SNAPSHOT: “A clean and competitive dual-sided midfielder who applied enormous defensive pressure to her opponents.”

Renee Morgan is a natural footballer who is really well balanced across the board and if you lined up the possible traits of a midfielder, there are not too many boxes the South Fremantle draft prospect does not tick. She has played more than 200 junior games of football and is as tough and uncompromising as anyone else going around, with a high floor to build upon for the future.

The West Australian’s football career started earlier than most, playing 13 games for Jadakot Jets way back in 2015. Before 2020 and having only just finished primary school, Morgan had already clocked up 100 matches for the Jets, progressing through the pathways. A further 37 games over the next two seasons showed off Morgan’s durability and consistency leading up to her triple bottom-age year.

Morgan had a delayed start to the Rogers Cup season in 2022, making her South Fremantle debut in Round 10, reaching the finals in her first year there before going back to run out for the Jets in a further three games. By Under 16s level, she was fit and firing, reaching the WAFLW Rogers Cup Grand Final for the Bulldogs, having been one of the most prolific players in the competition.

The midfielder had six bests among eight games for the juniors, while cracking into the League side in Round 12 just a few weeks after her 16th birthday. She only played the six League games but was so much of a standout that she was initially awarded the Rising Star before it was re-awarded to Evie Cowcher who fitted the criteria of most votes in the Dhara Kerr Medal from a first year player.

Despite not being the official Rising Star, Morgan certainly was that in her own right, and having had a successful National Development Championships, she followed into her bottom-age campaign with plenty of confidence. Unfortunately injury struck again and kept Morgan out for most of the WAFLW season, only returning for the final round after going down in Round 3.

Luckily for the West Australian, the National Championships were played post-state league season, and while Morgan admittedly was underdone, still battled through to have an impact for the Sandgropers. A spot in the National Futures game followed, and though being “one of the most unlucky not to make the National Academy” according to Female Talent Manager Trent Cooper, Morgan proceeded to let her football do the talking.

She played eight WAFLW games and then throughout the national carnival where she averaged 18.5 disposals, 3.5 marks, 3.0 clearances, 2.3 inside 50s and 3.3 rebound 50s spending time through the middle and at half-forward too. Naturally an onballer, Morgan capped off her junior career on a high with a National Draft Combine invitation.

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