From the AFLW Captain

HAYLEY MILLER

We had two seasons in one year in 2022 and it was a year with many highs, but also several lows.

Season 6 saw an incredible effort from the girls going up against a lot of external factors, namely going away to the hub in Victoria and the uncertainty around when we would come home.

We played some great footy on the road and that continued when we returned to WA.

Our qualifying final win against North Melbourne at Arden Street was really significant, it was one of those moments where everything clicked and we worked perfectly as a unit.

The next week we faced the eventual premiers Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, it was a tough ask and we couldn’t get it done. We didn't click the same way we had the week prior and getting so close was tough to take but also something we can look back and be proud of.

Season 7 couldn’t have started with a tougher assignment than Brisbane at the Gabba and we already had some injuries carrying over the pre-season.

We challenged them for three quarters before they ran over us, and that was a theme throughout the year, with losses to the Western Bulldogs, Melbourne, Adelaide – as well as the draw against Carlton - after initially getting into really strong positions.

It takes a massive toll when you’re not banking the wins, but it was great to get some good results to finish off the year and get some momentum back as we look ahead to 2023.

We are a very young and relatively inexperienced outfit and it was great to bank two seasons of football in one year. Come pre-season next year, it’s going to be exciting to see where the likes of Mim Strom, Sarah Verrier, Dana East, Emma O’Driscoll and Amy Franklin are at as we look to return to finals.

Two players that deserve a special mention are Kiara Bowers and Kara Antonio.

I don’t think we’ve seen anyone be as dominant as ‘Turbo’ was to finish the year. She was hitting record numbers highlighted by her 34 disposals and 22 tackles against Hawthorn.

Just registering one tackle takes a lot out of you, and every tackle Turbo lays often results in a free kick or creates a stoppage. She changes the momentum of the game more than any other player.

It was also inspiring to see ‘Juddy’ fight and get back from injury in time for her farewell game - and in true ‘Juddy’ fashion she got us over the line against the Hawks with two goals.

She’s a pioneer of the game and so many of us wouldn’t be where we are today if it wasn’t for her paving the way and inspiring a generation of footballers.

It was a daunting task to take over from her as captain, and I couldn’t have done it without her support. She was always there for a chat but also gave me the space to do things my own way.

I can only hope to leave the same legacy as ‘Juddy’ and I’m grateful and honoured to have been part of her journey. This off-season the Club made a tough call on the senior coaching role and it means we won’t have Trent Cooper at the helm in 2023.

As captain and coach, we worked together very closely and I’m so thankful to have had his guidance throughout my first year as captain.

I also understand the Club’s decision to look for a new perspective in the role as we continue our quest to take the next step and achieve the ultimate success of a premiership.

Finally, I would like to once again thank the fans for their unwavering support in 2022. In Season 6, when we were away from home and most of you couldn’t come to see us play, we could still feel that support through your messages on social media.

We all love game days at Fremantle Oval and we can’t wait to get back out there in 2023.