Optus WAFLW Round 1 WrapMonday, May 6, 2019 - 8:57 PM - by Chris Pike

NEW ground was broken on Sunday afternoon with the launch of the very first Optus WAFL Women's Premiership Season across two venues and it was the grand finalists from 2018 East Fremantle and Subiaco who proved victorious.

The WAFLW competition has been launched in 2019 as the start of a new era of female football in Western Australia following on from the success of the AFL Women's competition nationally and what the West Australian Women's Football League has been able to lay the foundations for.

This inaugural season in 2019 will feature five teams and the action got underway on Sunday afternoon with the two teams who played off in the league grand final of the WAWFL competition last year, East Fremantle and Subiaco, proving victorious.

ROUND 1 WAFLW PREVIEW
WAFLW SEASON PREVIEW
SHARKS STAR EVIE GOOCH
SWANS COACH KARA DONNELLAN

The very first match in the WAFLW took place at East Fremantle's New Choice Homes Park and that ended up seeing East Fremantle defeat Peel Thunder 8.4 (52) to 2.3 (15).

The second Round 1 match up took place at Bassendean's Steel Blue Oval with Subiaco beating Swan Districts 7.5 (47) to 2.6 (18).

Round 2 action in the WAFLW takes place on Sunday afternoon with Subiaco playing East Fremantle at Leederville Oval and Swan Districts hosting Claremont at Steel Blue Oval.

OPTUS WAFLW ROUND 1

EAST FREMANTLE 8.4 (52) defeated PEEL THUNDER 2.3 (15)

The first ever WAFL Women's game took place at New Choice Homes Park and it was the last ever league premiers from the WA Women's Football League, East Fremantle, who proved too strong for Peel Thunder on Sunday.

East Fremantle has long been a powerful force in female football in Western Australia including winning that premiership in the WAWFL last year at league level.

The Sharks brought the momentum of that into the new WAFLW competition and started off the 2019 season in impressive fashion on home turf on Sunday afternoon with the 8.4 (52) to 2.3 (15) victory over Peel Thunder.

It was a tight first half to open the contest with a goal apiece in the first quarter and then another goal each in the second term with Peel heading into half-time with the narrow two-point advantage.

But East Fremantle took control in the second half keeping Peel scoreless while kicking four goals in the third quarter themselves and adding another two in the last.

That saw the Sharks win by 37 points in an impressive start to life in the new WAFLW competition.

Roxanne Roux kicked three goals for East Fremantle and Stephanie Sparke two while Larissa Versaci, Katrina Tinson, Sharon Wong and Kim Bowey were other players to impress.

Peel's goals came courtesy of Abby Barnden and Ebony Dowson with Sarah Verrier, Shannon Whale, Jaide Britton and Courtney Rowley all playing strong games.

SWAN DISTRICTS 2.6 (18) lost to SUBIACO 7.5 (47)

Round 1 of the inaugural 2019 WAFLW season continued at Steel Blue Oval on Sunday afternoon with Subiaco holding Swan Districts to one goal for three quarters on their way to a 29-point victory.

With Swan Districts having been a perennial powerhouse throughout the WA Women's Football league season and Subiaco having been strong in 2018 reaching the Grand Final before losing to East Fremantle, it loomed as a terrific way to launch the new era in WA football at Bassendean.

A good crowd flocked to Steel Blue Oval for the occasion as well and they saw Subiaco start impressively with three goals to one in the opening quarter.

Swan Districts then managed just the one behind in the second term while the Lions added another three goals to head into half-time with a 32-point advantage.

Swans were then scoreless entirely in the third quarter with Subiaco managing just the one goal in a term that saw just the one scoring shot between the two teams.

The Black Ducks did manage to kick the only goal of the last quarter as well but that didn’t stop Subiaco ending up winning the game 7.5 (47) to 2.6 (18).

Tarnee Tester was the star in attack for Subiaco kicking three goals while Beatrice Devlyn booted two and Lauren Stammers and Sara Lewis added one apiece.

Devlyn, Claire Ortlepp, Lindal Rohde and Ellie Blackmore were all among the stars for the Lions in their win.

Swan Districts' goals came courtesy of Imahara Cameron and Shannon Matthews.

Among the standout performers for the Swans were Lauren Osborne, Cameron, Naomi Baker, Aimee Ralph and Jessica Cox.