AS PART of a new countdown series leading into the 2023 South Australian National Football League (SANFL) Women’s season, we will name 23 players to watch who are under 23. We are only looking at those players who were born January 1, 2000 or later, have played a SANFL Women’s senior match and have never been on an AFL Women’s list. Today we are up to number #16 and it is Norwood midfielder Tesharna Maher.

#16 Tesharna Maher (Norwood)

DOB: 15/11/2001
Height: 160cm
Position: Midfielder
Local club: SMOSH West Lakes

A key contender for the most improved player in the SANFL Women’s last season, Maher came on in leaps and bounds for the Redlegs. Crossing from Woodville-West Torrens where she made history playing alongside her mother, Bronwyn Davey in 2019. A former soccer player, Maher converted to the oblong-shaped ball game late in her junior career, representing the Central Allies at the 2019 AFL Women’s Under 18 Championships.

Over the past few seasons, Maher has slowly developed her craft, adapting to the new code and trying to find a position within the team. Having been utilised in all thirds of the ground for the Eagles, Maher crossed to Norwood for a fresh change ahead of the 2022 season. Starting in the Development League in Round 3, the speedster would earn a crack at SANFL Women’s level the following week and never look back.

A quiet first game of seven touches was soon a thing of the past, as Maher found the consistency that perhaps lacked in her game prior to 2022. She did not record less than double-digit disposals from that point on, and became a high-clearance midfielder while still using her athletic gifts. A massive 17 clearances over the following three weeks set up her season, and it culminated in a dominant Round 10 effort against West Adelaide.

Involved in a 22-point victory, Maher amassed 23 disposals, four marks, four tackles, seven clearances and nine rebounds in a career-best game. Though she would only play the one more game – missing the Round 12 contest – and eight games for the season, the youngster would go on to win the Redlegs’ best and fairest award. Across the eight games, Maher averaged 16 disposals, 2.1 marks, 4.0 clearances, 4.1 tackles and 3.6 inside 50s and completely transformed her game to be one of the most potent midfielders.

Though ultimately she was not picked up in the AFL Women’s Draft, Maher remains a huge chance in 2023, particularly if 2022 is anything to go by. It was only a small sample size, but doubling her production and finding a dominant role while keeping her slick skills, added an extra string to her bow. She comes in at 16th on our count with much more to come from the 160cm, 21-year-old.