POWERFUL inside midfielder/forward Piper Window has started the 2023 SANFL Women’s season in electrifying form, but her Round 3 performance in Glenelg’s win over Sturt was the best to-date. The talented young star racked up 29 disposals and slammed home three goals rotating between on-ball and inside 50 with the Double Blues having very few answers for the teenager. She was our Player Focus for the week.

Port AdelaideInside Midfielder, Medium Forward

Piper Window

Height: 166cm

Weight: -

DOB: 30-07-2005

2023 SANFL Women’s: Round 3
Sturt 4.5 (29) def. by Glenelg 9.4 (58)

STATS: 29 disposals (22 kicks, 7 handballs), 2 marks (1 contested), 8 tackles, 1 hitout, 7 clearances, 4 inside 50s, 3 rebound 50s, 3 goals, 1 behind

FIRST QUARTER

Incredibly by her standards, and what would eventuate in the match, Window had a relatively quiet start to the game, amassing just the four touches in the first 20 minutes. Her first disposal came via a free kick from a great tackle on Kiera Mueller inside the attacking 50. Taking the set shot from 25m out straight in front, Window’s connection off her boot did not look good and it tumbled off to the right for a behind.

A couple of minutes later, Window won a loose ball at half-forward and gave off the quick handball to a teammate, but would not win her third touch until the 15-minute mark where she won a clearance in the defensive 50 to clear the zone and hit a target at half-back. Her final disposal of the quarter came just after that moment running hard to receive the handball but unfortunately turned the kick over on the wing.

SECOND QUARTER

Window started off in the centre square for the second term, winning the opening clearance off the hand of close friend and teammate, Matilda Scholz. Though she was dragged down as she did it she still got her kick away, then pushed forward to win a free kick 40m out. With just 45 seconds down on the clock, Window slammed home her first in a great effort that was much improved on her first quarter set shot despite being further out from goal.

The Glenelg talent did well to read the ball of Scholz’s hand at the two-minute mark of the term, but could not quite win the ball, fumbling at the crucial moment. She was quickly wrapped up by opponent Kate Harris, and at the repeat stoppage had her jumper tugged by Harris, but was not awarded the free kick and Sturt cleared the area.

Window would apply terrific defensive pressure throughout the match, laying a strong tackle in the forward pocket at the five-minute mark, before giving off a lightning handball a few minutes later in attack. Pushing back up the ground shortly after, Window won a contested ball on the defensive side of the wing, and despite being tackled, got the handball away. She laid a good tackled herself at half-forward midway through the quarter.

The teenager would continued to rack up the ball as the half closed down, taking a good mark on the wing and effectively kicking to half-forward. She would rush a tumbling kick from the wing forward which went straight to Mueller, then dropped a mark at half-back at the 18-minute mark. Window’s recovery was impressive, quickly getting the handball away, and while her Sturt opponent was the beneficiary, Window bounced back to steal it and thump it on the boot, but it was once again unfortunately turned over on the wing.

THIRD QUARTER

After beginning to have the ball on a string in the second term, Window backed up that quarter with a dominant effort forward of centre in the third. She would kick two goals – back-to-back no less – and do the majority of her work in the first 11 minutes. Her ball-winning efforts started at the first centre clearance where she won it and kicked quickly to half-forward, but it was turned over to Jaime Wittervan. Shortly after, Window won another clearance at half-forward where she was able to put it in teammate Tessa Kohn‘s vicinity to kick a miraculous goal under pressure.

Within the first few minutes, Window would have a couple of nice handballs including one at half-forward to allow a teammate to kick inside 50, then when rolling into the midfield rotation, again at half-back. In that instance, Window received the ball at half-back and gave off the quick handball to captain Ellie Kellock to kick down the ground. A minute At the fifth minute of the term, Window won the loose ball and thumped it inside 50 from the wing, and a minute later she won the ball inside forward 50 and tried to sidestep Alisha Gepp but was brought down and pinged for holding the ball.

At the six and a half-minute mark, Window was tackled by multiple opponents but still got the handball away to Matilda Wilmore. Within the next five minutes was when the AFLW Academy member really made her mark on the game. She won a free kick for downfield and took the set shot from 35m on a slight angle. Learning from her first quarter attempt at a further range from a similar angle, Window made no mistake to kick her second goal of the day.

A minute later, Window picked up a loose ball and snapped around her body to kick inside 50 after being initially spoiled in the marking contest. At the 11-minute mark, Window was opposed to two opponents on the line but managed to pull down a terrific contested mark – just her second overall mark for the match – and kick her third goal of the game. Earning a rest, Window would return later to win a clearance at the 18-minute mark to kick down the ground, then on the siren received the handball at half-forward with the subsequent kick inside 50 bouncing out of bounds.

FOURTH QUARTER

By the final break, Window had overtaken captain Kellock for disposals with 23 touches and lead all-comers in the game. She won her first disposal on the wing at the three and a half minute mark of the term, and while she could not cleanly gather it on the first go at ground level, won the ball and kicked inside 50 to a two-on-one. Unfortunately her kick went to the one Sturt defender and was a turnover.

Three minutes later, Window burst from a stoppage and produced a rushed kick towards half-forward which proved effective enough. Reading the taps well off Scholz, Window had a number of first-possession players during her on-ball rotation, but was often immediately tackled or harassed so she could not cleanly take it. When she won a clearance at the nine-minute mark, Window thumped it on the boot going forward.

In the final few minutes, Window picked up another few disposals, starting with a good mark on the wing at the 12-minute mark. She sensibly slowed the play down after Sturt had most of the ascendancy in teh final term, before kicking it to a half-forward contest. She arrived at the next stoppage to win the ball but was tackled immediately. A minute later she won a downfield free after marking – so was paid as a free – with her short kick to a teammate effective. That would end up her last disposal, as Window was denied a 30th touch by being spoiled at half-forward with a couple of minutes to go.

CLOSING THOUGHTS ….

Piper Window is an incredible talent who is in the top five players across the country. When discussing her strengths, she has an all-round game in terms of her athleticism and endurance, with the burst speed, evasion, power and strength to make her hard to stop, and even when she is stopped, to bring down. Window is impressive overhead, and works up and down the ground, and as her three goals show, she can also hit the scoreboard.

Her kicking is the main point of contention and stopping her from arguably really giving the number one ranking place a shake. Her ability to consistently win the ball and clear it from the stoppage going forward helps offset some of that liability, but it is the major area of improvement for the young gun. She could also be a little cleaner at ground level, but once she has the ball in her hands, she can inflict maximum damage. As a whole, Window has enormous upside and would arguably be leading the SANFLW League Best and Fairest at this point.