TALENTED West Australian top-ager Mia Russo bounced back from a quieter start to the 2025 WAFL Women’s season to blow Perth away with a best on ground performance in Round 3. The Under 16s MVP from two years ago sets high standards and though underperformed in Round 1 and improved a little in Round 2 against quality opposition, was back to her brutal best in a win over the Demons.

Russo bullied her way to an enormous game of 26 disposals, eight clearances, eight inside 50s and two goals against an equally young side, showing her ability to not only win it at the coalface, but go forward and convert scoreboard opportunities as well. Her performance was the subject of our Player Focus.

MIA RUSSO PROFILE

DOB: 06/08/2007
Height: 162cm
Position: Midfielder/Forward
Strengths: Power, vision, kick penetration, contested work, hurt factor
Improvements: Defensive running, kicking precision

PLAYER FOCUS:

2025 WAFL Women’s – Round 3:
West Perth 10.13 (73) def. Perth 2.2 (14)

#7 Mia Russo (West Perth)
Stats: 26 disposals (80.8% efficiency), 3 marks, 3 tackles, 8 clearances, 8 inside 50s, 2 goals, 100 AFL Fantasy points

FIRST QUARTER

Mia Russo started at the first centre bounce going head-to-head with former state teammate Holly Britton, and the West Perth talent was quick to get her hands to the ball for the first disposal out of the middle to half-forward, followed up by a strong tackle.

She went up for a mark shortly after and was infringed so was awarded a free kick and made no mistake with a nice set shot 35m out on a slight angle. She was running at a higher efficiency with her ball use in transition and kept it moving forward. Not only was she up and about offensively, but also defensively, with a great forward half tackle on Fina Dethlefsen where though the ball spilled out, slowed down the Bombers from exiting.

SECOND QUARTER

Once again Russo started on-ball and won the first centre clearance, and then drifted back to help out the defence when Peel had some forward half ascendancy. She clunk a great one-on-one mark in the defensive 50 and was able to nail a short pass.

In the eighth minute, Russo dished off a perfectly timed handball through the middle before being tackled, allowing a teammate to run clear and kick inside 50. When in the forward half not long after, Russo took an uncontested mark though had a rare turnover to the defender when going inside 50. She finished off the half with a nice sidestep around Britton at half-back and delivered to the wing.

THIRD QUARTER

Back in the middle once again to start the third term, Russo did well to nudge an opponent under the ball, but the unusually shaped footy did not gall to her. Still, it was a crafty move and she then won a touch shortly after through a handball receive, thumping it inside 50. That kick did get intercepted, but her next disposal – a clearance going inside 50 – kept the pressure sky high.

In the sixth minute Russo tried to soccer the ball off the deck when she could have picked it up and used her speed at half-forward, but followed up with a great second effort to win and got it inside 50 where she followed up with another handball away.

Perhaps the most noticeable element for Russo’s game was the small things such as opting to man the mark allowing a teammate to get back to their position. When she is firing on all cylinders, her defensive intensity matches her offensive work and that was on display in the contest.

FOURTH QUARTER

While West Perth firmly had the game in its control, Russo kept pushing hard and yet again won the first centre clearance with a nice short pass going forward. In the second minute she won another free kick for going in hard at half-forward and piled on the pressure with a kick to the hotspot. By the fifth minute, Russo had set up a goal to Jamarah Walley with a deft kick to the goalsquare from the pocket while being tackled.

Back in the middle, Russo was able to lose her opponent Isabella Shannon at the stoppage with a step one way then the other to get into space and burst clear. At the eight-minute mark despite the game being done, Gemma Dix was sent into the stoppages to quell Russo’s influence, concentrating on stopping her burst through congestion. It did not seem to stop her as she won a handball, and though tackled, still got it clear to a teammate.

Russo would get a rest midway through the final term, though not before winning a free inside 50 and converting a second goal from a 40m set shot. The game ended early due to a lightning threat in the area, though by then, Russo had more than had herself a game.

FINAL THOUGHTS…

Mia Russo’s performance ticked every box you could hope from a player with her talent. She is always so good offensively, and while still building that consistency defensively, showed promising signs in Round 3. It must be noted that against a midfield that is much closer in age and experience to her she took control, so when up against sides such as Swan Districts and East Fremantle in the future will be a big test.

The little things she did to show she was switched on during the match – such as standing the mark in midfield – or looking inboard to pas off to Walley when under pressure rather than blaze away – was great. She is still developing her defensive running and could be more precise with her kicks going forward, but because of her penetration, can at the very least clear the area and impact the game significantly.

Going forward, Russo is the pick of the smaller West Australian prospects in a year where there will be no shortage of talent coming out of the Sandgropers. She is at times the most experience midfielder at the centre bounces for the Falcons, so it will be a great test to see just how she takes on that challenge going forward where the opposition will no doubt look to quell her influence like the Demons did late.