WEST Coast and Fremantle battled it out in an off-season practice match at Mineral Resources Park on Saturday, honing their skills ahead of the official pre-season start date of June 3.
The Dockers ran out as winners, kicking 6.4 (40) to 3.8 (26), holding the Eagles goalless for the first three quarters.
Stalwart Fremantle defender Laura Pugh spent the game in attack, kicking two goals as part of a new-look forward line. After the Dockers averaged fewer than 30 points per game across the last two seasons, Pugh's move signals just one shift in how head coach Lisa Webb plans to address the club's scoring concerns.
Captain Hayley Miller was damaging with three goals of her own, continuing the key forward role she took up last year.
"We obviously know (Miller's) really talented but the work she’s been doing on her contest work and her pressure working around the contest has been super, so I’m really proud of what she did today as well," Webb said.
Young small forward Makaela Tuhakaraina also hit the scoreboard for the Dockers as she looks to establish her place in the best 21 in the coming season.
The ruck combination of Mim Strom and Ariana Hetherington effectively gave Fremantle's midfielders first use of the footy, from which the visitors were able to establish control in the game. Strom also spent patches of the game in attack, offering another look at the potential forward combinations for the coming AFLW season.
As with Pugh for Fremantle, reliable West Coast defender Belinda Smith was thrown into full-forward by new coach Daisy Pearce in the second half in an attempt to generate a higher efficiency when in the front half.
Much of that inability to make the most of their forward entries was a result of All-Australian defender Emma O'Driscoll's speed in defence for the Dockers, picking up where she left off last year.
Amy Franklin was handy in the forward line for the Eagles, setting up the club's first goal before going on to kick one of her own, and Jess Hosking has now goaled in each of the club's off-season hitouts.
Recent injury replacement signing Sanne Bakker was named among West Coast's bests, as was reigning All-Australian key defender Charlotte Thomas, Sophie McDonald, vice-captain Bella Lewis and ruck Lauren Wakfer.
"For three quarters we did a fairly good job and in that last quarter we probably let it slip a bit, but that’s okay – we’ve obviously got a long way to go before the season starts," Webb said.
