WAFLW Lions thriving under ‘one club’ model

Since the Women’s WAFL competition started in 2019, Subiaco has been a force to be reckoned with.

They’ve played finals in three out of the four seasons, and narrowly missed out on a maiden Premiership in 2020.

This year, the Lions WAFLW side will look to go back to the top, as they head into season 2023 fully integrated into the club for the first time.

What it means for the Women’s League and Rogers Cup sides is they have access to resources they haven’t had before, according to female football operations manager Zoe Bain.

“At the start of our pre-season for the first month, we had access to Leederville Oval which the girls have never really had before,” she said.

“That was really positive for them to be able to train at their home ground.”

At Leederville Oval, the squad has had a chance to link up with the men’s team for a joint training session to expand their knowledge.

Meanwhile, the teams have had access to more coaching staff, which includes a wealth of AFLW experience.

They also have a strength and conditioning team, and wellbeing officers around them, which haven’t been available to them before.

As Subiaco aims to bounce back after missing their first finals campaign, the club has recruited from the state’s amateur leagues.

“We’ve had some really promising players come up from North Beach, University, and Hamersly-Carine amongst others,” Bain said.

“They’ve integrated really well in terms of physical fitness and different sorts of training and drills they’re not used to.”

However, she said the recruits have fit in off the field as well.

“They’ve made new friends with all the girls on the team,” Bain said.

“Something Subi prides itself on is welcoming those new teammates.”

It’s all been a part of the ‘one club’ model and allowing players to have a sense of belonging.

“We’re trying to continuously work towards having that really positive team culture for a WAFL club,” she said.

“It’s been such a good thing to happen to Subi and it’s had a really positive impact so far.”

The women’s side now shares a training ground with the Colts squad, and are hoping to make it a permanent venue for the team with their own facilities.

In terms of on-field success, Bain was optimistic about the side’s chances in 2023.

“We have our pre-season clash with Peel on Saturday so hopefully that provides a bit of insight to how we’re going,” she said.

“It’s looking really positive, I can’t wait to see how the girls go.”