WA Double Under-Ager Stars at AFL National ChampionshipsTuesday, August 22, 2023 - 12:28 PM

Western Australia’s fourth placing at the 2023 AFL National Championships – U18 Girls has produced several positives, according to WAFC Coaching Specialist – Talent Pathways Trent Cooper.

South Australia won the title after winning all three of its matches.

The Championships were contested by six teams, with Western Australian joining South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia, Victoria Metro, Victoria Country and the Allies, which comprised talent from the Northern Territory, New South Wales/ACT and Tasmania.
 
Each team played three matches at the Championships, with games played across the country between April and August.
 
Cooper explained the challenges which confronted the WA squad.

“We had three very different fixtures and we performed quite well in the first game way back in April where we pushed eventual winners South Australia but found them too strong,” Cooper said.

“After a long break, we put together a complete performance to defeat the Allies by 72 points in NSW before losing to Vic Country 5.4 (34) to 6.7 (43) in an entertaining affair at Pentanet Stadium,” he said.

“The girls had to deal with a six-day break after travelling and looked flat during stages of the match but dug deep in the final term and a goal to Maddy Dodd got us within 3 points of the visitors with five minutes to play.

“We managed to surge the ball into our forward line in the final minutes but couldn’t capitalise and a resilient Vic Country defence repelled attack after attack to record a deserved victory.”

A young star on the rise was named WA’s Most Valuable Player of the Championships.

“Evie Cowcher was awarded WA’s best player of the championship after remarkable performances as a double under-ager,” Cooper said.

“Not eligible to be drafted until 2025, Cowcher was the best player in the final two games to pip Zippy Fish and Molly O’Hehir for MVP honours in an exciting sign for the WA talent pathway, with all three players eligible to represent WA in next year’s Championships,” he said.

 
The 2023 AFL National Championships U18 Girls All-Australian team will be selected next week by a panel comprising Kevin Sheehan (AFL Talent Ambassador – Chair), Tarkyn Lockyer (AFL National Academy Coach/Manager), Jess Smith (AFL National Female Talent Manager) and AFLW club representatives Tyson Bourke (GWS Giants), Darryn Fry (Fremantle), Cameron Joyce (Gold Coast Suns) and Ben Waller (Geelong Cats).
 
The panel will also select the best and fairest award for this year’s Championships.
 
TEAM MVP AWARDS
 
The team MVP winners were selected by the coaching staff of each program:
 
Allies: Marnie Robinson (Sydney Swans Academy/UTS)
Queensland: Havana Harris (Gold Coast Suns Academy/Burleigh)
South Australia: India Rasheed (Sturt/Glenunga)
Victoria Country: Ashley Centra (Gippsland Power/Sale City)
Victoria Metro: Kayley Kavanagh (Calder Cannons/Strathmore)
Western Australia: Evie Cowcher (Peel Thunder/Pinjarra)
 
STANDINGS
 

 
RESULTS
 
Western Australia 4.1 (25) def by South Australia 8.12 (60)
Western Australia
Best: Zipporah Fish, Mackenzie Webb, Ella Slocombe, Noa McNaughton, Kaitlyn Srhoj, Jaime Henry
Goals: Natasha Entwistle, Noa McNaughton, Anjelique Raison, Ella Slocombe  
South Australia
Best: Shineah Goody, Jacinda Schunselaar, Brooke Boileau, Jemma Whitington-Charity, Holly Ifould, Lauren Young
Goals: Lauren Young 3, Melissa Anderson, Ruby Ballard, Brooke Boileau, India Rasheed, Zara Walsh
Details: Sunday, April 30 at Pentanet Stadium
 
Allies 8.3 (51) def by Victoria Metro 10.10 (70)
Allies
Best: Mackenzie Ford, Cleo Buttifant, Georgia Clark, Grace Whittaker, Holly Cooper, Tunisha Kikoak
Goals: Sophie Berry, Grace Whittaker 2, Georgia Clark, Tunisha Kikoak, Ashley Patton, Maria Rioli
Victoria Metro
Best: Laura Stone, Emma McDonald, Kayley Kavanagh, Georgia Stubs, Ava Jordan, Lou Field
Goals: Emma McDonald 5, Ava Jordan 2, Sarah Grunden, Alyssia Pisano, Krystal Russell
Details: Sunday, July 2 at Brighton Homes Arena
 
Victoria Metro 4.4 (28) def by South Australia 13.8 (86)
Victoria Metro
Best: Laura Stone, Sophie McKay, Emily Gough, Isabel Bacon, Sierra Grieves, Ava Campbell
Goals: Alyssia Pisano 2, Georgie Brisbane, Kyla Forbes
South Australia
Best: India Rasheed, Holly Ifould, Lauren Young, Piper Window, Jemma Whitington-Charity, Charlotte Riggs
Goals: Lauren Young 5, India Rasheed 2, Melissa Anderson, Ruby Ballard, Sophie Eaton, Jasmine Evans, Violet Patterson, Piper Window
Details: Sunday, July 9 at Avalon Airport Oval
 
South Australia 9.5 (59) def Queensland 6.3 (39)
South Australia
Best: Jemma Whitington-Charity, Lily Whitcombe, India Rasheed, Piper Window, Elaine Grigg, Shineah Goody
Goals: Lucy Boyd, Zara Walsh 2, Melissa Anderson, Sophie Eaton, Elaine Grigg, India Rasheed, Lauren Young
Queensland
Best: Kiara Bischa, Sophie Peters, Alannah Welsh, Havana Harris, Ava Usher, Rania Crozier
Goals: Charlotte Adamson, Havana Harris, Evie Long, Sophie Peters, Brooke Sheridan, Alannah Welsh
Details: Saturday, July 15 at Adelaide Oval
 
Queensland 10.12 (72) def Victoria Country 6.6 (42)
Queensland
Best: Ava Usher, Dekota Baron, Sophie Peters, Heidi Talbot, Kiara Bischa, Sienna McMullen
Goals: Dekota Baron 3, Rania Crozier, Evie Long, Josie McCabe, Ebony Milne, Nyalli Milne, Laura Roy, Ava Usher
Victoria Country
Best: Ashley Centra, Sara Howley, Amber Schutte, Elli Symonds, Jessica Rentsch, Mikayla Williamson
Goals: Ashley Centra 2, Sara Howley, Lily Jordan, Lila Keck, Chantal Mason
Details: Sunday, July 30 at Brighton Homes Arena
 
Queensland 15.7 (97) def Allies 4.1 (25)
Queensland
Best: Havana Harris, Jacinta Baldwick, Ella Calleja, Evie Long, Josie McCabe, Rania Crozier
Goals: Jacinta Baldwick, Rania Crozier, Evie Long 3, Dekota Baron, Brooke Sheridan 2, Nyalli Milne, Sophie Peters
Allies
Best: Asha Turner Funk, Candice Belbin, Marnie Robinson, Holly Cooper, Tamika Rourke, Serina Baukes
Goals: Sophie Berry, Kendra Blattman, Asha Turner Funk, Grace White
Details: Sunday, August 6 at Heritage Bank Stadium
 
Victoria Country 5.6 (36) def by Victoria Metro 7.10 (52)
Victoria Country
Best: Ashley Centra, Mikayla Williamson, Johanna Sunderland, Bryde O’Rourke, Sara Howley, Ruby Murdoch
Goals: Sophie Butterworth 2, Lily Jordan, Lila Keck, Chantal Mason
Victoria Metro
Best: Sienna Tallariti, Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner, Kayley Kavanagh, Sarah Grunden, Hayley McLaughlin, Jasmine Shepherd
Goals: Ava Jordan, Emma McDonald 2, Tamara Henry, Alyssia Pisano, Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner
Details: Saturday, August 12 at Trevor Barker Beach Oval
 
Allies 0.3 (3) def by Western Australia 11.14 (80)
Allies
Best: Marnie Robinson, Georgia Clark, Mackenzie Ford, Cleo Buttifant, Holly Cooper, Tamika Rourke
Western Australia
Best: Evie Cowcher, Kaitlyn Srhoj, Zipporah Fish, Molly O'Hehir, Mackenzie Webb, Madison Dodd
Goals: Rosie Anderson 3, Madison Dodd, Olivia Wolmarans 2, Zipporah Fish, Grace Freeman, Noa McNaughton, Anjelique Raison
Details: Sunday, August 13 at Blacktown International Sportspark
 
Western Australia 5.4 (34) def by Victoria Country 6.7 (43)
Western Australia
Goals: Rosie Anderson, Madison Dodd, Grace Freeman, Anjelique Raison, Olivia Wolmarans
Victoria Country
Best: Sara Howley, Jemma Ramsdale, Ashley Centra, Mekah Morrissy, Mikayla Williamson, Meg Robertson
Goals: Ashley Centra, Mekah Morrisy 2, Lila Keck, Chantal Mason
Details: Saturday, August 19 at Pentanet Stadium