Ariana Hetherington will join Joanne Cregg as Fremantle’s RAC Derby debutants with the newly signed utility given the news she will play round one against West Coast on Sunday at Fremantle Oval.

Hetherington was added to Fremantle’s list earlier this month as an injury replacement for Mikayla Morrison, who injured her ACL during the pre-season.

It’s another step in her rapid rise after making the transition to Australian Rules from basketball, picked up by Fremantle after an impressive debut season in the WAFLW for South Fremantle.

She showed her ability to complete at AFLW level with a strong showing in a pre-season game against West Coast before sitting out the Collingwood pre-season clash due to a concussion sustained at training.

The 179cm Hetherington played primarily in the ruck for Souths, where she led the WAFLW competition in hitouts in 2023.

She also finished inside the top 10 across the league for clearances, ranked second for inside 50’s and had the fourth highest number of contested possessions.

Senior Coach Lisa Webb said Hetherington’s versatility would make her an unpredictable match-up for West Coast.

“That’s one of those things with her, she can play across multiple positions so with that flexibility, she adds another dimension to our list,” Webb said.

“She had a massive season with South Fremantle and then she’s come in and hasn’t missed a beat.

“She’s settled in seamlessly here, the girls really love her, her energy especially around the contest has been really impressive.

“She has a great set of hands and a really long kick.

“She’s one we’re excited to see, we know what we’re going to get after seeing a really strong body of work from her and the girls are very excited about it.”

The final team for Sunday's RAC Derby clash will be announced at 3pm on Friday afternoon at www.fremantlefc.com.au.