Fremantle has confirmed its final team of 21 to take on West Coast in the Round 5 RAC Derby this Sunday 14 September, with three changes made to the side.
As announced on Friday morning, Matilda (Tilly) Banfield is set to make her AFLW debut, while All Australian defender Emma O’Driscoll and forward Amy Mulholland headline the other inclusions.
O’Driscoll missed Fremantle’s Round 4 clash with Sydney due to a concussion sustained in Round 3 and has been named in the backline, while Banfield has been named in the forward line, and Mulholland on the interchange bench.
Gabby O’Sullivan, Holly Ifould, Laura Pugh and Tunisha Kikoak round out the side’s interchange bench.
Defender Jess Low will miss the cross-town clash due to a concussion sustained in Round 4, while Bella Smith and Jo Cregg have been omitted from the side.
Fremantle’s three emergencies are Smith, Dana East, and Phil Seth.
20-year-old Banfield joined Fremantle at the end of 2024 through the AFLW Rookie Draft, making the switch over to AFLW from hockey and has quickly impressed with her speed, athleticism and dedication to the program.
Captain Ange Stannett, Hayley Miller, Georgie Brisbane and Gabby Biedenweg-Webster join Banfield in the forward line-up.
Stannett spoke to media on Wednesday morning and described what the wider group is feeling heading into the weekend's RAC Derby.
“The group is hungry. That’s pretty much the one word I can think of right now is hungry to improve and continue to build on the last couple of weeks,” Stannett said.
“We’ll approach this weekend like we do each round, but it’s also an exciting opportunity to get back to Freo Oval.
“You come back to process, and you want every week to look pretty similar in terms of how you prepare – that’s where you get your confidence from - how well prepared you are going into the weekend.”
This is the eighth AFLW RAC Derby, where the two cross-town rivals will come head-to-head.
Fremantle has been victorious in all seven previous matchups and will look to continue the streak on Sunday.
“The RAC Derby is a unique one. It’s always fun to buy into that energy that the crowd brings as well,” Stannett said.
“We’re going to have West Coast supporters and our own supporters down here on the weekend and that atmosphere creates something pretty special in terms of the energy.”
The last time these two sides matched up, Fremantle won 35 (5.5) to West Coast’s 12 (1.6) in Round 8 of the 2024 NAB AFLW Season.
The RAC Derby Best on Ground Medal will be awarded post-match, with this year’s judging panel consisting of CODE Sports journalist Eliza Reilly (Chair), The West Australian’s Ben Smith, and the ABC’s Trent Cooper.
Bouncedown on Sunday is at 3.05pm WST at Fremantle Oval.
The game will be broadcast live on 7mate and Fox Sports, and streamed live on Kayo, Binge and 7plus from 3pm WST.
