Suns captain Leah Kaslar discusses her AFLW playing future

Suns captain Leah Kaslar has opened up about her AFLW playing future.

SUNS captain Leah Kaslar has confirmed her desire to play on into a fifth AFLW season and help her young side bounce back in 2021 following their 70 point loss to Fremantle on Saturday.

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The 34-year-old knows how rare AFLW finals campaigns are, having battled through two heartbreaking grand final losses with the Brisbane Lions in 2017 and 2018 before returning to the finals stage this year with the Suns.

Suns players leave the field dejected after being defeated during the AFLW semi final 4 match between the Fremantle Dockers and Gold Coast Suns at Fremantle Oval in Perth, Saturday, March 21, 2020. (AAP Image/Richard Wainwright)

While the league yesterday pulled the pin on the rest of the AFLW season, Now Kaslar is determined to kick on and extend her 28-game career as the Suns prepare to add to their growing AFLW legacy.

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“I’m really enjoying my footy,” Kaslar said.

“I’m feeling pretty good and fit and injury-free this year which is nice.

“I think I was playing with four broken fingers by the end of last year which was fun.”

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The Suns fielded 11 2020 AFLW debutants in their semi-final team, giving Kaslar confidence the Suns will have more to give next season.

But first, she’ll have to convince coach David Lake to give her another contract which shouldn’t be hard for the trailblazing veteran who averaged a career-high 9.1 disposals and showed her versatility across the ground in 2020.

FREMANTLE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 21: Leah Kaslar of the Suns speaks to the huddle at the start of the game during the 2020 AFLW Semi Final match between the Fremantle Dockers and the Gold Coast Suns at Fremantle Oval on March 21, 2020 in Fremantle, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“It’s great to be around such a young team and to be able to help them grow and develop in this environment is really rewarding…as long as you’ll keep me,” Kaslar said.

Lake replied: “I’ll keep her.”

“I like her on my side.”

Kaslar, who collected eight disposals against Fremantle, said the loss was tough to swallow but it would only act as off-season fuel as the Suns look towards 2021.

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Having been written off by the AFLW community before the season even started, Kaslar said the playing group needed to acknowledge how far they had come rather than focus on the disappointing note they ended their season.

“You never want to lose like that,” she said.

“We’ve had some really great moments this year and there’s a lot we can be proud of.

“We did say after the game that we’re all pretty disappointed and you feel that and the result is hard to take but you have to remember what we’ve achieved this year.

“Having that experience and knowing what that feels like will carry us into next year.”

Mim Strom of the Dockers and Leah Kaslar of the Suns contest the ball during the AFLW semi final 4 match between the Fremantle Dockers and Gold Coast Suns at Fremantle Oval in Perth, Saturday, March 21, 2020. (AAP Image/Richard Wainwright)

Kaslar even took the chance to enhance her versatility on Saturday in Perth, being thrust into the ruck when both regular talls Lauren Bella and Jasmyn Hewett were forced off the ground with injury concerns.

The position is not unfamiliar to Kaslar who was awarded best on ground as a ruck for the 2011 WAFLW grand final when playing for East Fremantle.

“That was a bit of fun,” Kaslar said.

David Lake added: “She actually won all of her ruck contests so maybe I’m playing her out of position.”