WAFLW Round 3 featured four exciting Fremantle young guns in Holly Ifould, Indi Strom, Matilda Banfield and Evie Parker as South Fremantle took on Peel Thunder at Fremantle Oval.

AFLW Senior Coach Lisa Webb said she was pleased for the four players to have a long awaited hit-out and see some reward for effort from their off-season pro-block training.

“With no off-season games this year, this opportunity gives these girls a chance to work on their skills under pressure, and get some match fitness and game awareness under their belts,” Webb said.

“The girls have really bought into developing their craft during this off-season period while working closely with the coaches to improve their game, but a lot of that is to do with the dedication and time they’re putting in to work on their craft.”

Strom returned to her old team in South Fremantle, and was joined by Ifould, where the side took home a promising win with a 5.8 (38) to 3.5 (23) result.

“Indi played well down back and got to match up on Evie Parker, which was a really strong contest and battle,” Webb said.

A fan of her dedication, Webb said Strom has already seen so much growth since being a train on with Fremantle last season.

“She was really good at closing space, and also great aerially to bring the ball to ground,” Webb said.

“She is super competitive; I’ve seen this before in the Strom family and it’s really impressed me with how quickly she has adapted to our program.”

Webb praised Ifould for her work rate and dedication to develop her football after an injury interrupted season last year.

Ifould amassed 22 disposals (including 17 kicks) and 10 marks in Saturday’s match.

“Holly has missed a bit of football over the past year through injury, but she’s worked incredibly hard to return and she’s in great form; I think that was shown on the weekend,” Webb said.

“She has been a seriously impressive trainer and is really driving her own career which is great for younger players to see,” Webb said.

“She covered the ground really well, linked up with her teammates, and we’re proud of the way she goes about her business.”

Parker and Banfield featured in Peel Thunder’s side, in what was their first ever WAFLW match each.

“Evie and Tilly’s willingness and desire to want to play more football is what’s going to help shape their development, and this is a great opportunity with our alignment with Peel to make that happen,” Webb said.

“Evie played forward on the weekend, and we saw her take a strong contested mark early.

“She’s still learning the ropes of what it’s like to play forward, but she’s got great skill, athleticism and tenacity and showed some strong signs.”

With Banfield coming from a cross-code background in hockey, Webb was pleased to see her get some match minutes in her first ever game.

“Tilly covers the ground beautifully, works really hard on her craft and has embraced every challenge thrown at her. She is another one we want to keep developing,” Webb said.

Webb was grateful to South Fremantle and Peel Thunder, who have accommodated for Fremantle players to feature within their sides.

“The Clubs have been flexible and understanding of the situation we’re in and this gives those players great exposure in a different environment, and an opportunity to test some of the skills they’ve been working on," Webb said.

“We’re really grateful to South Fremantle and Peel Thunder to be able to welcome our girls and I think they’ll be great role models for those down there as well.”

“They’ll certainly feature over the next few weeks before we have a break heading into our official pre-season on 12 May.”