Maya Louvel-Finn Draft Profile

East FremantleMedium Defender

#26

Maya Louvel-Finn

height: 170cm

weight:

D.O.B: 20-02-2007

Leagues: WAFL Women's, AFLW U18 Championships

Snapshot
Analysis
Summary

SNAPSHOT: “An incredibly consistent defender who blends athleticism with footballing smarts.”

Maya Louvel-Finn has hardly put a foot wrong all year in 2025 with the East Fremantle defender going from strength to strength and racking up accolades along the way. Showcasing some of the best footy she has to offer, Louvel-Finn won All-Australian honours at the national carnival and finished top three in East Fremantle’s best and fairest despite missing six games.

Considering Louvel-Finn’s footballing abilities looking incredibly natural, the talented teenager has only been playing for four seasons. Midway through high school Louvel-Finn represented Palmyra in the Metro South, but unfortunately a fractured tibia and femur playing netball meant she was put on ice after eight games.

She would only add another two to her local CV because she had already caught the attention of East Fremantle where she starred for the Sharks playing in 15 games and was named among the best in 10 of them. That included the grand final where she became a premiership player in her very first state league season as the Sharks knocked off Peel Thunder in the decider.

Unfortunately injury would strike again for Louvel-Finn the following preseason before tearing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in and Under 16s state game. Yet again the East Fremantle defender was put on ice and watched on as the Sharks won the senior flag, a team with which she had hoped to crack into across her double bottom-age season.

It was not to be, but the driven Louvel-Finn made sure she would not be left out. Returning for 2024, she naturally started the season in Rogers Cup, playing the first four games before making her debut against Peel Thunder in Round 6. She would play eight games across the next nine rounds, but on the eve of finals was heartbreakingly omitted from the senior team.

She went back to the Rogers Cup to play the next two weeks before her side lost the preliminary final. Fortunately for Louvel-Finn she was recalled for the grand final against Claremont, but unfortunately her side would go down to the Tigers after being undefeated for the entirety of the year. At the same time, the uncertainty around her knee meant she was not included in the West Australian squad as a bottom-ager, but on the insistence of the Sharks over the offseason, the Sandgropers added Louvel-Finn to the summer squad ahead of 2025.

From there, Louvel-Finn only went from strength to strength, among the Sharks’ best in almost every game, and she easily made the cut for the West Australian state side. Then, not only did she hold her own at the national carnival, she won All-Australian honours in the back pocket, and shut down one of the top prospects for next year’s draft in Majella Day. The performance and accolades earned her a State Draft Combine invite where she got to show her physical athletic talents.

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STRENGTHS:

+ Reading the play
+ Intercept marking
+ Athleticism
+ Speed
+ Strength
+ Defensive pressure
+ Consistency

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Endurance
- Kicking consistency

If you look close enough at Louvel-Finn's game you quickly realise that she has one of the most well-balanced profiles across the board. While strong and able to compete so well one-on-one, most defenders who have the stronger frame are often taken for being slower. That could not be further from the case with Louvel-Finn who has some terrific speed, and her other athletic traits - such as her vertical jump and agility - also shine both on the court, and out on the field.

Her testing numbers are among the better players in the country, so she clearly ticks the box of athleticism. But outside of her natural athletic traits and great strength, Louvel-Finn is a student of the game. She has only been playing for four seasons, but the way she prepares and hones in on skills is next level and something that would attract any club from a development standpoint.

For example, Louvel-Finn has been hyper-focused on improving her kicking, particularly at speed. It has come a long way, but can still improve. However, she doesn't just practice random kicks, she has specific aims and goals to get out of each session, even if just one-on-one with a friend or family member. She will aim to refine "low, penetrating kicks" as one such example she spoke of recently.

That level of focus gives an insight into not only her knowledge of the craft, but her desire to be meticulous in everything she does. No doubt it has been the catalyst for an ultra-consistent season both with Western Australia and East Fremantle. She works hard, trains hard and the results are paying off. Especially given she has come from a fair way back given her injury and having to force herself back into the state side.

Naturally, the injuries have not helped her endurance, and while not a red flag, it is an area that she continue to work on. It would be at the 'average' stage compared to others, but playing the role she does, means she can lean on her strengths rather than her improvements.

From a footballing perspective, Louvel-Finn is a fantastic reader of the play and intercept mark. She has safe hands, and though not tall - she tips in at 170cm - her athleticism and smarts allow her to usually beat opponents in the air. If she can bring the ball to ground, she is more than competitive at ground level, with her strength and defensive attributes coming to the fore.

Overall, Louvel-Finn is one of the top State Draft Combine invitees, and realistically should have ended up with National Draft Combine invite given her season. There is no one given strength for Louvel-Finn, instead the East Fremantle defender has such a terrific balance across the board and is a player who will only skyrocket inside an AFLW program.

DRAFT RANGE: 30-50

SUMMARY:

Maya Louvel-Finn is a fantastic all-round player who has offensive and defensive traits, can play on talls or smalls, and competes well in the air or at ground level. She has overcome a series of injuries to produce a huge top-age season, and is firmly in the AFLW Draft frame. More than comfortable to relocate anywhere in the country, the West Australian defender is definitely a player that all clubs should be keeping an eye on for the draft.

WAFL Women's

Season	Team	K	HB	D	M	T	HO	I50	GM	K	H	D	M	HO	T	G	DC
2023	East Fremantle	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2024	East Fremantle	62	25	87	22	19	1	2	9	6.9	2.8	9.7	2.4	0.1	2.1	0.0	34
2025	East Fremantle	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	-	62	25	87	22	19	1	2	9	6.9	2.8	9.7	2.4	0.1	2.1	0.0	34