Emerging young defender Beth Schilling has been recognised for her superb performance in the West Coast Eagles’ round two clash with Essendon, being named the Week Two Telstra AFLW Rising Star nominee.
The Eagles fell to the Bombers by 16 points at Mineral Resources Park on Saturday, but Schilling played a pivotal role in keeping the blue and gold in the contest.
The 20-year-old finished with a game-high seven marks, 11 intercept possessions, seven contested possessions and three tackles, and her aerial work was exceptional at crucial moments in the game.
While this is Schilling's fourth season in the league, the Rising Star criteria states that an eligible player is under 21 years of age as of December 31, 2024, and has played 10 or fewer games before week one of the 2024 season commencing.
Schilling had an interrupted start to her AFLW career with a number of injuries, and this recognition is not only reflective of her development and form, but her perseverance and hard work.
The Peel Thunder product said the news was very unexpected.
“It’s pretty incredible, I genuinely was not expecting it at all,” Schilling said.
“Daisy texted me this morning asking if she could call, so I was a little bit nervous about it because I wasn’t too sure what she wanted, and then she broke the news and I was just a little bit lost for words.
“It was a pretty cool surprise to wake up to this morning, I didn’t even think I was still eligible, but I’m extremely grateful.”
Schilling said she not only worked on physical improvements in the pre-season, but also her mindset around her game.
“The main thing I’ve been working on is getting my knee right, and getting my body fit and strong so I could face the season,” Schilling said.
“One of my main RFIs was also my body work and my positioning when facing my opposition.
“Another thing was my mindset coming into pre-season, just trying to dictate my footy my way, instead of others or opposition putting pressure on me to play a different way, so that was also another shift.”
While the development and growth between last season and this season has been evident, the confidence piece has also played a huge part.
“Definitely the mindset and confidence piece has been a huge difference,” Schilling said.
“Especially with a lot of injuries and a lot of setbacks in the past, I haven’t really had a full consistent season.
“So just being able to play my brand of football and going out there with a clear and positive mindset and not being too harsh on myself, and just playing the way I want to play.”
Since being drafted to West Coast in 2021, Schilling credits her teammates and coaches for guidance and mentorship over the years.
“I think over the past few years it’s definitely been my teammates,” Schilling said.
“Especially some of the older girls in the leadership roles, and people like Bella (Lewis) and Belinda (Smith).
“Martene (Pearman) has also been really helpful for me, especially as the backline coach this season, she has really pushed me to come out of my comfort zone and reach my full potential.”
