ONE of two top-age AFLW Academy members from South Australia, Keeley Kustermann is a well-balanced talent out of West Adelaide. After a solid AFL Women’s Under 18 Championships playing off half-back and rotating through the midfield, Kustermann was back to her onball role for Westies where she racked up a game-high 26 touches in the loss to North Adelaide.

Kustermann started her SANFLW career as a 15-year-old playing off half-back where she showed promising signs coming through the West Adelaide development program. She became a staple immediately and showed composure with ball-in-hand, and footy smarts to get to the right spots. Though others might have a particularly strong weapon here or there, Kustermann is one of those players that just ticks an array of boxes when it comes to her profile.

She is a neat kick of the footy with her decision making better than her execution, but when on-song she is capable of hitting targets from a multitude of ranges. She is good by hand and is not afraid to put her body on the line, also running and carrying from the back half going forward. Having spent more time inside this season, Kustermann has added that element to her game, and she can play just about anywhere on the field. As West Adelaide is in Port Adelaide’s Academy region, Kustermann would be eligible for the Power to pre-list upon confirmation of the AFL Women’s Draft rules and limits.

In Round 11 against North Adelaide, Kustermann finished with 26 disposals – seven more than her season average – as well as four marks, three tackles, three clearances, two inside 50s and three rebound 50s, showing how well she covers the ground.

KEELEY KUSTERMANN

Height: 166cm
DOB: 17/04/2004
Club: West Adelaide
State: South Australia

ROUND 11 VS NORTH ADELAIDE: (2022 AVE)

Disposals: 26 (19.0)
Marks: 4 (1.8)
Tackles: 3 (6.3)
Clearances: 3 (3.3)
Inside 50s: 2 (2.9)
Rebound 50s: 3 (1.9)

QUARTER BY QUARTER VS NORTH ADELAIDE:

FIRST QUARTER:

Keeley Kustermann started the match in the middle on Jessica Edwards and went toe-for-toe with her around the the clearances. She laid a great tackle at half-forward to pin the arm, then won a free kick for being held herself not long after. She produced a great long kick to the top of 50 as her first major touch, then clunked an intercept mark at the eight-minute mark of the term, and had an inside 50 that proved effective.

A minute later, Kustermann was mopping up behind the ball with another intercept posession at ground level, and then was able to put a dangerous kick inside 50 from that touch. Though they ended up being her two recorded inside 50s, she still had a number of touches in transition. In the 13th minute, Kustermann took a strong contested mark over Jaimi Tabb positioning herself well at the 40m mark, running in to have a shot that just fell to the top of the goalsquare only for the North defence to mope it up.

At the 15th minute mark, Kustermann shrugged off Elaine Grigg but was immediately tackled by Tabb, and was lucky not to be pinged in that instance. She did have a couple of clangers over the next few minutes, with a rushed kick from wing to half-forward, and then off her non-preferred left out of defence, were both intercepted by the Roosters. She locked the ball up at half-forward with a good strong tackle on Erica Greet and then finished the incredible first term with an intercept in the middle and effective kick going forward. It was her ninth touch of the term making it a massive opening quarter, and more than anyone else on the field.

SECOND QUARTER:

Kustermann’s second term begin with an attempted handball early in the quarter but was immediately tackled as the opposition became more aware of her influence around the ball. She took a good mark in the middle of the ground and produced an effective kick at the eight-minute mark, before scooping up another intercept possession not long after and hitting a kick down the middle going forward.

Though a little bit less accumulative in the second term compared to the first, Kustermann kept cracking in and winning the ball in close, with an accidental kick attempting to clear the ball going into a teammate’s face. She played on fellow AFLW Academy member Hannah Ewings for a while and both were looking to get the upper hand in the contest, but give no space to their opponent.

THIRD QUARTER:

Kustermann’s work rate was on show in the third term, as she kept finding space to win the ball, and dispose of it under pressure, then provide second efforts. Unfortunately she did turnover a ball she intercepted at the seven-minute mark of the term, but then pushed up to half-back to help the defence, and won it back to effectively kick it to the wing. The multiple efforts not only showed her determination, but also her high endurance and work rate.

A few minutes later, Kustermann provided an effective handball to teammate Zoe Venning at the top of 50, with a rushed kick that dribbled just inside 50 coming shortly after. In the 14th minute of the term, Kustermann produced a quick kick forward from the middle to centre half-forward, and had been busy in close as the Westies looked to be on the attack late in the quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER:

Yet again Kustermann was solid across the board as she capped off the performance, but North had a lot of the ball in the final term. The West Adelaide talent had a few touches in the first half of the term, with a quick handball off clean hands at ground level to a teammate. She took a good mark at the seven and a half minute mark of the term, but her long kick down the line ended up being turned over. Kustermann had a clean pickup in the 11th minute and her subsequent kick went to a contest 30m out.

As a whole, Kustermann collected 17 disposals in the final three quarters, and though not as productive as her first three, still had some good moments, and was certainly busy throughout the game. She worked hard and earned her touches, getting into space as much as she won it in close.

CLOSING THOUGHTS …

Keeley Kustermann is a talent AFLW Draft prospect who will play in this week’s Academy game against the Victorian Under 23s side at Punt Road. Capable of playing inside, outside or off half-back, Kustermann has terrific versatility, is clean by hand and makes good decision by hand or foot. Going forward there are still areas for Kustermann to build on, but she has produced an impressive junior career to be one of the most talented South Australian prospects in 2022.