ROUND 16 of the WAFL Women’s season saw the return of the West Australian Under 18s players following the conclusion of the national championships. With the State Academy members back in club colours, there were plenty of standout performances across the four matches as players looked to finish the season strongly. We took note of how the West Australian Summer Squad members fared across each game.

All notes are the opinion of the individual author.

WEST PERTH:

#13 Rikisha Nannup (Wing)

Stats: 12 disposals, 4 marks and 2 inside 50s

Returning to the wing, Nannup was a busy presence throughout the afternoon. She showed her ability to intercept and lock the ball up early, and her sliding mark in the defensive 50 before delivering a lovely pass to the wing was a highlight of her day. There was a moment in the third term when she got caught ball-watching at half-back and her opponent got loose inside 50, while a holding the ball decision in the defensive goalsquare in the second term proved costly, resulting in Perth’s first goal. However, she remained active, putting pressure on opponents and finding targets inside 50, capping off her day with a clean pickup and thumping kick to half-forward in the final quarter.

#25 Lexi Strachan (Midfielder)

Stats: 26 disposals, 7 marks, 3 tackles, 4 inside 50s and 1 goal

Strachan was a dominant force in the midfield, compiling a game-high 26 disposals in a powerful display. Starting on-ball, she won the first clearance and consistently used her strength at ground level to win possession and tap to space. Her penetrating kicking was on show with several lovely low passes inside 50, and she showcased her aerial ability with a strong contested mark in the goalsquare in the third term, converting the goal to bring her side within a point. Despite being pinged for holding the ball after a charging run in the final quarter, she responded by slamming the ball on her left to win a crucial centre clearance late in the game.

#31 Cara Dziegielewski (Ruck)

Stats: 19 disposals, 5 marks, 8 tackles and 20 hitouts

Dziegielewski put in a massive shift in the ruck, combining her tap work with excellent follow-up at ground level. She won the first hitout of the game and consistently provided first use for her midfielders, while her eight tackles highlighted her immense defensive pressure. She worked hard to gain front position against stronger opponents and was clean below her knees, notably gathering off the deck for a quick handball in the third term. Her positioning deep in defence resulted in some important intercept marks, rounding out a comprehensive performance.

#38 Trista Smoker (Forward/Midfielder)

Stats: 12 disposals, 2 marks, 3 tackles and 1 goal

Smoker was dangerous early, taking the first mark inside 50 and shortly after reading a quick kick from congestion perfectly to mark and kick a set shot goal from 30 metres out in the second minute. She pushed up to the wing to win the ball, following up her own work to lock it inside 50 with a third effort in a single play. While she had a flying shot marked on the goalline in the second term and was harshly pinged for holding the ball in the third, her clean hands under pressure and strong tackling were consistent features.

#40 Bella Nelson (Defender)

Stats: 12 disposals, 2 marks, 1 tackle and 2 inside 50s

Nelson brought her trademark run and carry from the defensive half, charging forward in the opening minute to thump the ball inside 50. She rebounded effectively from half-back, winning the ball back and belting it down the wing, and executed an important switch in the third quarter. Her defensive reading was highlighted by a crucial spoil back with the flight 30 metres from goal, and an intercept mark on the wing shortly after. A solid return for the rebounding defender.

#45 Miley Hynes (Forward)

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

Hynes made her moments count in the forward half, providing a direct goal assist to Smoker in the first term with a nice pass out of a stoppage. She consistently looked to drive the ball to the hotspot inside 50 and presented well as a leading target, though a good lead from full-forward in the second quarter just slipped through her fingers. She remained involved, getting a handball away under pressure at the top of the 50 in the final term.

#47 Jasmine Giles (Forward/Ruck)

Stats: 8 disposals, 3 marks, 2 tackles, 3 hitouts and 1 inside 50

Rotating between forward and ruck, Giles showed her versatility and aerial ability. She took a strong mark on the wing in the third term and provided a nice hitout deep in defence. While she was worked under the ball by Carlshausen on one occasion, she competed well when moved into the middle in the final quarter, winning a hitout and following up with a handball.

BOORLOO:

#2 Mia Carlshausen (Defender)

Stats: 20 disposals, 5 marks and 1 tackle

Carlshausen was outstanding in defence, reading the play beautifully and providing tremendous drive out of the back half. She was incredibly clean in traffic and consistently found targets with effective kicks and smart handballs. Her intercept marking was a feature, taking a huge grab on the wing with contact coming in the third term, and winning a crucial one-on-one against the taller Giles. She stood up well in tackles and constantly looked to clear the danger with penetrating kicks down the middle, capping off a brilliant four-quarter performance.

SUBIACO:

#10 Caitlin Boss (Wing)

Stats: 15 disposals, 3 marks and 3 tackles

Spending time on the wing, the double bottom-aged Boss was clean around the stoppages and followed up her work well. She took a strong mark on the wing in the second term and delivered nicely down the field, and repeated the effort with a lovely short pass in the third. Her tackling pressure was solid throughout the contest.

#21 Macy Fair (Defender)

Stats: 8 disposals, 1 mark and 1 tackle

In her first state league game since 2024 – and WAFLW debut – the West Australian Under 18s co-skipper played a role in deep defence, taking a mark in the defensive 50 and executing a short chip effectively in the second term. She had a tough moment when she was penalised for holding onto her opponent too long, resulting in a goal from 30 metres out, and was occasionally caught behind, but she battled hard against a dangerous forwardline.

#23 Beatrice Crane (Defender)

Stats: 14 disposals and 4 marks

Crane showed good composure coming out of the back half, gathering well and taking kick-outs effectively. She took a nice mark at half-back, although her subsequent kick was intercepted, and showed good hands off the deck in the second term. She consistently looked to clear the zone with long kicks to the wing.

#37 Marley Kelman (Forward)

Stats: 9 disposals, 1 mark, 3 tackles and 2 inside 50s

Kelman presented aggressively as a forward target all day, taking a good mark out in front at half-forward in the third term. She won a free kick for chopping the arms in the final quarter and constantly led out, though a few potential marks slipped through her hands. She kept the pressure up and managed to get handballs away near the boundary when the ball hit the deck.

CLAREMONT:

#15 Hannah Seaborn (Forward)

Stats: 8 disposals, 3 marks, 1 tackle, 1 inside 50 and 1 behind

Starting forward, Seaborn was involved early, gathering on a turnover and putting the ball deep to set up the first score. She hurt her fingers leading out for a mark in the second term and had to be interchanged, but returned to take a sliding mark in the third quarter, pushing her set shot from 25 metres out to the right for a behind. She showed good endeavour but struggled to find her usual fluency by foot.

#25 India Bonadeo (Defender)

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

Bonadeo provided great defensive pressure early, forcing the ball out of bounds from a kick-in. She showed excellent composure with a sidestep and long kick to the wing in the second term, and her standout moment came in the final quarter with a huge intercept mark at half-back followed by an effective pass down the wing. She worked hard to cover her opponents, though on one occasion she was caught out when peeling off to help teammates.

EAST FREMANTLE:

#13 Sienna Lilly (Forward)

Stats: 4 disposals, 1 mark, 1 tackle and 2 goals

Lilly was incredibly efficient, turning her four disposals into two crucial goals. She attacked the ball hard coming out of the forward 50 early, and was rewarded with a contested mark and a 50-metre penalty, converting from the top of the goalsquare. In the final term, she competed well in the air to spoil after being caught behind, recovered beautifully to gather, turn, and snap a classy second goal to seal her impact on the game.

#15 Olivia McCay (Defender/Wing)

Stats: 8 disposals and 2 tackles

McCay provided run from the defensive half, using a nice sidestep to deliver quick hands in the middle during the first term. She laid a fierce tackle on the wing in the third quarter and showed great agility at half-back in the fourth, going one way then the other before kicking to the wing. She won a holding free kick just inside 50 and played on to get distance, with her attempt just falling short.

#18 Cienna Leslie (Defender/Forward)

Stats: 19 disposals, 2 marks, 4 tackles, 2 inside 50s and 1 goal

Leslie showcased her versatility, starting in defence before moving forward to hit the scoreboard. She was strong under pressure, shrugging a tackle to kick down the middle in the second term, and taking good marks at half-back to clear the danger. In the final quarter, she showed great power along the wing to break clear, and capped her game with a classy goal after recovering from a half-fumble at half-forward.

PEEL THUNDER:

#6 Zaide Wilson (Ruck)

Stats: 18 disposals, 6 marks, 6 tackles, 22 hitouts and 4 inside 50s

Wilson was a dominant presence in the ruck, amassing 22 hitouts with decisive tap work. She was equally impressive around the ground, gathering 18 disposals and taking six marks, including a crucial grab in the defensive goalsquare from a shot that fell short. Her follow-up work was excellent, regularly shovelling out handballs in the middle and applying six tackles to match her offensive output. Her best game of the WAFLW season.

#7 Heidi Ireland (Defender)

Stats: 15 disposals, 2 tackles and 1 inside 50

Ireland was a rock in defence, highlighted by a fantastic play in the first term where she cleared the danger against two opponents to hit a target at half-back, before taking an intercept mark moments later. She showed great strength to stand up in tackles and distribute by hand, and her vision was elite, perfectly spotting a leading Kate Bartlett with a lovely kick from the middle in the final quarter. An industrious performance where she played her role to a t.

#8 Tiama Collard (Forward/Midfielder)

Stats: 30 disposals, 8 marks, 3 tackles and 6 inside 50s

Collard was everywhere, racking up a massive 30 disposals and eight marks in a dynamic performance. Starting forward before moving on-ball, she was incredibly clean, picking the ball up inside 50 with a spin and handball away early on. Her kicking was a weapon, delivering pinpoint passes to the wing and lace-out balls inside 50 to leading targets. While she occasionally bombed the ball under pressure in the third term, her repeat pressure acts and ability to sidestep traffic made her one of the most dangerous players on the ground.

#22 Tahlia Head (Defender/Wing)

Stats: 6 disposals, 2 marks, 2 tackles and 1 inside 50

Head played her role across the wing and defence, laying a fierce tackle in the middle to bring down the opposing ruck in the second term. She marked well on the defensive side of the wing and played on to kick long, and did well to spoil McCay in the middle during the final quarter.

#26 Charlie Fletcher (Utility)

Stats: 14 disposals, 3 marks, 4 tackles and 2 inside 50s

Fletcher brought elite closing speed and pressure to the wing, forcing turnovers and laying strong tackles. She showed lightning-fast hands to a running teammate after taking a mark low down, and her side-to-side movement was excellent. She gathered at speed in the middle and delivered to space, before moving on-ball and forward in the final term to continue her high-impact, two-way running game. Spent time between wing, forward and midfield showcasing her outstanding versatility.

#35 Mia Van Kleef (Forward)

Stats: 8 disposals, 1 mark, 5 tackles, 3 inside 50s and 1 behind

Van Kleef was a strong competitor in the forward half, bringing the ball to ground in one-on-one contests and winning ground balls against multiple opponents. She had a nice breakaway run that ended with a shot hitting the behind post, and her tackling pressure was a standout feature. In the final term, she executed a beautiful turn and lace-out pass just inside 50.

SOUTH FREMANTLE:

#24 Alexis Edgley (Defender)

Stats: 7 disposals, 3 marks and 2 tackles

Playing in deep defence, Edgley used her size and incredible speed to great effect. She showed remarkable pace for a tall player to get back defensively, win the ball, and kick long to half-back. She took a strong intercept mark in the second term by nudging her opponent under the ball, and executed a great spoil in the back pocket in the third quarter. A clunking mark at half-back in the final term rounded out a solid defensive showing.

#31 Marie Polimeno (Defender)

Stats: 11 disposals, 5 marks, 1 tackle and 1 inside 50

Polimeno pushed high up the ground from defence, taking several intercept marks and providing rebound. She took a bounce and thumped the ball down the wing after an intercept in the second term, and intercepted a turnover in the middle to drive the ball back down the corridor in the third. She capped her game with a nice switch at half-back, linking up to mark at half-forward and deliver inside 50 to her sister, Annalie. Was a mixed bag by foot, but when having any time or space can do damage.

EAST PERTH:

#6 Charli Bassett (Midfielder)

Stats: 17 disposals, 4 marks, 4 tackles and 4 inside 50s

Bassett was a workhorse in the midfield, fighting through attention to win clearances and drive the ball forward. She showed great second efforts to get handballs away when nudged off the ball early, and applied a crucial block in the third term to allow a teammate to clear the ball. She consistently broke from stoppages to deliver inside 50, finishing her day by winning a free kick for a late sling and kicking to the hotspot.