REIGNING premiers Glenelg have dominated the first Rookie Me Central South Australian National Football League (SANFL) Women’s Team of the Week after a statement win over Norwood on Friday night. The Round 1 team features five Bays, with fellow winners West Adelaide recording the second most with four. Other winners South Adelaide and Sturt had three representatives, as well as North Adelaide and Central District. The two remaining teams in Woodville-West Torrens (two) and Norwood (one) rounded out the 24-player squad.

BACKS:

Starting in defence, there is little question over the experience back there. Norwood’s sole representative in Alison Ferrall (22 disposals, six marks, five tackles and eight rebound 50s) worked tirelessly for four quarters, and she is on the last line alongside a couple of ex-AFLW talents. Eagles recruit Leah Kaslar (18 disposals, four marks and nine rebound 50s) and West recruit Beatrice Devlyn (23 disposals, four marks, four tackles and six rebound 50s) would nullify any attack.

At half-back there was plenty of run in this crew, with some teenagers in Sturt’s Kiera Mueller and Central District’s Madison Lane providing dare and dash from defence. Mueller amassed 16 disposals, seven marks – two contested – three tackles and five rebound 50s, whilst Lane finished with the 20 disposals, three marks, two inside 50s and six rebound 50s. Holding down centre half-back is West Adelaide leader Madi Russell who recorded the 15 disposals, four marks – one contested – six tackles and five rebound 50s.

MIDFIELDERS:

Though initially nominated as a high half-back, Glenelg premiership player and State Academy member Sarah Goodwin did her best work streaming from the back half down the wing going forward, so she has been named on the wing. In the win over Norwood, the teenager racked up 21 disposals, six marks – two contested – nine tackles, nine inside 50s and two rebound 50s. She does not have to look too far for a teammate in the team, with fellow young gun Piper Window in the centre. Window had a day out with 17 disposals, two marks – one contested, nine clearances, seven inside 50s and a goal. Providing dash every time she goes near the ball, North Adelaide’s Katelyn Pope was named on the other wing. The speedster had a great first game with 22 disposals, six tackles and five inside 50s.

Looking to the on-ball members, and Eagles young gun and AFLW Academy member Shineah Goody had a Round 1 to remember. Despite suffering a loss, Goody was consistent throughout four quarters on her way to amassing 26 disposals, five marks, nine tackles, three clearances, two inside 50s and five rebound 50s. Speaking of consistency, it was hard to look past dominant ball-winner and West recruit Jess Macolino, who notched up 25 disposals, 11 tackles, eight clearances and four inside 50s in the Bloods’ narrow win over North. Those talented ball-winners will rove to Jasmyn Hewett who did her chances of a Crows recall no harm, dominating the ruck against an inexperienced Eagles outfit, picking up 18 disposals, 32 hitouts and seven clearances, also laying five tackles. She was named vice-captain of the side.

FORWARDS:

Into the forward 50, and there were goals aplenty to be had by the front six. Few could match the ridiculous second half effort from Crows first-year player Brooke Tonon who slammed home six majors from 21 disposals, six marks – one contested, three tackles and two inside 50s. The teenager captains the side after that remarkable effort, and she was among five others in the Team of the Week who slotted multiple goals. Though splitting her time between midfield and forward, star teenager Hannah Ewings was at her most influential best in the final term when she kicked two goals to almost get her team over the line. She also picked up 21 disposals, two marks, four tackles, six clearances and eight inside 50s in the match against West. Beside her at half-forward were a couple of South Adelaide dynamos making their Panthers debut at League level.

Ex-Glenelg talent Jess Waterhouse certainly made a splash with 3.3 from 16 disposals, four marks – one contested – and six inside 50s. Waterhouse teamed up well with Under 16s star and lethal lefty, Shae Archbold who slotted 3.1 from 15 disposals, five marks, six tackles and four inside 50s. Closer to go, and Tonon’s Glenelg teammate Chelsea Packer managed three first quarter goals and got the momentum started for the Bays, finishing with 13 disposals, two contested marks, four tackles, three inside 50s and 3.3. Rounding out the forwardline is Central District’s Demi Sonneman, who played the traditional full-forward role in a new position from her usual rebounding out of defence role, and slotted two goals from 12 disposals and six marks, five of which were contested.

INTERCHANGE:

Despite numbers going down to 21 total players, we still named a squad of 24, which meant six players on the bench. From a pure ball-winner perspective, midfielders Jessica Bates and Alisha Gepp were too hard to ignore with their respective team-highs in disposals. Bates was fierce with a ridiculous 19 tackles to accompany her 23 disposals, six clearances and five inside 50s, and was unlucky not to squeeze onto the field, in what was a really tough midfield group. Gepp picked up 25 disposals, three marks, five clearances, four inside 50s and laid two tackles during Sturt’s win and earned her place in the side. The other midfielder on the bench was experienced South Adelaide campaigner Nicole Campbell who notched up 19 disposals, four tackles and six clearances for the Panthers.

Of the other three remaining players, Central District’s Isabelle Starmer has made the interchange as a second ruck, following her dominant performance against South Adelaide. Despite her team going down, Starmer picked up 18 disposals, eight marks, 19 hitouts, four inside 50s and kicked a goal for the Bulldogs. West Adelaide defender and AFLW Academy member Keeley Kustermann also earned Team of the Week honours, just getting the nod ahead of a number of other talented defenders. She managed 19 disposals, four tackles and five rebound 50s, particularly eye-catching in the early stages of West’s win over North. The last but not least spot went to North Adelaide forward Jade De Melo, whom after readjusting to the pace of the SANFLW, really started to dominate with her dancing feet and showcasing why she reached the top level of football with the Dockers. She managed the 20 disposals, five marks – one contested – three tackles and five inside 50s, lifting in the crunch final term to set up scoring opportunities.

EMERGENCIES AND OTHERS CONSIDERED:

There were also three emergencies chosen for the Team of the Week, with one from each third of the ground, North Adelaide defender Ella Metcalfe (23 disposals, five marks – two contested – and two rebound 50s), Central District midfielder Caitlen Teague (21 disposals, five clearances) and Sturt teenage forward India Rasheed (16 disposals, five marks, five inside 50s and a goal) considered the most unlucky to miss out.

Though the emergencies make 27 in total, there were a further six players who were considered babsed on their performances. South Adelaide’s Tahlita Buethke was unlucky given her 24-disposal game, but the strength and impact over four quarters from so many midfielders made it tough to fit in. It was a similar story for Glenelg’s Tessa Kohn and Norwood’s Jade Halfpenny who were both really impressive on Friday night, but there were so many brilliant players in that game, particularly from the yellow and black.

In defence, a couple of Double Blues were considered, wth Zoe Prowse‘s new role catching the eye running off half-back, whilst Alex Ballard might have had less disposals than most (12) but her impact was profound with her work one-on-one and intercepting at centre half-back. Finally, Glenelg teenager Matilda Scholz was super influential in the ruck with 30 hitouts across the game, far too tall and athletic for her opponents on Friday night.

ROOKIE ME CENTRAL’S SANFL WOMEN’S TEAM OF THE WEEK: ROUND 1

B: Alison Ferrall (Norwood) – Leah Kaslar (WWT) – Beatrice Devlyn (West)
HB: Kiera Mueller (Sturt) – Madi Russell (West) – Madison Lane (Central)
C: Sarah Goodwin (Glenelg) – Piper Window (Glenelg) – Katelyn Pope (North)
HF: Shae Archbold (South) – Jess Waterhouse (South) – Hannah Ewings (North)
F: Brooke Tonon (Glenelg) (c) – Demi Sonneman (Central) – Chelsea Packer (Glenelg)
R: Jasmyn Hewett (Sturt) (vc) – Shineah Goody (WWT) – Jess Macolino (West)
INT: Jess Bates (Glenelg) – Nicole Campbell (South) – Alisha Gepp (Sturt) – Jade De Melo (North) – Keeley Kustermann (West) – Isabelle Starmer (Central)

EMG: India Rasheed (Sturt) – Ella Metcalfe (North) – Caitlen Teague (Central)