Mikayla Morrison was a beacon up forward in her third AFLW game by kicking three goals in Fremantle’s 42-point win over Carlton on Saturday at Fremantle Oval.
The small forward kicked her first-ever goal for Fremantle by intercepting a handball on the boundary line to run into an open goal.
The 19-year-old also pinched hit in the middle to cover the missing Kiara Bowers and provided some fire for the team kicking two more goals after the main break to finish with a career-best 13 disposals.
“It felt really good,” Morrison said.
“I had my family here, it felt amazing.”
Morrison, who missed the majority of last year due to appendicitis, has fought her way back into the side after debuting against the Western Bulldogs a fortnight ago.
Senior coach Trent Cooper was pleased with the effort that Morrison delivered especially after her interrupted start to her AFLW career.
“We were rapt with her game, she’s going to have some games where she doesn’t have that impact that she did today but as long as her effort is there because she’s a really strong tackler as well, we’ll be really happy, Cooper said.
“We could see her talent today, we also used her in bursts through the middle, without Bowers last week we left Miller and O’Sullivan in the middle all day and that robbed us a bit forward.
“So we thought who could we throw in there today to pinch a few minutes and Mikayla did that and she did it very well.”
Forward’s coach Jay van Berlo has been working closely with Morrison to improve her fitness and skills and she believes his work helped with her performance today.
“I have been very appreciative of ‘VB’ being here with us,” Morrison said.
“He has given me a lot of confidence with my tackle pressure and my clean skills within the 50.”
Morrison’s clean skills were on display inside the forward line against the Blues, especially when she swooped on a spoiled mark inside 50m and slotted her third goal for the match.
The team will have a bye next week before taking on Adelaide in round eight for Indigenous Round, which holds more significance for Morrison, as the Club will be wearing the Indigenous jumper that she designed with artist Kevin Bynder and cousin Des Headland.
