West Coast Eagles named 25-strong AFLW squad for next season containing three Great Southern players

Great Southern trio Parris Laurie, Belinda Smith and Sophie McDonald will all be part of the West Coast Eagles AFLW squad for the 2022 season.

The Eagles confirmed their 25-player squad on June 30, ahead of their third season in the competition.

Laurie moved from the Fremantle Dockers to the Eagles in their inaugural season in 2020, and has been a star since, playing 15 games.

The Denmark-Walpole ruck was a nominee for the 2020 AFLW Players’ Association’s most valuable player award, and was named ruck in the women’s AFL team of the year.

This season, she was recognised with the West Coast Eagles’ best club person award for 2021, and finished eighth in the club champion voting.

Pingrup defender Smith played for Fremantle and the Western Bulldogs before moving to the Eagles in their inaugural season, and has featured in 15 matches.

Smith has been a rock in their back half in the past two seasons, and uses her pace and dash to create from defence.

McDonald will be back for her third season at the Eagles despite falling out of favour in the senior team late in the season.

The Albany product was drafted in 2019 and has played 10 games as a key defender.

Katanning’s Julie-Anne Norrish was drafted by the Eagles in 2020 but didn’t play a game for the club this year and did not receive a new contract for 2022.