THIS season marks the start of new beginnings for Fremantle.
The Dockers added a trio of superstars during the trade period and have undergone a captaincy change ahead of the 2024 NAB AFLW Season as they continue their transitional phase off-field in coach Lisa Webb's second season in charge.
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While there's been an influx of talent, Fremantle will be without two of its biggest stars, so how will the Dockers cover those big losses in 2024?
AFL.com.au takes a look at some of the major talking points ahead of the 2024
Replacing 'Turbo'
Kiara Bowers has been one of the best and most consistent performers for quite some time, but the Dockers will be without their star midfielder in 2024 as 'Turbo' takes some time away from the game due to pregnancy.
The 2021 AFLW Best and Fairest winner's absence will leave a gaping hole in Fremantle's engine room as it looks to surge up the ladder in coach Lisa Webb's second season at the helm. Bowers is a key driver of standards at Fremantle and is known for her ferocious attack on the ball.
Despite missing a handful of games last year, Bowers averaged 20.7 disposals and 5.2 clearances per match. So how do they replace such a star of the competition?
Former Eagle Aisling McCarthy will play a pivotal role this season, while Dana East and Megan Kauffman will also need to step up.
How will fresh faces fare?
The Dockers were one of the most active clubs in the trade period, bringing in a host of established players.
Headlining that list is former Collingwood veteran Ash Brazill, who is set to add plenty of firepower to Fremantle's side.
Brazill will also be joined by ex-Bulldog Gabby Newton, who made the move west after a tumultuous season at Mission Whitten Oval last year. Newton has starred in attack during the early part of her career but showed last campaign that she is more than capable as an interceptor in defence. Newton was a strong presence ahead of the ball in the club's practice match against Collingwood, so expect her to start there in round one.
McCarthy has also arrived at the club from cross-town rivals West Coast and will bring plenty of defensive heat to the Dockers' midfield brigade.
As a result of their trade activity, the Dockers only added Holly Ifould to their ranks at the draft. Ifould is a damaging outside player who offers plenty of run and a combination of endurance, speed and quality ball use.
Mikayla Morrison is back on the active list after overcoming an ACL injury, while Gabrielle Biedenweg-Webster and Tunisha Kikoak have been signed as replacement players.
New captain
The Dockers have restructured their leadership group for 2024, with injured star Ange Stannett set to take over from midfielder Hayler Miller as captain.
Stannett has been ruled out for the 2024 season with an ACL injury but was voted into the role by both teammates and coaches earlier in pre-season. She says she was "a bit taken aback" that she secured the role given her injury status but that it wouldn't "change the way [I] show up."
Miller joins forward Aine Tighe and defender Laura Pugh as vice-captains, while All-Australian representative Emma O'Driscoll and new recruit Brazill round out the leadership group.
Stannett will play a role helping coach from the bench on gameday as she provides a calm and composed voice for Freo's young brigade.
Stannett said former captain Miller has helped shape her leadership style, while Miller said she had full faith in Stannett's ability to lead the team forward. "She embodies our trademark in everything she does. I know she will do an incredible job, and I will be right by her side in this next phase for our club," Miller said earlier this pre-season.
More consistent scoring
The Dockers' forward firepower has fallen away in the past two seasons, even with the increased game length. Can they find a way to generate more scoreboard impact this campaign?
"They need to get that back if we're to see that continual improvement," AFL.com.au's Gemma Bastiani told Credit to the Girls podcast. Bastiani threw the challenge to the Dockers to average more than 35 points per game this season, to give them a better chance of winning more games of football.
Veteran Ebony Antonio will help that cause after injury and health problems derailed her previous two campaigns. Antonio recently opened up to AFL.com.au about how she "hated coming to the club" during that period and the toll it took on her mental health and wellbeing.
After a strong pre-season she'll be like a new recruit in 2024 for Webb's side, who last year relied too much on star forward Tighe.
