Henry Returns to Swans a Different Player

Jaime Henry was already a star on the rise last time she played in the WAFL Women’s competition with Swan Districts and now the 20-year-old feels she has only continued her growth and improvement upon returning in 2025.

Henry first played in the WAFL Women’s competition with Swan Districts back in the 2021 season when still in school and then over the 2022 and 2023 seasons, she continued her emergence while still being eligible to play in the Rogers Cup.

She had a standout 2023 season making the WAFLW Team of the Week on three occasions and being part of the State Academy while being widely regarded among the most exciting young talents in the state.

Rightfully Henry had her sights set on an AFLW opportunity but when that didn’t eventuate for 2024, she decided to bite the bullet and move to Melbourne and play with the Western Bulldogs to play in the VFLW.

She ended up having an impressive season as well, but again when an AFLW opportunity didn’t arise, she returned home to Perth and it was only natural for her to resume her WAFL Women’s career with Swan Districts upon doing so.

Now with the pre-season done, she can’t wait for the season to get underway this Saturday against East Perth at Sullivan Logistics Stadium.

“It’s been great to be back in Perth and down at Swans again. It feels like coming home, and I’ve really enjoyed reconnecting with girls,” Henry said.

“Yeah, it’s getting close! I’m definitely feeling ready to go. There’s always that excitement and anticipation leading up to the season, and I can’t wait for it to kick off, plus the group has been building and working hard for the past five months so it will be good to finally play some footy.”

While there’s new faces coming into the Swan Districts team as always, Henry is excited to reconnect with a whole host of former teammates she can’t wait to play with once more in the 2025 season.

“For sure! It’s always good to reunite with teammates you’ve built strong bonds with,” she said.

“The girls have welcomed me back with open arms which I’m super grateful for and I’m excited to get back into it with them.”

Looking back on her season of living in Melbourne and playing in the VFLW with the Western Bulldogs, it was a life-changing experience for the now 20-year-old to be almost living the life of a professional footballer.

To then share the facilities with the AFL players from the Bulldogs and get up close with some superstars is something she’ll forever cherish.

“Living in Melbourne was a great experience – it’s the heart of footy, and I enjoyed every bit of the opportunity that I got to play at the Bulldogs,” Henry said.

“The resources being at an AFL affiliated club were second to none. You’d just be sitting in the sauna and Marcus Bontempelli jumps in and has a chat to ya. That was pretty cool.

“It was a completely different level of competition, the game speed was different and the standards were high but it helped me grow as a player and being able to bring back what I learnt at the Doggies to Swans to help drive the standards of our group has been great.”

Living in Melbourne and being at an AFL club was one thing, but Henry also feels the whole experience she went through in 2024 sees her comeback a different, and better, player ahead of the WAFL Women’s season with Swan Districts.

“I definitely think I’ve come back a different player. Spending time in Melbourne helped me grow, and I learned a lot from the experience,” she said.

“A big part of that growth came from Courtney Ugle, who really took me under her wing. She’s been an incredible role model and helped me develop not just as a player, but as a person. I’m bringing those lessons back with me and feel much more confident in my game.”

Henry has also settled back into her life in Perth upon returning in 2025 and as well as her football with Swan Districts, she’s back working as a disability support worker and tries to always stay as active and busy as she can.

“At the moment, I’m keeping busy working as a disability support worker. It’s a role that keeps me active and engaged, and I really enjoy how rewarding it is,” Henry said.

“I also try to stay active in my own time, whether it’s through training or other activities, to keep both my body and mind in a good place. Once the season kicks off it will all be about balance which is key to performing well in all aspects of my life.”