AFLW West Coast Womens 2025

[Byron_Clanger]

Expected. Last one in, first one out. Not many replacement players stick around past their initial year.

 

[Ochre]

All the teams around us AND above us (North) looking to get better with player acquisitions. But it's ok, we got interest in a medium sized forward from Carlton when we're down two speedy ball carriers with ACL's next year

Why did we go for this forward when we need mids, we should be like these other teams that are going for forwards?!!?!?!

 

[WCE777]

Dumb article. Experience? Prowse is the most experienced, had four years only. Skepper's had about two years, ditto Peters, ditto Slocombe but she's only played one game.

We're doing the Moneyball strategy - looking for bargains, players who were worth a high pick a few years ago but have slipped a long way through no fault of their own. I reckon the reason we didn't get Prowse or Zanker is because other clubs are throwing much higher draft picks at them, while we want to keep top picks unspent unless someone really great is available.

Big bodied midfielder? We've already got two, but Rentsch and Painter are playing back and forward respectively. So we don't actually want a big bodied midfielder, we want someone like Prowse who can help release Rentsch into the midfield, or a forward who can help Painter do the same.

I like what I'm seeing. A lot of clubs are dumb, they'll spend top picks for older players who'll help in the short term, but leave them struggling in a few years time because they missed out on great young talent to do it. We're going after players with big upsides, looking to create value rather than just harvesting existing value.

I like your summary and thoughts on list needs.

We don't need to spend large trade capital on players unless they are super stars of the comp.
None of the players we are missing out on are worth the asking price.

If we can land Sophie Peters, Keeley Skepper, Ella Slocombe and still keep our 1st round pick that's a good strategy.
They are automatic players for the club and better than the bottom half of our list from my little bit of research.

Correct me if I am wrong but all these players are equivelant to 2nd round picks and Skeeler would be the highest cost?

Future picks are available so dip into 2026 to make it happen and keep 1st rounders in 25/26 to keep drafting quality.
Not sure if we can still get a player in this draft like Scarlett Johnson but she looks a very good player.

 

[Ilkka Sinisalo]

One of my assumed de-listings from a couple weeks ago's been made official. Such a shame she couldn't stay healthy enough for a proper run.

Yeah, I thought she was a good acquisition from Geelong but the injuries really seemed to set her back.

So that's 4 spots gone with Hosking, Hooker, Johnson and Lindgren. Two more that I thought we might hear about are McDonald and Drennan. Are they both out of contract?

 

[Byron_Clanger]

AFLW: Two Eagles to depart

West Coast has informed two players they will not be offered contracts next season

www.westcoasteagles.com.au

That might even be it on the de-listing front. I doubt you do an article on list changes if you still got more to go.

 

[Byron_Clanger]

Yeah, I thought she was a good acquisition from Geelong but the injuries really seemed to set her back.

So that's 4 spots gone with Hosking, Hooker, Johnson and Lindgren. Two more that I thought we might hear about are McDonald and Drennan. Are they both out of contract?

I'd count Lindgren and Hosking as one spot since we lost Hosking and Sophie Mac and only replaced them with one player. Maybe they're backing McDonald to overcome her concussion woes, though one game in two years isn't very promising.

And who knows with Drennan. I just assumed traded in players got two year deals which was the case for Johnson.

 

[Ilkka Sinisalo]

Dumb article. Experience? Prowse is the most experienced, had four years only. Skepper's had about two years, ditto Peters, ditto Slocombe but she's only played one game.

We're doing the Moneyball strategy - looking for bargains, players who were worth a high pick a few years ago but have slipped a long way through no fault of their own. I reckon the reason we didn't get Prowse or Zanker is because other clubs are throwing much higher draft picks at them, while we want to keep top picks unspent unless someone really great is available.

Big bodied midfielder? We've already got two, but Rentsch and Painter are playing back and forward respectively. So we don't actually want a big bodied midfielder, we want someone like Prowse who can help release Rentsch into the midfield, or a forward who can help Painter do the same.

I like what I'm seeing. A lot of clubs are dumb, they'll spend top picks for older players who'll help in the short term, but leave them struggling in a few years time because they missed out on great young talent to do it. We're going after players with big upsides, looking to create value rather than just harvesting existing value.

I tend to agree to some extent but I'm more than happy to give up more value for players who you can pencil in for quite a few years, like Prowse who is 24. North gave up a late first for Libby Birch and a late 2nd round pick, which to me is well worth doing for a proven good player in her mid 20s.

 

[Ilkka Sinisalo]

I'd count Lindgren and Hosking as one spot since we lost Hosking and Sophie Mac and only replaced them with one player. Maybe they're backing McDonald to overcome her concussion woes, though one game in two years isn't very promising.

And who knows with Drennan. I just assumed traded in players got two year deals which was the case for Johnson.

Yeah, 2 years would have seemed right to me, especially for a player who would be 35 in the third year of the contract. I'm guessing there will be some sort of announcement about Drennan separate to this, either that she's retiring or is being re-signed for one more year. (I do feel like the latter is unlikely given that she disappeared for the last month plus of this season)

I did just find that McDonald is signed through 2026 but if there's an expectation that she will continue to be plagued by concussion issues then I'd think it would be best to just pay out her contract. AFLW list spots are too precious to keep a player who's unlikely to be available. I guess they could put her on the inactive list again but doesn't seem much point if that goes through to the end of her contract.

 

[AlphaSheep]

I like your summary and thoughts on list needs.

We don't need to spend large trade capital on players unless they are super stars of the comp.
None of the players we are missing out on are worth the asking price.

If we can land Sophie Peters, Keeley Skepper, Ella Slocombe and still keep our 1st round pick that's a good strategy.
They are automatic players for the club and better than the bottom half of our list from my little bit of research.

Correct me if I am wrong but all these players are equivelant to 2nd round picks and Skeeler would be the highest cost?

Future picks are available so dip into 2026 to make it happen and keep 1st rounders in 25/26 to keep drafting quality.
Not sure if we can still get a player in this draft like Scarlett Johnson but she looks a very good player.

Skepper was pick 17, Peters was 23, Slocombe 26. We won't have to trade anything like that high to get them, which is what makes it such a smart drafting strategy. I'm guessing the club doesn't want four more rookies this draft given how young we already are. Getting players who have at least been pros for 2 years means we aren't quite so inexperienced, but we don't want to be drafting any oldies, either.

Some young players just don't click with what their clubs want, while others like Slocombe are trying to break into the toughest list in the comp, and when there's no injuries, it's nearly impossible. I think with all three of those girls, there's a good chance they'll turn out to be really good in a new team with a new coach. Or maybe not, but it's worth a shot.

I doubt we can get Scarlett Johnson, but it's not impossible... I reckon the fact that we're not scrambling to get a better drafting position means the coaching staff have their eyes on a few players no matter how it works out. They've got a good record lately, I trust them.

 

[WCE777]

Skepper was pick 17, Peters was 23, Slocombe 26. We won't have to trade anything like that high to get them, which is what makes it such a smart drafting strategy. I'm guessing the club doesn't want four more rookies this draft given how young we already are. Getting players who have at least been pros for 2 years means we aren't quite so inexperienced, but we don't want to be drafting any oldies, either.

Some young players just don't click with what their clubs want, while others like Slocombe are trying to break into the toughest list in the comp, and when there's no injuries, it's nearly impossible. I think with all three of those girls, there's a good chance they'll turn out to be really good in a new team with a new coach. Or maybe not, but it's worth a shot.

I doubt we can get Scarlett Johnson, but it's not impossible... I reckon the fact that we're not scrambling to get a better drafting position means the coaching staff have their eyes on a few players no matter how it works out. They've got a good record lately, I trust them.

Who would you have around our 1st pick?
Looks like around 18 or a bit later?

 

[Byron_Clanger]

AFLW Season Review: Charlotte Riggs

First-year Eagle Charlotte Riggs recaps the 2025 AFLW season

www.westcoasteagles.com.au

Seems to be loving her time in Perth and getting around the girls. Hope we lock her up for a long time sometime soon.

They got free choccy milks on Thursdays...jealous.

 

[AlphaSheep]

Who would you have around our 1st pick?
Looks like around 18 or a bit later?

Well if you count through RookieMe's top 30 list, remove the GC Academy girls and count the remaining places, we land on Maggie Johnstone, which would be perfect, best choice after Johnson.

Of course, RM's top 30 isn't perfect, MJ might go much higher... but equally, I could see teams ahead of her picking talls like Mackereth, Crane or McClay, who RM have listed much later. Which would then push SJ and MJ down further to us.

Either SJ or MJ would give us that uncontested possession we don't get enough of against good teams, especially after Rowley got injured - we're good at driving the ball forward and marking in packs, but the top teams are slick ball movers who don't fumble under pressure, and that's not us. So an ace quality outside ball mover like that would be awesome... and SJ's also a defender, who would help out Rentsch and help her play more midfield minutes.

RM has Barwin, Allen and D'Addario also available around there, but they're more inside than outside mids, don't have as much speed and versatility, we've already got enough players like that.

Liv Crane's not impossible, going to be a dominant tall defender, but we've already got some good ones, I reckon we need speed and versatility more. And of course I love Eloise Mackereth, super talented tallish forward, could help free Painter up to play more midfield... but she wouldn't help us with uncontested possession. Unless of course she lets Painter play more midfield, and THAT boosts our midfield numbers without hurting our offensive firepower.

Lots of ways to skin it. Fascinated to see what we end up doing.

 

[Livin1989]

Dumb article. Experience? Prowse is the most experienced, had four years only. Skepper's had about two years, ditto Peters, ditto Slocombe but she's only played one game.

We're doing the Moneyball strategy - looking for bargains, players who were worth a high pick a few years ago but have slipped a long way through no fault of their own. I reckon the reason we didn't get Prowse or Zanker is because other clubs are throwing much higher draft picks at them, while we want to keep top picks unspent unless someone really great is available.

Big bodied midfielder? We've already got two, but Rentsch and Painter are playing back and forward respectively. So we don't actually want a big bodied midfielder, we want someone like Prowse who can help release Rentsch into the midfield, or a forward who can help Painter do the same.

I like what I'm seeing. A lot of clubs are dumb, they'll spend top picks for older players who'll help in the short term, but leave them struggling in a few years time because they missed out on great young talent to do it. We're going after players with big upsides, looking to create value rather than just harvesting existing value.

Yeah I agree, I was having a little thought experiment today given the unique position we find ourselves in IE. the Aflw.

Radical thought.... What if we DON'T need to add experience to the team.... Given the upside of the draft crops coming through. What if we KEEP going younger, KEEP prioritising bargain bin first/second round picks not getting a crack at other clubs and hitting the draft HARD.

As you say, and I concur, this will have a negative impact on our immediate success I think, but just imagine when all these 19- 23 year Olds are 23-27 year olds.

I think too often we try to apply Men's league logic to the Women's when it's not a 1:1 comparison.

 

[AlphaSheep]

Yeah I agree, I was having a little thought experiment today given the unique position we find ourselves in IE. the Aflw.

Radical thought.... What if we DON'T need to add experience to the team.... Given the upside of the draft crops coming through. What if we KEEP going younger, KEEP prioritising bargain bin first/second round picks not getting a crack at other clubs and hitting the draft HARD.

As you say, and I concur, this will have a negative impact on our immediate success I think, but just imagine when all these 19- 23 year Olds are 23-27 year olds.

I think too often we try to apply Men's league logic to the Women's when it's not a 1:1 comparison.

Yep. The logic of the AFL doesn't really work in the AFLW. In the AFL, a veteran player is welcomed because there's no drop-off in talent between veterans and kids. But in the AFLW, by getting older players, unless you get a real gun like Hawthorn getting Emily Bates, you're usually getting that experience at a big trade-down for talent.

And you can see it in our team - Swanny's terrific, inspiring attack on the ball, etc etc. But in just a few years she's gone from comfortably the best player in the team to 7th in Best and Fairest, and even that might be generous. She hasn't slowed down, just everyone else is moving past her.

I don't want to be like Gold Coast, spend a big pick on Lilly Mithen, gain a bunch of experience, but very little on the field. I'd rather take some much more talented kid, tolerate her rookie mistakes for a few years, and get a much better player after that.

Plus, the footy IQ of girls like Ella, Chucky, Bella, Rowls etc is pretty good to begin with.

I reckon it helps having Daisy be so secure in her job. Someone worried about next year's contract might draft with short-term thinking. But Daisy's thinking in five-year stretches.

 

[Monocle]

Either SJ or MJ would give us that uncontested possession we don't get enough of against good teams, especially after Rowley got injured - we're good at driving the ball forward and marking in packs, but the top teams are slick ball movers who don't fumble under pressure, and that's not us. So an ace quality outside ball mover like that would be awesome... and SJ's also a defender, who would help out Rentsch and help her play more midfield minutes.

Absolutely spot on with that assessment.

Well if you count through RookieMe's top 30 list, remove the GC Academy girls and count the remaining places, we land on Maggie Johnstone, which would be perfect, best choice after Johnson.


Either SJ or MJ would give us that uncontested possession we don't get enough of against good teams, especially after Rowley got injured - we're good at driving the ball forward and marking in packs, but the top teams are slick ball movers who don't fumble under pressure, and that's not us. So an ace quality outside ball mover like that would be awesome... and SJ's also a defender, who would help out Rentsch and help her play more midfield minutes.

Again agree with you SJ and then if we missed on her MJ, would be my choice.

Eloise Mackereth, super talented tallish forward, could help free Painter up to play more midfield... but she wouldn't help us with uncontested possession. Unless of course she lets Painter play more midfield, and THAT boosts our midfield numbers without hurting our offensive firepower.

Lots of ways to skin it. Fascinated to see what we end up doing.

There must come a point in the draft ...... IF ...... SJ and MJ were off the board and Eloise Mackereth was still there, where you would think it would be very hard to pass her up.

As you say that could free up Painter to play more midfield and I would see that as a real plus.


If we can come away from the trade and draft period whereby be get a player to release Rentsch out of the backline and also release Painter to the midfield that would be an excellent trade and draft period.

Anything over and above that, would be an absolute bonus.

 

[Livin1989]

wakes up praying for news we have secured Ella Slocombe for a bag of chips

 

[JADED]

wakes up praying for news we have secured Ella Slocombe for a bag of chips

We should be able to get this done.
North will then turn that pick into something that further helps their list and leave everyone in their dust.

WCE get Slocombe
North get pick 66

North on trade 66 for KLWT or Conti, Prespakis etc (jokes)

 

[JADED]

At least we're not St Kilda.
For the second year in a row they've traded their first rounder to Essendon.
This time in a pick swap, last year for Amber Clarke.

Any ex Essendon staff working at st Kilda?
Inside job.

 

[AsterixTheGaul]

Former West Coast Eagle and three-time WAFLW Claremont premiership player Kate Orme has been appointed Head Coach of Western Australia’s Female Under 18s and 16s programs for 2026.

Orme will begin the role as State Talent Coach – Female Pathways at WA Football next month

Ex Eagle Called Up For Major WA Football Role - WA Football

Former West Coast Eagle and three-time WAFLW Claremont premiership player Kate Orme has been appointed Head Coach of Western Australia’s Female Under 18s and

wafootball.com.au

 

[Livin1989]

Former West Coast Eagle and three-time WAFLW Claremont premiership player Kate Orme has been appointed Head Coach of Western Australia’s Female Under 18s and 16s programs for 2026.

Orme will begin the role as State Talent Coach – Female Pathways at WA Football next month

Ex Eagle Called Up For Major WA Football Role - WA Football

Former West Coast Eagle and three-time WAFLW Claremont premiership player Kate Orme has been appointed Head Coach of Western Australia’s Female Under 18s and

wafootball.com.au

KORME

 

[Livin1989]

I'm struggling to find someone who encapsulates "built different" more than Jessica Rentsch. I have been cackling for 10 minutes.

 

[WCEswift]

I'm struggling to find someone who encapsulates "built different" more than Jessica Rentsch. I have been cackling for 10 minutes.View attachment 2490835

Like Daisy said those 2 living togethet is a nightmare xD

 

[JADED]

Like Daisy said those 2 living togethet is a nightmare xD

They already seem as close as sisters (or lovers) finishing sentences, just all out adoring each other, or giving each other crap.

It has been a good pairing (generally the club guide living suggestions or options for new recruits when they first come over, and if this occured here, A+)

 

[Livin1989]

Slow trade day zzzzzzzz

 

[Livin1989]

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