NORWOOD has a new coach and a renewed attitude heading into the 2023 South Australian National Football League (SANFL) Women’s season, and captain Alison Ferrall is excited about what next year could bring. The defender’s 2022 season ended early due to injury, but liked what she saw from some of the young players as the Redlegs pushed for a finals spot, falling just short in fifth.

Despite missing out on finals for the first time since the SANFL Women’s started in 2017, Ferrall said there were quite a few young players who stepped up to the elite level helping the club set up its future fortunes.

“Last year we actually had nine girls come up from our 16s onto our senior squad and then this year there will be a few more,” she said. “There’s a couple to look out for in the future. Charlie Hazelhurst has come through our Under 16s program and she’s a really strong netballer but she was our ruck in Under 16s and she’s made it into our Under 18s and Under 16s state program but I think she could even play senior footy for Norwood this year so definitely watch her.”

Brad Snell has taken over the head coach reigns from Mat Creeper, and has already made an impact on the group, working well with the off-field personnel to get the most out of the playing list over the preseason.

“It’s just a great vibe between them and the girls and just seeing all the coaches working really well together and just comes down to the team as well,” Ferrall said. “We’ve got a lot of young players which is really exciting from our Under 16s development so they’ve come up and joined us and they’ve slotted in nicely too so that’s exciting.”

Ferrall is one who knows a fair bit about the junior pathways in South Australia, helping coach the Under 16s Futures earlier this year in the curtain-raiser to the SANFL Women’s Grand Final. For Ferrall, it is a pathway to remain involved in football, with the 33 year-old able to have an impact on and off the field for the Redlegs. In her eight games before getting inured last season, Ferrall averaged 17.1 disposals, 4.1 marks and 4.0 rebound 50s. However getting into coaching the juniors is something she is “really passionate about”.

“I just love seeing these young girls come through but also helping them develop as players and people,” Ferrall said. “Just seeing them, their growth and their improvement is just really exciting and for the future of women’s footy I think it’s awesome.”

One such young gun to watch for next year’s AFL Women’s Draft is Molly Brooksby who is one of the shining lights in South Australia’s Under 18s Academy, set to lead the Norwood midfield with her balance of work rate and skill. Along with Brooksby, Ferrall nominated the experienced Morgan Johnston, and last year’s competition leading goalkicker Alana Lishmund as others to watch in 2023.

“I think Morgan Johnston is just having an outstanding preseason and I think she’s going to have a huge year and be back to her 2021 form,” Ferrall said. “Really excited to see what she can do, and same with Alana Lishmund as well.

“She had a really strong year, was the number one goalkicker for the SANFL and she’s having an awesome preseason too. We had an internal trial last week and she just looked so strong out there and really confident.”

After missing out on finals last season, Ferrall believes the group can accomplish anything this year and is looking forward to seeing how the fresh faces perform in 2023.

“I’m really excited about this group this year,” Ferrall said. “We’re just working really well together on our connections all the way through each part of the ground so I think last year reflecting on it, that was something we lacked, that connection between mids to forwards, back to mids, so on and so fourth.

“I think that’s something we’ve worked really hard on and (Brad) Snell’s got a great training program in place to put us in the best position going into Round 1.”

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