Exciting young forward-ruck Lauren Wakfer has been recognised for her standout round five performance against Port Adelaide with a Rising Star nomination.
In West Coast’s first win of 2023, Wakfer produced her best game of the season, finishing with 14 disposals, seven tackles, six clearances and 14 hitouts against emerging Port Adelaide ruck Matilda Scholz.
The 19-year-old was drafted from South Fremantle to the Eagles with pick 15 in the 2022 draft and made her West Coast debut in round one of the season, after missing the season prior with an ACL injury.
An All-Australian at under 18s level, Wakfer has played every game so far this season and is currently averaging 10.2 hitouts, 4.6 tackles and three clearances per game.
Wakfer said receiving the Rising Star nomination was unexpected, but she feels like she’s settling in well with the team.
“It’s super exciting, I didn’t really expect it to be honest,” Wakfer said.
“I just go out there and play for the team each week so it’s really exciting to get that little bit of reward.
“I took a bit to get into it, obviously coming off my knee and coming straight into AFLW level without a lot of practice since WAFLW.
“It’s definitely a really big step up but I just needed to find my feet in the first few games and I think now I’m settling in really well with the team.”
Spending the entirety of last season on the sidelines recovering from an ACL injury, Wakfer said she owes credit to teammates Kellie Gibson and Shanae Davison for helping her on her road to recovery.
“Everyone has played a part in their own way,” Wakfer said.
“I bounce off a lot of girls all the time, obviously Kellie Gibson and Shanae Davison, I was in rehab with them, and I looked up to them a lot while I was off.
“Getting out on the track with them and playing games with them now is really cool.”
Standing at 180cm tall, Wakfer has come up against some of the most dominant rucks in the League in recent weeks and she said she is taking a lot of learnings from it.
“It’s really exciting that I get to go out and the team backs me in each week to at least compete and try my best,” Wakfer said.
“I’m learning new skills that I can take under my belt and try to implement them on game day when I’m matching up with really big opposition.”
Wakfer’s main goal was to make her debut this season, now having done so, she is focused on playing as many games as she can with her teammates.
“My goal this year was honestly to just get a game, to debut, and I ticked that one off,” Wakfer said.
“Now I’m just trying to play as many games as I can and get out there with all the girls.
“It’s been really incredible so far and I can’t ask for a better team to do it with and credit to them for helping me along the way, I really look up to each and every one of them.”
Wakfer is the second Eagle to receive Rising Star honours this season, with teammate Ella Roberts recognised in round one.
