Fremantle have taken Hayley Miller with their first draft pick at the inaugural AFL Women’s National Draft.
 
Miller, who played alongside marquee signing Kiara Bowers for Coastal Titans in the WAWFL, was a member of Michelle Cowan’s Melbourne team in the exhibition game held in August.
 
Miller said she was looking forward to working with Cowan again.
 
“Michelle is just a great person in general,” she said.
 
“As a coach she understands her players and knows how to get the best out of everyone.
 
“Every experience I’ve had in being coached by her has been a positive one.”
 
Miller, who is a physiotherapy student at Curtin University, juggles work and football around her studies.
 
“Most of my time is taken up by uni, and then I’ve got to try and fit in gym sessions and training sessions,” she said.
 
“Apart from studying and part-time work, my life is football.”

AFL Women's League FAQs
 
Miller found her way into football via high school, taking part in a lightning carnival where she was scouted and then selected in an under-18 State team.
 
Miller was prepared to move interstate to pursue her football dream and was thrilled to be able to stay in Perth.
 
“In my life at the moment it’s what I wanted to do was to stay in Perth,” she said.
 
“I get to stay where my friends and my family are and do something I love and play football.
 
“’I’m really stoked to stay in Perth.”
 
Miller, who played for Western Australia against Victoria in 2015 with Fremantle’s marquee signing Kara Donnellan and priority pick Ebony Antonio, said she was excited by the prospect of playing alongside them again.
 
“I’ve played a couple of State games with those two girls and they’re great people and I do get along with them,” she said.
 
“Being able to play with them week in week out will be great..
 
“They are awesome players so I will get to learn a lot off both of them.”
 
Miller believes the greatest challenge facing the new league will be convincing people women deserve the right to play AFL.
 
“The hardest thing will be trying to prove to them that we do deserve this opportunity,” she said.