West Coast Webb A Boost for BacklineTuesday, August 29, 2023 - 12:27 PM

Claremont WAFLW Premiership player Mackenzie Webb has been signed up by the West Coast Eagles just days before the new AFLW season.

The exciting young defender has enjoyed success at the Tigers, elevated to the senior WAFLW side after just four matches with the Rogers Cup squad.

Webb was a train-on player at the Eagles earlier this year and produced strong performances as an over-age player for WA at the AFLW Under 18s National Championships.

Trent Cooper, Coaching Specialist-Talent Pathways at the West Australian Football Commission, believes Mackenzie has a huge upside.

“Webb had an interrupted 2022 where injury limited her to just the one game with the State 18’s, so the AFL gave her permission to play in the National Championships as an over-age player this year,” Cooper said.

“This proved crucial to her chances of making an AFLW list as a minor knee injury limited Webb in the early part of the WAFLW season, but she still played all three state games.

“In the National Championships, Webb was given the challenge of matching up on the likes of Lauren Young and Ash Centra, two players who are destined to be household names in the AFLW.”

The ability of Webb to lockdown opponents makes her a natural fit at the Eagles, according to Cooper.

“Mackenzie not only limited her opponents’ output but also provided intercept marking and rebound for the WA side, traits that obviously caught the eye of West Coast recruiters,” he said.

The 175cm defender has been elevated by the Eagles with Krstel Petrevski moved to the inactive list because of injury.