It’s not easy to claim 21 clean disposals and snap a goal from the boundary line in the wet, but Mikayla Bowen did it with ease in a rainy away game at Punt Road.
The 19-year-old has slotted into a position as a natural leader for the club, which was further exemplified by her onball exploits on Sunday.
After taking home the Rising Star nomination in round five, the young gun followed this accolade up with another classy game, and coach Daniel Pratt couldn’t be prouder.
“It’s really good for her and the footy club again, she’s had a really good season which has been great for us, because we’re quite young and she’s one of our young leaders.” Pratt said
“I feel like the leadership Bowen has presented us with has been second to none."
“Really, at the club, she’s put her head down and worked really hard, she wants to get better, taken constructive feedback really well and gone and worked on it, and then she produces a game like that which is really important for our growth.
“Just to compare the a-grade players they have with (Monique) Conti and (Ellie) McKenzie especially in the midfield, she's gone and matched that type of game along with Bella Lewis.
"I mean, if they’re doing that when they’re 19 and 18 respectively, I think when they’re 24, 25 and genuine leaders of the club, they’re going to be stars of the competition.”
And as for that goal…
“That’s talent coming through and skill.” Pratt said.
“It was an interesting position on the ground, it was probably right on her distance, as was her other goal.
“She kicked a snap and it didn’t bend at all, it was straight,” Pratt laughed
“I thought it was the right decision, if it was a dry day you might try and find a better option, but you don’t get a lot of opportunities in wet weather
“So, for her to go back and take responsibility and kick it was really important.”
Come down for the final match of the season, as West Coast take on Saint Kilda at home.
Tickets: http://bit.ly/EaglesVSaintsAFLW
Tickets for the match are available through Ticketmaster, with West Coast Eagles AFLW members receiving free entry to the match. Further details were emailed to members on Monday, March 22. For non-AFLW members, tickets for adults are just $10 with children entering free. Please note that due to strict COVID-safe guidelines, all patrons, including children under 5, will require a ticket to enter the stadium. This applies to everyone, even small babies. There will be no charge for these tickets.
