CENTRAL District captain Shelby Smith admits it was a frustrating 2022 South Australian National Football League (SANFL) Women’s season for the Bulldogs as yet another slow start cost them a finals spot. In the first five rounds, Central District’s only win was a Georgia McKee-inspired come-from-behinds special against West Adelaide, as they were thumped by 40-plus points in three of the Bulldogs’ four losses.

Those results put the Bulldogs behind the eight ball, starring down the barrel of another missed season at 1-4, before stunning the previously undefeated Sturt by a goal in Round 6 on the road at Thebarton Oval. They went on to win three of the next four games and put themselves back into finals contention, but a heartbreaking one-point defeat against eventual premiers North Adelaide – having lead by a point in the final minute – proved the final nail in the coffin.

“It was an almost season again which was unfortunate,” Smith said. “Obviously looking this year to not rely on other teams to win or lose to make the finals. We want to win it off our own back. But probably the start of the season let us down last year, we were a bit slow with a new coach, finding positions and working out where we go or fit as a team. I think probably was our downfall last year.”

In the end, Central District finished with five wines from 12 games, but went 4-3 in the second half of the year to recover from the 1-4 start to the season. Had the Bulldogs grabbed the points against North Adelaide, they would have finished just percentage outside the top four.

“We can compete with the best team, I think it comes down to learning to win as well,” Smith said. “We win a game and then we might lose a game and then it’s like as a team we need to learn to win and know that it’s okay to win and have that challenge in front of us that we can win every game and it’s an expectation for us.”

Smith again had another outstanding year, collecting just about every award she could with the club’s best and fairest and a spot in the SANFL Women’s Team of the Year, while finishing runner-up in the league best and fairest award for a second year running.

“I guess last season missing a game probably didn’t help (for the league best and fairest) but I don’t play for that so it’s nice to get recognised in that way but I play to win games for my team and whatever comes with that, obviously comes with that,” Smith said.

Unfortunately the Bulldogs will be minus both McKee (anterior cruciate ligament injury) and Isabelle Starmer (North Adelaide), as well as Paige Allan (West Adelaide), but Smith said she was confident others would step up.

“On and off the field, it’s a big loss,” she said. “It’s good that she’s (McKee) been getting out to trainings and we’ve been getting around her. She’s a huge part of our success for the next coming years, and it’s going to be a big hole, but it just gives girls a chance to step up and take her role.

“I think as Centrals we don’t want to define our team by one player. It’s a loss losing Izzy (Starmer) I’m not going to deny it. But it gives other people opportunities to step up. We’ve got Georgia Avery from Norwood which is really good. She’s going to be a good pickup for us.”

Along with Avery, Central District has picked up North Adelaide premiership player and AFL Women’s draft hopeful Elaine Grigg, a player who has plenty of potential and brings energy to the group.

“For someone that’s so young, she brings so much experience and obviously playing in a team that’s won a premiership, it’s good to get a bit of insight into the way that she thinks and goes about her footy,” Smith said. Awesome personality as well, we just don’t want to recruit on talent, we recruit on people and she’s obviously having that club, her grandfather was involved in Centrals, so it’s nice to have someone who cares about the club as much as all of us girls.”

Grigg’s grandfather Ray Grigg was a club patron at Elizabeth, with the youngster adding some blue to her red and white jumper. The speedster’s ties to the club are similar to that of Smith’s own ties, with her father Greg playing 100 games with Central District after 96 with South Melbourne/Sydney and 31 with Collingwood at the top level. Though having similar ties to the club, Smith said she and Grigg had not discussed the similarities, but it did bring back memories for their fathers.

“Not so much, I think our dads have (reminisced) which is cool,” Smith said. “But I just can sense off of her that she really cares that she wants to help make Centrals successful. The way she comes to training, the way she goes about her business, you can just see that she’s going to go really far with her footy.”

Another youngster who is set for a huge year is bottom-age key position utility Charlotte Riggs. Having earned a spot in South Australia’s Under 18s squad last season, the Central District tall is one to watch.

“Charlotte Riggs is amazing in the ruck as well, so her having that second season in her to build a bit of strength, she’s going to go really far with her footy, she’s so versatile,” Smith said.

Looking ahead to 2023, the 31-year-old Smith has not given up hope of earning a spot on an AFL Women’s list, but said next season would be a great chance to assist in her teammates developing and getting a chance to step up to the elite level.

“I really want to focus on leadership and obviously I would have loved to being drafted and that was always a goal of mine and probably being overlooked in that area I feel like it’s really important for me to help girls get drafted if they are a little bit older, if they’re younger,” Smith said.

“I really want to focus on that this year. Obviously I’ll focus on my footy side that’s just a given, but probably my leadership and being a bit confident in the way that I go about that.”

Central District has also added Dylan Middleton as its strength and conditioning coach (SCC), which along with coach Ben Hunt returning for a second season, is improving the Bulldogs over the off-season.

“We’ve got a new SCC coach Dylan who’s been really good, a bit of a fresh insight. He’s been working with our men’s program which is cool,” Smith said. “Having Ben for a second year I think we’re not getting to know each other anymore, he knows how we want to play and we don’t have to focus on that stuff, we’re just getting straight into it. I think our preseason is much better than last year and we can hit the floor running this year.”

The SANFL Women’s season kicks off on February 17 with the 2023 fixture to be released in the near future.