WAFLW Stars Henry and Kelly Named in State Side for SA Clash

WAFLW stars Jamie Henry and Juliet Kelly will be out to show AFLW clubs what they are missing out on after being locked in for Saturday’s State game against South Australia.

Despite making dominant starts to the year in the State league, the prolific midfielders were both overlooked in last week’s AFLW pre-season draft.

Henry has established herself as the early favourite for the Dhara Kerr Medal by averaging 34.2 disposals across the first six games of the season for Swan Districts, including a 39-disposal showing against Perth where she also applied 16 tackles.

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Kelly — who last year set the competition’s single-game disposals record aged just 17 years old by gathering 48 against East Perth — has been a key figure in back-to-back reigning premiers Claremont’s unbeaten start to the campaign, winning at least 22 disposals and laying at least 7 tackles in every appearance.

But neither of the pair were picked up in the pre-season draft, with Fremantle opting for East Fremantle’s Noa McNaughton and West Coast selecting Swan Districts’ Sienna Gerardi.

The State side will be headed up by Claremont coach Jack Schwarze and captained by stalwart Jayme Harken. Henry will serve as one of three vice-captains alongside Subiaco pair Krstel Petrevski and Lisa Steane.

The Tigers and fifth-placed Lions lead the way in the side with five players apiece, while the Perth’s four representatives include former AFLW pair Poppy Stockwell and Isabella Shannon.

The game will be the second of a triple-header at Sullivan Logistics Stadium, coming after a WAFL under-20 team take on WA’s under-18’s and before the WAFL State side take on their SANFL counterparts.

WA have lost both women’s State games since the concept was introduced in 2024, going down to the Croweaters by eight points in last year’s clash at Adelaide Oval.