Coming off the back of a disappointing loss to Melbourne, West Coast coach Michael Prior isn’t letting the final score overshadow the steps forward his side has taken this season.

Melbourne dominated in a 79-1 win at Casey Fields and finished only one point short of the minor premiership, behind the Brisbane Lions on percentage by 0.3%.

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Prior post match v Demons

Senior Coach, Michael Prior, chats to the media following our last clash of the season

It was a tough finish to the young Eagles' promising second season in 2022 after a significant list turnover between campaigns.

“There’s a fair number of positives we can take out of this year.” Prior said.  

“We could have easily had a couple of more wins on the board and number of our players who’ve grown throughout the year.

“We’ve got more girls giving more effort on a week-to-week basis so we think we are on the right track.”

Rising Star fancy Ella Roberts had a team leading performance with 22 disposals and 447 metres gained, showcasing her ability against an experienced side.  

“Ella has been fantastic all year for us and if anyone else wins the Rising Star award ahead of her, I’ll be absolutely gobsmacked,” Prior said.

“She’s been outstanding, her effort today just shows that she’s grown again to play in a forward line and do what she did with the amount of ball that she had we thought her efforts were pretty spectacular today."

Prior said the youth approach has been rewarding for his side and that this season has shown that his team has the potential to take a big step forward in the near future.  

The growth of halfback Charlie Thomas was also evident throughout the season and she currently leads the competition in rebound 50s with a total of 54.  

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 29: Charlotte Thomas of the Eagles kicks the ball during the 2022 S7 AFLW Round 10 match between the Melbourne Demons and the West Coast Eagles at Casey Fields on October 29, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos)

“Charlie had a good day today as well and she is a good example of what we’ve been talking about this year regarding our young players,” Prior said.  

“We gave her games last season where we could of kept her out of the team but we stuck by her and now it’s paying off.”  

West Coast will now have a well-earned rest over the next few months before starting pre-season in May with a number of players returning to the WAFLW competition to get some extra gametime ahead of season eight of AFLW.