West Coast AFLW Rising Star reflects on ‘surreal' debut
'I just went out there to have a bit of fun in my round one debut. I didn't have any expectations,' she said.
'I was obviously nervous because I cared, but I was just so excited and I just trusted in the support that I had from the girls and the coaches and all the hard work that we've done.'
Painter's goals all came in the third term when the Eagles were able to put some distance between Gold Coast on the scoreboard on their way to a 15-point opening round win at Mineral Resources Park.
'The momentum just shifted and yeah, obviously I was just on the end of it in the inside 50, but it was a credit to the hard work that we'd done and all the field to get into the forward line,' said Painter, who was recruited with pick No. 7 in last year's AFLW draft.
'We've been working a lot on our pro kicks and using one more so it was really good to see all the craft that we've been working on through our trainings implemented into game day.
'Watching that from the forward line was amazing. Seeing it getting put into good spots and the connection between the mids and the forwards was good. PERTH , AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 14: Lucia Painter of the Eagles celebrates a goal during the 2025 AFLW Round 01 match between the West Coast Eagles and the Gold Coast Suns at Mineral Resources Park on August 14, 2025 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images) Credit: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos / AFL Photos via Getty Images
'I was just lucky enough to be on the end of it.'
The 19-year-old, who finished the game with 13 dispsoals, described herself as a 'role player'.
'I'm happy to play wherever,' she said. 'So wherever I'm put I'll play my role to the best of my ability, whether that's being forward or back. Obviously it was a bit of fun up forward and I'll give it a red hot crack whenever I get put up there.'
West Coast coach Daisy Pearce said said it was an impressive debut 'but it didn't surprise us'.
'Lou has been incredible since the day she turned up late February, and just the amount of work that she's put in is a credit to who she is and the kind of athlete she is,' Pearce said.
'The way that she's adapted to life as a full-time athlete has been impressive, particularly given she's had to move out of the family home across the other side of the country.
'It's been pretty incredible to watch her adapt . She's so driven, you've got to hold her back more than push her, which is a good problem to have.
'Often in first-year players, you've got to manage them through their first pre-season to make sure that they're good to go at the right time of the year.
'But her thirst for work and her capacity to do work has just been amazing. It's blown our high-performance people away, not just what she can do out there, but everything that underpins it.
'She set her lifestyle up like an athlete, and that's allowed her to go out and do what she did. So it didn't come as a surprise when you have got someone as strong and as athletic as her and the footy ability, plus her competitiveness and want for the team to win.'
Ella Roberts had 11 disposals and two goals in the first quarter to set up the Eagles' early lead, finishing with 24 and six score involvements.
Pearce said the Painter-Roberts combination was a potent one-two she looks forward to developing. L to r Eagles coach Daisy Pearce and West Coast draftee Lucia Painter who has been nominated for Rising Star for round of the AFLW season. Ian Munro Credit: Ian Munro / The West Australian
'We can put her (Painter) anywhere and it'll stand up so that versatility to be able to use her in that mid-forward role to complement what Ella does is a real weapon,' the coach said.
'We'll keep building on it, and their understanding of how to work together in those positions is pretty exciting.'
Painter said kicking three goals in a quarter was 'surreal'.
'I couldn't believe that I was able to kick three goals on debut, but it was pretty much, alright, that's three quarters done, let's play the fourth quarter, because it's just as important,' she said.
'We still had a quarter to go, and the momentum could shift to Gold Coast. And like they did have a lot of good plays in the fourth quarter, but we were able to nullify that.'
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