West Coast AFLW recruiting manager Chad Morrison says the Eagles recruited a ‘good mix’ of players with future improvement and success as the focus. 

On Monday night, West Coast has picks 7, 24, 53 and 57 and used all those picks to bring in talent from across the country. 

The Eagles selected Country Victorian midfielder-forward Lucia Painter with their first selection of the evening.

South Australian utilities Charlotte Griggs and Lucy Boyd were the next two picks, while Kayla Dalgleish – an athletic small forward, rounded out the evening’s picks.  

By the time the Eagles had their first pick, WA top prospects Molly O’Hehir and Zippy Fish were off the table, taken by Melbourne and Sydney.

Speaking following Monday’s draft Morrison told SportFM the recruits provide a mix of everything, while filling areas in need of improvement. 

“We were definitely after speed and pressure in our forward half,” he said. 

“The other girls have definitely played more physical, contested winning plays with marking and marking the contested ball as well, so we wanted girls with a mix of everything, but we have a few areas where we want to get better at. 

“Contested football, winning it around the source and obviously aerial stuff as well. All the girls that we’ve got now, at least from last night, have really good mark football. 

“We’ve added the mix of contested football, speed and that marking ability around the ground as well, which I think helps with your transition and intercepting and all the rest of it as well.”

West Coast significantly improved under first-year senior coach Daisy Pearce’s guidance, who took them from 17th with two wins, to 13th with four wins within a year. 

On-field and off-field the decision to bring in the AFLW champion was a huge tick, as a shift in culture, belief and passion for the game largely contributed to their off season performance. 

Most notably, young guns like Ella Roberts, Charlie Thomas, Beth Schilling and Bella Lewis all stepped up and led from the front with their onfield performances and leadership. 

Morrison is optimistic this newest crop of recruits can come in and play key roles in the foundation for future success Pearce is building at West Coast. 

“Daisy’s brought in amazing communication. Her wealth of knowledge of the game is outstanding, as good as I’ve ever seen I’ve heard,” he said.

“Daisy’s understanding of the game is amazing and the way she teaches it to the females as well as well is outstanding. She’s building a great culture and connection within our group. 

“Hopefully in the next couple of years we’ll see, the fruits of this base that we’re building now come into fruition with these girls, like Ella Roberts, Charlie Thomas, and the young girls we’re bringing out now, getting over those 50 game barriers. 

“We’re going to be a really good football side for a long time.” 

While the four new Eagles are interstate talent, Morrison is confident more locally developed talent can come into the Eagles set up in the future. 

The West Coast Eagles already has an academy devoted to developing women and girls, however, an NGA Academy for multicultural and indigenous girls is in development. 

In the men’s side, West Coast has seen the likes of Malakai Champion, Tyrell Dewar and Jarrad Cameron make their way onto a list, with the AFLW side hoping to follow suit.

“The NGA girls hopefully will come in next year. That will give us the opportunity to have access to indigenous and multicultural players,” he said. 

“We’ve been working pretty hard ahead of the curve for when this does come in hopefully next year. We’ve got a bunch of really good players that I think who are eligible that we have access over the next few years. 

“At West Coast we do as much as we can within the community to obviously build our pathway and all the girls and boys and talent in those areas get those opportunities to get access to our footy club and be the best players and versions of themselves.”

IMAGE: AFL Photos