Coming off back-to-back All Australian jackets, star Fremantle forward Gemma Houghton has left nothing to chance heading into the 2021 season.
 
Already an all-round athlete, Houghton has arguably returned fitter and faster this pre-season, with her speed lighting up the training track and in November’s 2km time trial, where she posed a top-five finish.
 
She credited her speed boost to assistant coach and former Fremantle teammate Lisa Webb.
 
A former elite runner, Webb used her running background to put Houghton through the ringer through the winter.
 
“I’ve really made sure I put my hand up and made myself accountable to do the pre pre-season work,” Houghton told The West Australian.
 
“Lisa and myself didn’t miss a running session.
 
“I didn’t want to let the girls down. We had a solid season, going 7-0, and it just makes you hungry coming into (my) fifth season.
 
“I wanted to make sure I put myself in the best position so I didn’t let the girls down.
 
“I want to really use my speed. I think that’s my biggest asset, to run up the ground and boot it to our forwards.”

Fremantle senior coach Trent Cooper has called on all players to improve significantly if Fremantle are to compete like they did in their unbeaten 2020 season.
 
Houghton said many of Freo’s established stars were leading from the front.
 
“Juddy (Kara Antonio), Ebs (Ebony Antonio) and Gabby O’Sullivan are knocking off personal bests,” she said.
 
“It’s really exciting and it makes us all really unite when we see those PBs getting hit.
 
“That’s what we try to do every year. If it’s not Gabby O’Sullivan, its Ebs, Juddy, Kiara Bowers or Hayley Miller. Our standard and the benchmark is high coming into pre-season.
 
“We have the faith in these girls that have been drafted, for whatever reason, that they can match those standards that we have.”