WAFLW Team of the Week – Round 13/14Tuesday, June 13, 2023 - 8:03 PM - by Chris Pike

THERE were just two games each of the past two weeks in the WAFLW so we've combined the Team of the Week for Rounds 13 and 14 of the 2023 season with no shortage of players putting their hands up for selection.

There are now just two rounds remaining in the home and away season of the WAFLW for 2023 and things are fascinatingly placed with only Claremont locked into the minor premiership, East Perth to the wooden spoon, and Peel Thunder in second last position.

In between, South Fremantle, East Fremantle and Swan Districts are all locked in a fascinating battle over second position and earning a finals double chance now over the past week. 

However, one of them could also be in danger of missing out on playing finals altogether with Subiaco still well and truly in the finals hunt on the back of Saturday's big win against Peel.

Over the past two weeks, there has been plenty of tremendous individual performances too over the four games which made it for a tough job to select the Team of the Week.

Going back to Round 13 and West Perth defeated East Perth 4.6 (30) to 2.2 (14) with Grace Betti, Taylor Ferguson and Emily Bennett rewarded with Team of the Week selection from the Falcons. Melisha Hardy and Chloe Sauzier were named from the Royals.

East Fremantle then defeated South Fremantle on WA Day at the WACA Ground 3.1 (19) to 0.1 (1). From that game, East Fremantle's Zipporah Fish, Larissa Versaci and Laura Catherine made the Team of the Week as did South Fremantle's Kloe Bassett.

There were two more matches this past weekend in Round 14 with Subiaco beating Peel Thunder 5.11 (41) to 0.0 (0). From the Lions, Meg Brown Madison Dodd, Tarni Golisano, Eva Popovsky and Olivia Crane made the Team of the Week. Evie Cowcher was also named from the Thunder.

Claremont then beat Swan Districts 5.7 (37) to 2.4 (16) on Sunday with the Tigers represented in the Team of the Week by Kate Orme, Rachel Ortlepp, Adele Arnup and Jayme Harken. Jasmine Ware and Kayley King made it from Swans.

WAFLW TEAM OF THE WEEK – ROUNDS 13/14

BACK: Melisha Hardy (EP), Evie Cowcher (PT)
HALF-BACK: Kate Orme (C), Jasmine Ware (SD), Madison Dodd (S)
CENTRE: Kloe Bassett (SF), Tarni Golisano (S), Zipporah Fish (EF)
HALF-FORWARD: Larissa Versaci (EF), Eva Popovsky (S), Rachel Ortlepp (C)
FORWARD: Grace Betti (WP), Adele Arnup (C)
FOLLOWERS: Laura Catherine (EF), Taylor Ferguson (WP), Meg Brown (S)
INTERCHANGE: Kayley King (SD), Jayme Harken (C), Chloe Sauzier (EP), Emily Bennett (WP), Olivia Crane (S)

Each week of the WAFLW season during 2023, we will be selecting a Team of the Week and here's how the side for the split Rounds 13 and 14 came together from the past two weekend's action.

The back-line in the Team of the Week features East Perth's Melisha Hardy and Peel Thunder's Evie Cowcher.

Hardy has joined East Perth from Swan Districts this WAFLW season, and she earned a place in the Team of the Week for the first time on the back of 19 possessions, three marks and three tackles in the derby back on Sunday week against West Perth.

Peel had a tough outing against Subiaco this past Saturday but Cowcher did what she could to hold firm in the defensive group. She finished with 26 touches, 12 marks and four tackles to be named to the Team of the Week for a fifth time in 2023.

The three players making up the half-back line are Claremont's Kate Orme, Swan Districts' Jasmine Ware and Subiaco's Madison Dodd.

Orme produced another standout performance for Claremont in Sunday's win against Swan Districts to finish with 25 touches, three inside 50s and two marks to earn a place in the Team of the Week for a fourth time this season.

Meanwhile, Ware made the team for the first time this season from the same game on the back of delivering 20 disposals, six marks and two tackles for Swan Districts.

Dodd was another first-rate performer in Subiaco's big win against Peel Thunder on Saturday. She finished with 13 disposals and eight tackles to make it to the Team of the Week for a third occasion this season.

Once again there were plenty of midfielders putting their hands up for selection and the three on-ball positions went to Tarni Golisano and Meg Brown from Subiaco, and Taylor Ferguson from West Perth.

It was a dominant performance from Subiaco to beat Peel on Saturday and in the middle, Golisano again delivered 27 possessions, eight tackles, five inside 50s and three marks.

Her teammate, Brown, also delivered a stunning showing to end the afternoon for the Lions with 27 touches, six inside 50s, five marks, five tackles and two goals.

Ferguson starred in West Perth's derby victory against East Perth to earn a place in the Team of the Week for a third time this season. She ended up with 27 touches, eight tackles, five inside 50s and four marks.

The two other midfield positions for the Team of the Week from the past two rounds went to Kloe Bassett from South Fremantle and Zipporah Fish from East Fremantle.

South Fremantle had a tough outing in the derby going goalless but Bassett stood tall for the second placed Bulldogs. She earned a place in the Team of the Week for a fourth time in 2023 on the back of 24 possessions and six tackles.

It was a statement victory from East Fremantle at the WACA Ground on WA Day and Fish was terrific for the Sharks ending up with 23 disposals, five inside 50s and four tackles.

The ruck position was again hotly contested and it went the way of Laura Catherine from East Fremantle.

Catherine split the ruck position with Georgie Cleaver, and between them they were outstanding in the WA Day derby win against East Fremantle. Catherine got the nod in the Team of the Week for her 16 disposals, 16 hit outs, three tackles, three inside 50s and two tackles.

The three players across half-forward are East Fremantle's Larissa Versaci, Subiaco's Eva Popovsky and Claremont's Rachel Ortlepp.

Also as part of the Sharks' derby win, Versaci delivered 15 possessions, five tackles, five inside 50s and a goal to end up in the Team of the Week for a second time this season.

Popovsky had another terrific performance in Subiaco's win against Peel where she kicked a goal to go with 20 disposals and six tackles.

Ortlepp continues to thrive on her move into the forward-line for Claremont and earned a spot in the Team of the Week for a fifth time this season having delivered 15 disposals, five inside 50s, three marks and a goal.

The two full-forward positions are taken up by West Perth's Grace Betti and Claremont's Adele Arnup.

Betti was another West Perth player instrumental in the derby win against East Perth last Sunday and she finished with a goal along with 16 touches, four tackles and four inside-50 entries.

Arnup made the most of her chances around goal once again for Claremont in the win against Swan Districts. She kicked three goals from four kicks and four marks to earn a place in the Team of the Week for a fourth time this season.

The interchange players are Swan Districts' Kayley King, Claremont's Jayme Harken, East Perth's Chloe Sauzier, West Perth's Emily Bennett and Subiaco's Olivia Crane.

King produced another strong showing for Swan Districts despite the loss to Claremont on Sunday finishing with 15 possessions, two tackles and a goal.

In the same game, Harken was tremendous for Claremont as she ended up with 23 touches, six tackles, four marks and four entries inside the forward 50.

Sauzier battled hard for East Perth against West Perth the previous Sunday to earn a place in the Team of the Week for a third time on the back of 19 disposals and five tackles.

Bennett put forward a standout showing in the same game for West Perth and she had 19 touches, 10 tackles, four inside-50 entries and a goal.

Then there was Crane who produced 21 possessions, 10 tackles, three marks and three inside-50 entries in Subiaco's big win on Saturday against Peel Thunder.