker (Forward)

Stats: 13 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles, 1 inside 50, 1 goal, 1 behind

A standout day for Smoker, who opened her WAFLW account with her first League goal in the second term – a 30-metre set shot from a holding-the-ball free kick she won herself, and she converted cleanly. She had already played a hand in the first West Perth goal earlier, with a clean gather just inside 50 leading directly to a Zoe Huggett major. Her hands were consistently clean throughout – she looked dangerous every time she got near the ball – and a mark inside 50 in the fourth term presented another set shot opportunity, which just pushed wide for a behind. Her movement around the forward half was a consistent threat.

#40 Bella Nelson (Defender)

Stats: 22 disposals, 9 marks, 2 tackles

Nelson accumulated with ease from the defensive half, racking up 22 disposals and nine marks in a performance built on clean intercept work and a penetrating kick. She was at it immediately – three consecutive intercept efforts in the opening minute – and the pattern continued all afternoon: a half-forward intercept mark in the second term, a strong mark on the wing switched across half-back in the third, and another intercept mark in the defensive 50 shortly after. Her kicking was mostly effective, though a couple of kicks went out on the full with distance rather than precision the goal. Has areas to work on, but offensively creates plenty of metres through the run and long kicking.

SUBIACO:

#10 Caitlin Boss (Forward/Midfielder)

Stats: 9 disposals, 3 tackles, 2 inside 50s

A quieter day by disposal count for Boss, but she was competitive when required. Her best individual moments came directly against Rikisha Nannup – a good spoil on the wing and then a one-on-one win in the third term that led to a deep kick forward. She had clean touches when she got near it and never stopped working, though West Perth’s strength across the ground limited her influence.

#27 Beatrice Crane (Defender)

Stats: 8 disposals, 2 marks

A limited sample, but Crane showed her composure on the ball when called upon – quick hands off in the middle and a kick from a kickout thumped to half-forward. On debut she did not look out of place, though no doubt further improvement will come once she adapts to the level. A day to build on.

#37 Marley Kelman (Forward)

Stats: 9 disposals, 3 tackles, 2 inside 50s

Kelman played up the attacking end this week and looked to present as an option inside 50. She set up the first goal to Caitie Smith from close range in the second minute and worked hard to get into positions, though the ball was elusive. A couple of rushed kicks inside 50 and a spilled mark in the third term were frustrating moments, and she was unlucky not to win a free for a push inside 50 in the 17th minute of the final quarter. The effort and intent were there throughout.

SOUTH FREMANTLE:

#31 Marie Polimeno (Defender)

Stats: 7 disposals, 3 marks, 2 tackles

A quieter afternoon for Polimeno, though she made her moments count. Focused on being a defender more so than on the wing in recent weeks, the left-footer was sensible with her ball use and provided an option to run and carry. Solid and reliable as always.

PEEL THUNDER:

#7 Heidi Ireland (Midfielder)

Stats: 11 disposals, 1 mark, 2 tackles, 1 hitout, 1 inside 50

Ireland got her chance to spend more minutes around the contest rather than her primarily deep defensive role, and held her own, showing the composure under pressure that has defined her best work this season. Her standout moment came in the 11th minute of the first quarter – a low bullet inside 50 that set up a Kate Bartlett goal and showcased her offensive reading from the middle. She won a contested touch out of the middle early in the game and applied a huge holding-the-ball free on the wing. In the final term she got a handball away in defence while being dragged down. A workmanlike game in an less utilised role.

#9 Maya Walsh (Wing/Forward)

Stats: 1 disposal, 1 tackle

A frustrating afternoon for Walsh that didn’t reflect the quality she has shown this season. Starting on a wing she went forward for the final term. Though she never stopped trying and has the size and traits that could adapt to a wing role, she has provided some nice run out of defence and even around the ball at times. It was not through lack of effort, but just getting caught in between opponents. Never dropped her head and continued to run hard though.

#20 Layla Scott (Midfielder)

Stats: 10 disposals, 1 mark, 3 tackles, 2 inside 50s

Scott announced herself on a bigger stage with a pair of moments that stopped the eye. In the 12th minute of the first quarter she exploded out of the middle and thumped a deep inside 50 off her left foot – an emphatic act of speed and power – before following it up immediately with a strong tackle in the 13th minute to win a free kick and put the ball in a dangerous zone. She was a consistent driver down the wing in the middle terms and in the final quarter produced a nice long left-foot kick to a one-on-one that Bartlett converted. The burst, pressure and ball use all point to a player worth watching closely.

#26 Charlie Fletcher (Wing/Midfielder)

Stats: 14 disposals, 2 tackles, 3 inside 50s

Another lively outing from Fletcher, who gave everything across four quarters in her usual all-action style. Her best moment came in the third term — a couple of bounces before a deep inside 50 kick directly set up a Krystal Carter goal — but her pressure and clean hands were a consistent feature throughout. She pushed all the way to the defensive goalsquare in the opening minutes to protect, burst forward late in the second term with a fend-off to clear the contest, and in the fourth quarter showed her skill with a clever outside-of-the-boot short pass before receiving the ball back and finding half-forward effectively. An unlucky kick out on the full in the opening two minutes was the only real blemish on a typically busy performance.

PERTH:

#2 Mia Carlshausen (Defender)

Stats: 15 disposals, 4 marks, 2 tackles

Carlshausen had another composed afternoon in defence, spreading to space and making herself available as a consistent option. She was physical and courageous in the second quarter – taking a good mark on the wing and absorbing a late hit – and her best ball use came in the third term, including a nice mark from a kickout and a composed sidestep before finding the middle. She was active in defensive marking contests throughout, positioning well in the back half, and rounded out the game with a clean mark in the 18th minute and an effective kick to the wing. Another reliable performance.

EAST PERTH:

#8 Charli Bassett (Midfielder)

Stats: 19 disposals, 2 marks, 2 inside 50s

Bassett was busy and accountable across four quarters, finishing with 19 disposals in one of her better games of the season. She came off the bench to start and made an immediate impact in the fifth minute, winning possession from half-back and driving inside 50. Her work into space was a consistent feature – she runs hard and always looks to man up a loose player – and she was clean in close throughout, including a sharp chip into the middle on a 45-degree angle and a quick dish off under pressure in the back 50. In the final term she burst out of the middle in the sixth minute for another inside 50 thrust. The consistency of effort and football intelligence she brings is never in question.