FREMANTLE coach Lisa Webb has paid tribute to the professionalism and versatility of veteran Hayley Miller as the inaugural Docker prepares to play her 100th AFLW game in Sunday's Western Derby.
Miller, who was recruited with the Dockers first ever draft selection and is the club's games and goals record holder, will now become the club's first 100-game AFLW player in her 11th season.
She is the 11th player to reach the milestone in the competition's history, joining stars like Jasmine Garner, Ebony Marinoff and Ally Anderson, with Webb highlighting the elite qualities that have made Miller's milestone possible.
"She works so incredibly hard, and in the off-season she barely misses a beat. I think one time she went to Europe and that was about it," Webb said on Thursday.
"She's so balanced in the way she goes about it and she's a great person. We pride ourselves at this club in having great people, and to play 100 games you're a bloody good person.
"To be here from day one and see the changes and transition her own game but consistently improve is a great testament to the work that she's put in.
"She's always team first and, yeah, she's a great person that young players get to come into the club and look up to and say 'this girl isn't good by chance'.
"She works extremely hard, she's really balanced in her approach, and she's a great leader."
Miller has evolved from being one of the best inside midfielders in the competition and an All-Australian in 2022 to now bringing her speed and strength to the forward line.
Webb said that ability to evolve as a player and be adaptable had played a role in Miller's longevity.
"We even talked about playing her full back one time, so she's one of those players who is happy to play anywhere," Webb said.
"She's a great inside mid and she's shown she's a great forward as well. She's got great strength, versatility, and she's super quick. She's arguably the quickest in the team."
Miller became the Dockers' all-time leading goalkicker last week when she slotted a brilliant goal from the boundary in the opening minute against Adelaide, taking her career tally to 42 by the end of the match and overtaking former Docker Gemma Houghton.
As an inaugural Docker, former captain, and a club champion, the 30-year-old said she had reflected on the special achievement of reaching 100 games for the club, and the obstacles she had overcome.
"It's pretty significant. I think when I reflect back to the start, it probably wasn't even on my radar to play 100 games when we were only playing sort of seven games a season," Miller said.
"In those early days, everyone was working a full-time job and then you'd come to the club in the afternoon and you're here till late at night.
"To see the transition in that and how much it's changed to become a truly professional environment for us … I think that the competition in general has obviously grown in leaps and bounds.
"It's a good chance to sort of reflect on the last 11 seasons and 10 years of being here at the Fremantle Footy Club. It's a pretty special place for me."
Miller will relish the opportunity to bring up her milestone in a Derby against rival West Coast, with the Dockers coming off an impressive 25-point win against Adelaide.
The Eagles, meanwhile, have won back-to-back road games against Essendon and St Kilda and can draw level with the Dockers on four wins if they cause an upset at Leederville's Sullivan Logistics Stadium.
Preserving their perfect Derby record after eight straight wins against the Eagles is "absolutely" the Dockers' intention.
"We know that West Coast are going to come out really hungry, so we've got to be ready for that and ready to go from the first bounce."
