Tilly Banfield makes AFLW debut for Fremantle - Sun 14 Sep 2025

Tim Tucak
Sep 12
2 min read

Congratulations to Club Member Matilda (Tilly) Banfield, who is set to make her AFLW debut for Fremantle in this weekend's RAC WA Derby.

AFLW DEBUT: It’s Tilly’s time!

Fremantle has confirmed a debutant in Tilly Banfield for this Sunday’s RAC Derby.

Three changes for RAC Derby

Fremantle has confirmed its final team of 21 to take on the West Coast Eagles in Sunday’s RAC Derby.

Tilly joined Swanbourne Nedlands SLSC at the start of the 2018/19 Season, along with siblings Jarvis, Clancy and Indigo as well as parents Tim and Gemma. She gained her Surf Rescue Certificate at the end of that season and her Bronze Medallion in November 2020.

Tilly is best known for being a three time consecutive winner of the Swanbourne Cup Mixed Board Rescue with younger brother Clancy in 2020, 2021 and 2022. They were the youngest ever winners in 2020 and still younger than any other winners in 2022!

Tilly and Clancy at the start of their hat-trick of Swanbourne Cup wins in 2022.

Tilly played hockey for Suburban Lions Hockey Club in the Premier League, was a member of the WA Under 18s Women’s State Hockey Team in 2022 and the Under 21s Women’s State Hockey Team in 2023. She featured in numerous Hockey Australia Women’s Futures Squads, as well as being selected as a train-on in the Perth Thundersticks Women’s team in 2024.