What caught the eye: Pre-season week one

WAFL and WAFLW teams took another step towards the 2026 season in the first week of official practice matches. Here’s what caught the eye:

Royal returns

A pair of prized East Perth recruits got through their first hit-out in a year in Saturday’s clash against Claremont at Sullivan Logistics Stadium.

Former Hawthorn and Geelong midfielder Cooper Stephens (ACL) and ex-West Coast defender Luke Foley (hamstring) played the first half of the loss to the Tigers in a positive milestone the duo.

Stephens played through the midfield and Foley across half-back before both, whose 2025 campaigns were ruined by injury without playing a home-and-away match, were put on ice for the second half.

Returning former Brisbane Lion Darcy Craven impressed, booting two goals before getting a run in the midfield, while Coby Burgiel continued on from his strong finish to 2025 with a couple of eye-catching majors.

Tiger talls dominate

Claremont’s tall-forward trio of Kieran Gowdie, Sam van Rooyen and Jaiden Hunter feasted on the undermanned East Perth defence, combining for 10 goals.

Gowdie led the way with four and Hunter made the most of his first full pre-season game in a long time with three, while van Rooyen pushed his case for regular senior footy with three.

New recruit Tyson Headland, who last featured in the WAFL back In 2022 for South Fremantle and is the nephew of Fremantle and Brisbane Lions great Des Headland, put his hand up for a club debut with an impressive display in the midfield and up forward, while State representative and pressure forward Zac Mainwaring had a run in the engine room and contributed strongly.

Winning returns for Schofield, Sokol

Subiaco premiership heroes Jarrad Schofield and Ben Sokol enjoyed a winning return to the club they helped to a golden era.

Schofield, a dual premiership coach, is back at the Lions as head coach after stints at West Coast and Port Adelaide in assistant-coaching roles.

He lured two-time Bernie Naylor Medal winner Sokol back to the club and the champion goal-kicker didn’t disappoint in his first game back, booting three goals in the 18-point victory over Swan Districts at Sullivan Logistics Stadium on Friday night.

Young gun Sonny Siano also kicked three goals, while teenage ruckman Frazer Rickson put his hand up for an early-season debut with a big performance.

There were still plenty of positives for Swan Districts with former West Coast rookie Zane Trew kicking three goals in his return from an ankle injury and recruit Lucas Impey showing plenty on debut and ex-Big Bash League cricketer Clint Hinchliffe hit the scoreboard.

Zane Trew kicked three goals in his return from injury for Swan Districts. Picture: The Sports Photo

Same old Claremont

Claremont also started their WAFLW pre-season campaign with a strong victory over East Perth at Sullivan Logistics Stadium in an ominous warming for the competition.

Two-time Dhara Kerr Medal winner Jayme Harken was at her brilliant best, kicking three goals from the midfield in the dominant display as the Tigers prevailed by 37 points.

Mabel Markey, 18, will pushing for an opening-round debut after a strong performance on the wing, Emma Henderson was prominent on the wing, across half-back and AFLW Draft prospect India Bonadeo took plenty of intercept marks in the back half despite playing limited minutes and Rachel Ortlepp did her bit up forward.

Henry stars for Swans

Midfield star Jaime Henry was best-afield as Swan Districts easily accounted for a depleted Subiaco by 57 points at Steel Blue Oval on Sunday.

Henry showed why she’s been tipped by many to win her first Dhara Kerr Medal in 2026 as last year’s grand finalists showed they’re ready for another big year.

Talented forward Taylah Edwards was another standout performer for the victors.

It was a youthful Lions outfit that took the field, missing reigning Dhara Kerr medallist Krstel Petrevski and fellow midfield star Lisa Steane among others.

Bartlett’s back but Dogs prevail

Two-time WAFLW leading goal-kicker Kate Bartlett booted two goals in her long-awaited Peel Thunder return.

Barlett, a former AFLW player with West Coast and Western Bulldogs, featured in her first WAFLW campaign since 2022 in a huge boost for the Thunder’s hopes of rising up the ladder.

However it was South Fremantle who prevailed at Lane Group Stadium on Saturday on the back of four majors from Shannyn Pomersbach as East Fremantle premiership skipper Ash Gomes debuted for her new team.