Star duo Ella Roberts and Charlie Thomas have been rewarded for their brilliant 2024 campaigns with selection in the AFLPA’s AFLW 22Under22 team.

Roberts, who was the first Eagle to make the best 22 emerging team last season, took her game to another level this year and was picked in 58 per cent of the fan-voted 22Under22 teams.

Playing more midfield time, the talented Margaret River teen established herself as one of the competition’s dominant forces.

Roberts averaged career-highs for disposals (21.4), contested possessions (12.2) and clearances (3.5).

She also kicked six goals and posed a major threat with her aerial work every time she drifted forward.

“It’s been great to see Ella’s continued growth this season. She has some incredible weapons and is starting to build consistent training habits that will enable her to keep chasing improvement,” senior coach Daisy Pearce said.

“Her progress from a training perspective allowed her to impact more consistently across four quarters and the season as a whole. I love working with someone as ambitious and competitive as she is.

“It’s exciting to see a 19-year-old with the talent she has already starting to make the connection between consistency Monday to Friday and her performance on the weekend.”

Thomas became the Eagles’ first All-Australian representative last season and, like Roberts, is in the running for this year’s team.

The 21-year-old has emerged as one of the AFLW’s premier defenders in recent seasons and her elite intercept-marking and penetrating kicking makes her an offensive weapon, too.

Thomas led the competition in rebound 50s this season, and she will be in the running to back up her Club Champion award from last year when the 2024 count is held on Saturday evening.

“Charlie has had another outstanding season backing up from a really strong 2023,” Pearce said.

“The consistent high level she performs at and her year-on-year improvement is a testament to her humble, super competitive nature and elite training standards.

“This season Charlie worked hard to adapt to a change in defensive style and structure, allowing her to add more versatility to her already impressive tool kit. In addition to her growth on field, she embraced greater leadership responsibilities as co-vice-captain.

“Her caring, thoughtful team-first approach positively impacted so many people on and off-field in her role.”

Eagles midfielder Bella Lewis and promising defender Beth Schilling were also recognised for their strong 2024 seasons with selection in the extended 22Under22 squad.

“It was great recognition to see Bella and ‘Schillo’ recognised as part of the initial squad,” Pearce said.

“With Bella, it was a good reminder of how young she is – easy to forget given her maturity and leadership within our program.

“We are so lucky to have someone like Bella who, at only 21, drives standards in our program, consistently competes at an extremely high level and is always chasing improvement. She leads by example in this sense but also with empathy and care for all her teammates.

“’Schillo’ played such an important role down back for us this season, often taking the oppositions biggest threats. It was awesome to watch her belief grow throughout the year, built off the back of her incredible work ethic, resilience and want to improve.

“’Schillo’ has an innate ability to read cues and is one of our toughest competitors – both physically and mentally.

“It’s exciting to think where she can take her game after great exposure to match play this year and with another pre-season of development.”

Captain: Georgie Prespakis

Vice Captain: Charlie Rowbottom