Former AFLW players Demi Liddle and Katie-Jayne Grieve heading to Busselton as Magpies swoop on top talent

Busselton’s women’s premiership hopes received a monumental boost last week, with the signing of two AFLW-quality players for the rest of the season. Recently delisted Fremantle Docker Katie-Jayne Grieve and former West Coast player Demi Liddle were both cleared to the club on Wednesday, which was the deadline day for player signings. Grieve comes to the Magpies having been delisted by Fremantle only a fortnight ago. An inaugural South Bunbury women’s player, Grieve was plucked out of the SWFL to play for Carlton, but was delisted at the end of the 2018 season. She played 14 games in three seasons after being picked up by the Dockers and ranked second in the competition for tackles in 2020. Liddle returns to the Magpies having been an inaugural player at the club, before a rapid rise took her to a WAFLW premiership with the Thunder and on to the Eagles list for the 2021 season. The basketballer turned key defender managed four games in her time with the Eagles, but was not offered an extension on her one-year deal. Busselton coach Aaron Beckett said despite playing in last year’s grand final, his side still had some inexperienced footballers, and he hoped the new additions could lead the way. “They just add a bit of experience — we are still quite an inexperienced team and have a lot of girls that have still only played between 10 and 15 games,” he said. “It will be good for the girls just to see how they train and how they go about their footy after doing it properly up there. “Demi played down here with the girls for a couple of years before she went to Perth, so she was quite keen to come back and have a bit of a kick. “Katie has been living down here (in Busselton) for the last two or three years and travelling to Perth to play for the Dockers or in the WAFL, so she just wanted to play with the local girls.” Both players featured in the finals campaign for Peel Thunder and are expected to feature in the yet-to-be rescheduled WAFLW grand final against Swan Districts, but Beckett said he could have them in Magpies jumpers as soon as possible. “As soon as we can get them in there it will be good to get them in and around the girls,” he said. “It is quite massive, they are two quality players and hopefully they have a big impact.” Bunbury have signed former Harvey Bulls and East Fremantle WAFLW player Doma Fedele for the rest of their season, while the Eaton Boomers will regain Kira Price after a stint in Victoria.