BEFORE Peel Thunder won back-to-back premierships with a side that featured a host of AFL Women’s talent in the making, the WAFL Women’s side was a wooden spoon battler, developing youth.

Coaching the Rogers Cup at that point was Steve Markham, who would ultimately take over the top job from Adam Dancey at the Thunder, and helped the fairytale of 2020-2021 come to life for the Mandurah-based team.

Fast forward to 2023, and Markham says it is hard not to draw comparisons between the 2020 and 2023 seasons. Having missed the grand final for the first time in three seasons last year, and then had three players – Ella Roberts, Kate Bartlett and Jaide Britton – all drafted by the Eagles, Peel will be a vastly different team this year.

“I suppose the only difference is I was coaching the Rogers Cup and (observed the development) of the Jaide Brittons and the Kate Bartletts and that,” Markham said.

“We’re very similar with that at the moment where we’ve got a really good blend of experience with those young ones coming through and how quickly they can learn the gameplan and be confident in their skills will be a real test to us and how competitive we’ll be throughout the season. It’s a very similar feel to 2020, where it’s young and exciting with a little bit of experience, I think we’ve got a really good mix at the moment.”

Markham said the Thunder would not have any access to top West Australian pick Roberts, or reigning leading goalkicker Bartlett, but would get “a couple of games” out of Britton. Though it might hurt the team’s chances, Markham said he was proud of the trio and how they had performed at AFLW level.

“It changes our list a fair bit, we tried to recruit a bit and it didn’t quite work out for us so we’ve developed our young talent,” Markham said. “We’re pretty lucky having so much young talent coming through the club at the moment and we’ll see some really exciting people come through.”

One such young talent is 2007-born young gun Evie Cowcher, a running half-back with terrific skills and great game sense, who Markham said last year would have been pushing for a League spot. At 173cm, Cowcher was a good size and will line-up for a Round 1 debut.

“She’s been a standout at training, she’s looking really, really good,” Markham said. “Very exciting, kicking the ball unbelievably well. She’ll play half-back I’d expect most of the year assuming she stays in form and injury free. Definitely debut Round 1.”

Along with Cowcher, Markham earmarked a number of talented youngsters who could feature throughout the League side in 2023.

“Through the Rogers, Dakota Sexton in the State 18s has played one game last year, I’d expect to play a fair bit of footy, Kate Newson played in the grand final for the Rogers last year, she’s in the 18s as well,” Markham said.

“She’ll get some game time as a ruck for us. Cierra O’Donnell in the Rogers has done her ankle at the moment but hopefully later in the year we’ll see her come back. Jorja Haines played mostly League last year is going really well. She’s a young, upcoming one.”

Peel Thunder focused on bringing in a number of local talents into the program who could play not only a role in the Rogers Cup, but also at League level.

“There’s a few others that we’ve recruited from outside the club as 16/17 year-olds in Bridey Jackman who’s really exciting, highly skilled,” Markham said. “Chelsea Hutchinson from down south 16/17 year-old looking really, really good will play League footy. “We’ve got another girl Emma Grundy out of the community, she’s just finding her feet but should push later in the year.”

Peel Thunder takes on Swan Districts in Round 1, a side that the Thunder have done battle with many times over the past few years, but most recently were on the receiving end of an elimination final loss to the Black Ducks. Though some pain may reside in the playing group, Markham estimated only about “half” of the side from the final would be out there again for Round 1.

“I think it’s going to be a big changeup, it probably hurts me more than anything,” Markham said. “We did everything right that game, even in the last quarter I think it was 14-1 inside 50s and couldn’t kick a goal, but hurt us over the off-season, so a lot to work on with that but that’s a challenge for us and full credit to Swans, they were just too good for us on the day.

“We’d set up to win it in the last and we got ourselves in a position to do it but couldn’t execute. Obviously there’s hurt in the group for the first time not to make the grand final in a while so it certainly hurt the group on the day.”

As for the 2023 League expectations, Markham said it would all depend on the development of those young players pushing through to the senior side, and how quickly they can adapt to the speed of the top grade.

“To play competitive footy, to get the development into the young players and really bring those young players through and set us up for a long-term,” Markham said of the expectations. “We’ll transition those players out of the Rogers and there’s a few others, Holly Britton, Holly Bilcich who will start pushing for League and really make us strong like we’ve done in other years and bring them through.

“Where do we look at the end of the season? It will all depend on how quickly on how they mature to WAFLW footy. I’d expect a top four finish and if everything starts going our way in the back end of the season, I’d expect us to be really competitive”