Defensive pair Ange Stannett and Sarah Verrier have received great praise from their Senior Coach, with the duo enjoying a stellar 2022 season in Freo’s backline.

As the days count down to the AFLW finals series, both Stannett and Verrier helped Fremantle successfully draw a close to their regular season campaign with strong individual showings against Gold Coast at the weekend.

The pair led Freo’s disposal count for the day and played crucial roles in repelling the ball out of Gold Coast’s forward half.

Stannett finished with 21 disposals, 11 intercepts and five marks to her name, while Verrier found the ball 20 times as well as having nine intercepts, five marks and five tackles.

Speaking on SEN WA’s The Run Home, Trent Cooper praised Stannett for the leadership the vice-captain brings to Freo’s backline group.

“I think she kept her opponent to four touches as well, so it’s not like she was just playing loose. She had a role and did that really well,” Cooper told SEN WA.

“Ange is just such a great defender and is really accomplished now.

“She came from a soccer background and hadn’t played footy at all, her first game of football was an AFLW game, and now she has been in the system for four years.

“Sometimes, the ball doesn’t come to her and she is not always a high possession player but it kept coming to her on Sunday and she ended up with 21 disposals, and she used it well.”

Cooper also expressed his pride for Verrier, a second-year player that has since carved out a role in Freo’s defence after gaining experience last season in a foreign role up forward.

Tallying 381 metres gained at the weekend, Cooper highlighted her efficiency and composure with the football.

“I wanted to play her more in the backline last year, that is her most natural position and I think she will develop into a good midfielder as well,” Cooper said.

“However, we were strong in the backline and through the midfield last year, so just to get some games into her we played her forward for most of the year, which she had never done.

“She looked a little bit at sea at times, but it was good to get that experience into her.

“She is just so cool under pressure and it’s like she is the most experienced player we have out there, even though she is a second-year player.

“She uses it really well too, she had 17 kicks on the weekend and 14 of them were effective which is extremely high. She is in really good form so far.”