TALENTED bottom-ager Tiama Collard is a name to remember for the future, with the Peel Thunder young gun already looking like a readymade prospect. Running around off a wing for the Thunder, while still having an impact up forward and having played inside midfield at local and for the Sandgropers last season, the 2009-born Collard is getting better with every experience.
We spoke to the West Australian at the Preseason Testing event about her football journey, gamestyle, inspirations and goals for the year ahead.
Q: Tiama, tell us a little bit about your footy journey?
TC: “I started playing footy when I was in Year 3. I think I started as soon as there was an AFLW league, but I always wanted to play my whole life. I started playing with the boys in Year 3, that was pretty fun. It was a lot different to what it’s like playing with the girls. But when I was in Year 6 or 7 I moved to playing with the girls and it was really fun. A lot of the girls from my community team still play with me at Peel so we’re pretty connected.
“Then in Year 7 I did the Peel Academy and I versed Bunbury and another team and I really enjoyed it so the next year I tried out for Rogers and I was lucky enough to be one of the younger girls that got in. Played most of the games that I could besides when I was injured. One more year of Rogers, which was fun as we had a lot more wins than the season before, and then I was lucky enough in 2025 to play a few WAFLW games and have a feel what it was like to play against bigger, stronger, older, more talented players. It was really fun.”
Q: Between the 16s where you played midfield and then more forward rotating for Peel, what do you see yourself as going forward?
TC: “Well I feel like I’ve always been an inside midfield player, but when I am the younger of the lot that I play with, I feel like forward’s a good spot for me because I haven’t really grown yet, I’m a bit small. I love playing forward, I love kicking goals, I’m more of a crumber so I can get a tall player if they drop it, it’s mine. But going forward, I don’t mind where I play, but inside midfield’s probably my preferred, but forward’s always fun, it’s one of my favourite positions to play.”
Q: What do you see as some of the strengths in your game?
TC: “I feel like some of my strengths are probably my composure. I feel like I’m pretty composed. I am pretty shifty, I like stepping people and I can jump and maybe another one is I’m pretty good at crafting goals out of nowhere. That’s probably my favourite, being shifty and having really good looks on goals.”
Q: What about your improvements?
TC: “Definitely my long distance running. I feel like that’s my weakest point, even at the testing. It humbles me every time. I’m an alright sprinter but my long distance is not there, and definitely my strength. I feel like I’ve got a lot stronger from last season which actually helped with my confidence, but I still need to get a lot stronger because I’m pretty strong.”
Q: What goals do you set for this season?
TC: “Just to make it to the state 18s winter squad is probably my biggest goal, and help that team hopefully win games if I do get in. When I go back to Peel, to get back into the WAFLW side and hopefully we win a lot more games and I gel into the position they want me to play.”
