THE Dockers were ruthless again this year with their delistings, deciding to throw all their hopes in this year’s draft. The Dockers seem to target midfielders and half-back flankers to give the team some much-wanted speed. However, some talented Western Australian players opted to travel interstate, and this lost talent would have been useful for the Fremantle rebuild.

What they needed

• Forwards to replace Amy Lavell and Emily Mcguire
• Midfielders to assist Dana Hooker and Kara Donnellan
• Half-back flankers to replace Belinda Smith and support Ebony Antonio

Players selected:

Jasmin Stewart – Claremont

There were many high-profile players from Western Australia who could have been Fremantle’s first pick, however, the honours went to Jasmin Stewart. The 19 year-old left-footer has had an outstanding year for Claremont with her elite ball use and hard work ethic. This year she claimed the Tigers’ Best and Fairest award for all her efforts in the West Australian Women’s Football League (WAWFL) . Stewart could be the tag-team partner that Dana Hooker has been looking for.

Sabreena Duffy – Peel Thunder

When Belinda Smith went to play for the Western Bulldogs, it left a huge hole in the Fremantle backline. Under-18 All Australian, Sabreena Duffy is the perfect candidate to fill the gap. Duffy can play half-back or midfield, and her skills shown in the AFL Women’s Under 18 Championships saw her become the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for Western Australia. For most experts, Duffy was a no-brainer to be picked by Fremantle.

Phillipa Seth – East Fremantle

This year, the East Fremantle Sharks took home the WAWFL premiership with Phillipa Seth playing off halfback. Seth was the runner-up for the Sharks’ Best and Fairest this year and has been a heavy contributor to East Fremantle all year. Her premiership experience will be a valuable asset to the the Dockers as they bolster their defensive stocks.

Courtney Stubbs- Subiaco

The Subiaco Lions were the underdogs of the WAWFL competition but made it all the way to the Grand Final  Courtney Stubbs was part of that midfield that battled week after week. Stubbs has had the pleasure of playing with greats Hayley Miller, Lara Filocamo, and young gun, McKenzie Dowrick. Stubbs was an equal contributor among this elite midfield growing each week. Unfortunately, her teammate Filocamo was delisted by Fremantle earlier this year, and now Stubbs will be taking her place at Fremantle.

Parris Laurie – Claremont

After two years of WAWFL, Parris Laurie was promoted to captain of the Claremont Tiger in 2018. Laurie showed a lot early this season in the ruck but had to leave towards the end of the year. She is surprisingly mobile for her height and covers the ground well. Alicia Janz has been waiting for some assistance in the hit-outs, and Laurie will have no problem with that.

Laura Pugh – West Perth

After this year’s draft, Laura Pugh made history. She is the first player from the West Perth Falcons to be drafted in the AFL Women’s competition. One of the reasons for this is Pugh’s defensive intercept marking, which has been a shining light for the Falcons in a poor year. Fremantle will be eager to slot her into a back line that has been under immense pressure in previous years.

Matilda Sergeant – Claremont

Another Claremont player selected for Fremantle, and at this pick, Matilda Sergeant is a steal. Sergeant was selected in the Under 18 All Australian squad for this year. Her run and carry is similar to the likes of Sabreena Duffy. Sergeant mainly plays midfield but can play the role of flanker if she must. Her clean foot skills and strong hands could see her playing in Round 1 for the Dockers.

Ebony Dowson – Peel Thunderbirds

Ebony Downson has played well across half-back for the Thunderbirds and has shown enough talent to be drafted with Fremantle’s last pick. The Peel Thunderbirds finished minor Premieres this year in the WAWFL with Dowson an important cog in defense. Dowson could be another important cog in Fremantle’s defense.

How they went:

The Dockers have definitely boosted their defensive stocks and added more depth to their midfield. However, they were in desperate need of forwards, and they didn’t pick one. Under 18 representatives, Sonia Dorizzi and Kate Bartlett would have been perfect, but Bartlett was drafted to the Western Bulldogs and Dorizzi was overlooked. Another forward who was overlooked was Kira Phillips, who kicked 79 goals in the WAWFL season. With the retirement of Amy Lavell and the delisting of Emily McGuire, question marks loom as to who will kick Fremantle’s goals.