South West AFLW watch: Margaret River’s Ella Roberts makes an impression on debut

As the new season of AFLW kicked off, Margaret River’s Ella Roberts has already made a splash on debut for the West Coast Eagles. The former Busselton Magpie made her AFLW debut on Saturday in West Coast’s season opener against Port Adelaide at Mineral Resources Park. The 17-year-old held her own in the midst of a strong opposition during the Eagles’ 6.4 (40) to 4.4 (28) win over the debutant team, which boasted plenty of experienced AFLW players such as Erin Phillips and Gemma Houghton. Roberts was named among the Eagles’ best for the match, managing 10 disposals, two marks and seven tackles. Former Carey Park ruck Beth Schilling also featured for West Coast, managing three disposals. Meanwhile, Manjimup’s Dana East put in a modest effort during Fremantle’s 11.10 (76) to 4.3 (27) loss to Brisbane at the Gabba on Sunday, managing eight disposals and a tackle in what was a tough match for the Dockers.