WAFLW Team of the Year 2023Wednesday, July 12, 2023 - 12:07 AM - by Chris Pike

WITHOUT question the 2023 version of the WAFLW competition was of the highest standard and most competitive yet in the fifth season since its inception and as a result positions in the Team of the Year were hotly sought after.

Coming into the finals series for the WAFLW competition this year and the competing teams Claremont, South Fremantle, East Fremantle and Swan Districts all had reason to think they could make a genuine run at winning the premiership.

Then even late in the season, Subiaco and West Perth were still in finals contention and while Peel Thunder and East Perth might not have been, it was an increasingly young Thunder team building back up after back-to-back premierships while the Royals will grow from here after their inaugural season.

Throughout the entire a season, a Team of the Week from the WAFLW was selected at the end of each round and in the end, every team had at least eight players make at least one of those sides.

So by the end of all that, there were a total of 117 players who received at least one selection which meant the Team of the Year would be chosen from those 117 nominees.

The team would largely be selected based on the number of times players made the Team of the Week but would then also come down who fits where positionally to make up the 16 players on-field, five on the interchange and the three emergencies.

There were two players who led the way making nine Teams of the Week throughout the season and that was Dhara Kerr Medal winner Jayme Harken from Claremont and Peel Thunder captain Ebony Dowson.

Another two players received eight selections and they were Claremont's Matilda Sergeant and South Fremantle's Ariana Hetherington with Subiaco captain Tarni Golisano making it seven times and Claremont's Claire Ortlepp seven.

Peel Thunder's 15-year-old excitement machine Evie Cowcher also made it six times as did Swan Districts' Dhara Kerr Medal runner-up Ruby Mahony.

Claremont's Kate Orme, Adele Arnup and Rachel Ortlepp, East Fremantle's Beth Beckett, and West Perth's Emily Bennett and Grace Betti are the players who made five Teams of the Week to earn spots in the Team of the Year.

The players with four selections throughout the season to make the Team of the Year are Swan Districts' Taylah Edwards and Courtney Zappara, South Fremantle's Kahra Sprlyan, Noa McNaughton, Kloe Bassett and Bethany Bond, Subiaco's Tiah Toth, East Perth's Chloe Sauzier, West Perth's Jess Roper, and East Fremantle captain Ashleigh Gomes.

It's no surprise given Claremont's dominant season that the Tigers had 16 players make the Team of the Week at least once this season with East Fremantle having 19, East Perth eight, Peel Thunder 10, South Fremantle 18, Subiaco 18, Swan Districts 17 and West Perth 11.

WAFLW TEAM OF THE YEAR 2023

BACK: Jess Roper (WP), Ebony Dowson (PT)
HALF-BACK: Evie Cowcher (PT), Claire Ortlepp (C), Kahra Sprlyan (SF)
CENTRE: Tiah Toth (S), Jayme Harken (C), Ruby Mahony (SD)
HALF-FORWARD: Courtney Zappara (SD), Bethany Bond (SF), Taylah Edwards (SD)
FORWARD: Adele Arnup (C), Noa McNaughton (SF)
FOLLOWERS: Ariana Hetherington (SF), Matilda Sergeant (C), Tarni Golisano (S)

INTERCHANGE: Beth Beckett (EF), Kate Orme (C), Rachel Ortlepp (C), Emily Bennett (WP), Grace Betti (WP)

EMERGENCIES: Chloe Sauzier (EP), Kloe Bassett (SF), Ashleigh Gomes (EF)

FULL-BACK LINE – JESS ROPER (West Perth)
It was a vastly improved season from West Perth in 2023 and she was a key part in that for what she did settling into the back-line unit. The 18-year-old graduated from the Rogers Cup team at the Falcons to get her grounding last year at WAFLW level and then took the next step this season going on to average 13.2 touches and 4.6 tackles a game to make the Team of the Week four times throughout 2023. 

FULL-BACK LINE – EBONY DOWSON (Peel Thunder)
It might have been a tough year in terms of wins and losses for Peel Thunder in 2023 with the majority of the premiership players from 2020 and 2021 having now moved on. But the one constant was the 33-year-old captain who remained a rock in the defensive unit and had an outstanding season in a team that won just three matches. She racked up her 150th game along the way and averaged 20.1 disposals to be named to the Team of the Week nine times.

HALF-BACK LINE – EVIE COWCHER (Peel Thunder)
What a remarkable impact the 15-year-old excitement machine had in her first WAFLW season with Peel Thunder. With the experience of her captain alongside her, she was one of the shining lights in a challenging season and showed what an exciting future she has if she's able to have such an impact as just a 15-year-old. She ended up averaging 19.9 possessions and 6.0 marks a game to make the Team of the Week six times to be a lock in the Team of the Year.

HALF-BACK LINE– CLAIRE ORTLEPP (Claremont)
Claremont had standout players all over the field in the 2023 season and that's always going to be the case if you don't lose a game, and she was at the forefront of what they did in the back-line. She was prolific in setting up play out of the defensive end and also strong in her work to repel the attacks of the opposition. She has been a mainstay of Claremont since crossing to become a premiership player last year from Subiaco and averaged 14.7 touches and 4.7 marks this season to make the Team of the Week seven times.

HALF-BACK LINE – KAHRA SPRLYAN (South Fremantle)
She made the switch from East Fremantle to South Fremantle back ahead of the 2022 season and it has taken her no time in becoming one of the cornerstones of the Bulldogs. She had a strong 2022 campaign and then was even better in 2023 largely in a role playing off half-back in a team that made the finals from second position on the ladder. She was terrific in her consistency averaging 14.5 possessions a game which saw her named to the Team of the Week on four occasions.

MIDFIELD – TIAH TOTH (Subiaco)
She remains such a standout player in the Subiaco midfield and she did all she could to will the Lions into staying in finals contention throughout 2023. The 30-year-old might have started her career at East Fremantle and then played in the AFLW at Fremantle, but she's made a home at Subiaco the last four years and she was tremendous again in 2023 even if work commitments limited her 10 games. She finished up averaging 17.9 disposals and 4.6 tackles a game while kicking five goals to be named to the Team of the Week four times.

MIDFIELD – JAYME HARKEN (Claremont)
What a season it was from the star midfielder who joined Claremont from Subiaco for the 2023 WAFLW season. She had a strong 2022 campaign at the Lions but went up another gear again after joining the reigning premier Tigers. She ended up winning the Dhara Kerr Medal as the league's fairest and best while averaging 21.3 possessions a game along the way to go with 4.5 tackles to make the Team of the Week nine times from 14 matches.

MIDFIELD – RUBY MAHONY (Swan Districts)
The 23-year-old Bunbury product joined Swan Districts last season to have an impressive first season in the WAFLW competition, but the emerging midfielder took her game up another level again in 2023. She ended up finishing runner-up in the Dhara Kerr Medal and was leading for a significant period on the back of averaging 17.3 possessions and 6.5 tackles a game. She was named to the Team of the Week six times to be a lock in the Team of the Year.

HALF-FORWARD LINE – COURTNEY ZAPPARA (Swan Districts)
Having joined Swan Districts last year from Brigades in Geraldton where she did well kicking 11 goals from 12 games, she took her game to the next level throughout 2023 to become one of the most dangerous forwards in the competition. The 21-year-old went on to kick 23 goals in her 14 games including a career-high of six against West Perth in Round 10. She was named to the Team of the Week four times along the way.

HALF-FORWARD LINE – BETHANY BOND (South Fremantle)
After starting her WAFLW career last year with Swan Districts, she joined South Fremantle in 2023 and was a key part of their rise up the ladder to finish second and take part in a first ever finals series. She ended up kicking 17 goals from 15 matches including kicking three on three separate occasions. That saw her end up getting named to the Team of the Week on four separate occasions and finish up in the Team of the Year. 

HALF-FORWARD LINE – TAHLAH EDWARDS (Swan Districts)
Swan Districts turned around a slow start to the season to go on a seven-game winning streak on the way to qualifying for finals again in 2023 and she was key to that run with what she did in the forward-line. Ended up kicking 17 goals from 12 appearances including five in Round 12 against East Perth and four in Round 15 against East Fremantle. That saw her named to the Team of the Week four times throughout the season.

FULL-FORWARD LINE – ADELE ARNUP (Claremont)
Having only kicked four goals in total over the previous four WAFLW seasons with Claremont including playing in the 2022 premiership, she became a permanent forward in 2023 and what a decision that turned out to be. She proved quite the goal sneak and opportunist to go on to kick 26 goals for the season from 15 games including a best of four in Round 15 against West Perth. It was her efficiently that was remarkable to kick the 26 goals from 69 kicks to be named to the Team of the Week five times.

FULL-FORWARD LINE – NOA MCNAUGHTON (South Fremantle)
She is now still only 16 years of age but she made the leap to play an impressive seven WAFLW games for eight goals last year out of the Rogers Cup, and then continued his upward trajectory as one of the more exciting young players in the competition this season. She kicked 15 goals in 13 games for South Fremantle who finished in second spot including a best of five in Round 4 against fellow finalists Swan Districts. She was named to the Team of the Week four times to earn a place in the Team of the Year.

RUCK – ARIANA HETHERINGTON (South Fremantle)
She was able to make the most remarkable transition from being a captain and championship winning NBL1 West basketball player at the Rockingham Flames to playing in the WAFLW for the first time this season and becoming one of the stars of the competition. She held down the ruck for South Fremantle admirably but also showed she could play in other roles and ended up averaging 15.9 touches, 19.9 hit outs and 3.8 tackles a game. She ended up named to the Team of the Week eight times from 14 games.

RUCK ROVER – MATILDA SERGEANT (Claremont)
The former Fremantle Dockers AFLW midfielder had only played five games over the previous three WAFLW seasons with Claremont but became a permanent part of the on-ball brigade this season with great effect. She was an outstanding and consistent ball winner for the undefeated Tigers averaging 20.5 possessions a game to make it to the Team of the Week eight times from just 11 home and away season matches.

ROVER – TARNI GOLISANO (Subiaco)
The Subiaco captain racked up her 150th game for the Lions throughout the season and ended up named to the Team of the Year for the second straight time. The 26-year-old had another standout year trying to will the Lions back into the finals and while they came up just short, she couldn’t have done more ending up averaging 23.4 possessions and 5.6 tackles on her way to being named to the Team of the Week seven times.

INTERCHANGE – BETH BECKETT (East Fremantle)
East Fremantle has made it back to another grand final and she was instrumental in getting the Sharks there thanks to her consistently strong form in the midfield. Is one of the East Fremantle players backing up from being part of last year's unbeaten season until the grand final and put together a terrific 2023 campaign. Averaged 16.8 possessions and 4.8 tackles to end up named to the Team of the Week on five separate occasions.

INTERCHANGE – KATE ORME (Claremont)
She is a Claremont premiership player from last year, has AFLW experience behind her at the West Coast Eagles and had another superb season for the undefeated Tigers in 2023. The 34-year-old spent time providing great run and drive off half-back as well as in her customary wing position, and for the second straight season made the Team of the Year on the back of five times being named to the Team of the Week.

INTERCHANGE – RACHEL ORTLEPP (Claremont)
Having started her WAFLW career with Subiaco back in 2019, she has been at Claremont ever since winning the fairest and best in 2021 and then playing in the premiership of 2022, and she had a terrific season in 2023 in varied roles. Was a prolific ball winner down back in the first half of the season but then moved forward late in the piece and took to it tremendously kicking six goals including two against South Fremantle. She ended up named to the Team of the Week five separate times.

INTERCHANGE – EMILY BENNETT (West Perth)
The 20-year-old joined West Perth from Claremont for the 2023 WAFLW season and instantly settled in to be a key player in the vastly more competitive campaign for the Falcons in their second campaign in the competition. She would go on to average 16.7 possessions and 6.8 tackles a game to be named to the Team of the Week five teams to earn her Team of the Year place.

INTERCHANGE – GRACE BETTI (West Perth)
Became another important and consistent performer in West Perth's vastly improved season in 2023 spending a lot of her time in the forward-line but also venturing up the field to show she could be a good ball winner. Ended up averaging 13.8 touches a game while kicking nine goals including two on two different occasions. She was named to the Team of the Week five times throughout the season.

EMERGENCY – CHLOE SAUZIER (East Perth)
Having previous spent a season playing in Claremont's reserves and then joining East Perth for the first WAFLW season this year from Bayswater, she did a power of work for the Royals to be one of their key players and someone who can be built around moving forward as they look to become more competitive. Ended up averaging 12.2 disposals a game in her 11 appearances with East Perth on her way to being named to the Team of the Week four times.

EMERGENCY – KLOE BASSETT (South Fremantle)
The 22-year-old joined South Fremantle for her first WAFLW season after several impressive years playing with South Bunbury and she instantly settled into the level at the Bulldogs. Proved an important player in South Fremantle finishing the season in second position by playing in a variety of roles. She ended up averaging 14.9 possessions and 3.8 tackles on her way to making the Team of the Week four times.

EMERGENCY – ASHLEIGH GOMES (East Fremantle)
The East Fremantle captain had another standout season for the Sharks and will now be looking to lead them to a premiership this Saturday against Claremont. The 25-year-old has been there for the Sharks for the 2019 WAFLW premiership and last year's grand final loss, and will lead them into battle this Saturday on the back of another season having averaging 17.4 disposals a game to earn a place in the Team of the Week on four separate occasions.