IN just her third game back from injury, Sturt bottom-ager India Rasheed was able to collect a career-high 22 disposals in the Double Blues’ victory over Woodville-West Torrens Eagles. Spending more time in the midfield than ever before, the talented left-footer showed her class and produced an impressive outing to be one of Sturt’s best behind Georgia Swan.

South Australia Girls, Sturt Women'sMidfielder-Forward

India Rasheed

Height: 173cm

Weight: -

DOB: 29-11-2006

2023 SANFL Women’s: Round 6
Sturt 10.12 (72) def. Woodville-West Torrens 1.6 (12)

STATS: 22 disposals (16 kicks, 6 handballs), 7 marks, 6 tackles, 3 clearance, 2 inside 50s, 1 rebound 50s, 1 goal, 1 behind

FIRST QUARTER

India Rasheed started the game at half-forward and though Sturt was dominating in the early stages with repeat behinds, the talented bottom-ager did not get too much involved in the action until a strong tackle in the ninth minute. From there she received a handball and tried to move out of a contest but was dragged down forcing a dribble kick along the ground.

Bouncing back from that, Rasheed lead out to receive the ball off the bounce inside 50 and handballed over her head cleverly to the running Monique Bessen for a shot on goal. She had another clean handball moments later collecting it off the deck, then after some repeat leads inside 50 found space and was honoured for that lead with a pass onto her chest.

In a rare error by Rasheed, she missed the 30m set shot to the right, but then just a moment later spotted up a free Bessen inside 50 with elite vision in traffic to pinpoint a pass to her. She would finish the quarter with a nice mark on the wing and lovely kick to half-forward.

SECOND QUARTER

The second quarter was the quietest of the three for Rasheed, as she was not heavily involved in the play. In the last few minutes of the half, Rasheed laid a great tackle on the wing. Then in her one major play, had a silky pickup off the deck, turned onto her left and nailed a pass on the move to Swan for her teammate’s third goal right on the half-time siren.

THIRD QUARTER

After a quieter third term, Rasheed had a massive third term, and was best on for that quarter. She found plenty of the ball with a nice handball in the forward pocket to keep the ball in motion, then at the five-minute mark delivered a bullet pass into tall forward, Amy Brooks-Birve. Unfortunately that kick bounced off Brooks-Birve’s chest, and again through her hands 30 seconds later after Rasheed put a high one into the goalsquare from a stoppage.

In the seventh minute, Rasheed moved into the midfield where she read it well from the the centre stoppage, kicking to half-forward to a teammate in a fortunate position. The Sturt bottom-ager started racking up a few repeat handballs midway through the term on the attacking side of the wing as she tracked it, then thumped another clearance from that region inside 50.

Rasheed showed her hard attack on the ball midway through the term, but also her smarts in keeping the ball alive along the wing, gaining her side 20m with a nice kick to a contest. She would end the quarter having proven her midfield credentials.

FOURTH QUARTER

The fourth term saw Rasheed intercept a ball after reading it well in the air, then passed onto a teammate down the ground. Her quick reflexes were on show coming off half-back when she picked it up and kicked to Tessa Doumanis on the wing, but her teammate was nudged out of the contest. At the nine-minute mark, Rasheed won the ball at half-back via a mark, wheeled around quickly and hit a target brilliantly.

Winding down into the last 10 minutes, Rasheed went in hard as an opponent was over the ball and gave away a high free kick, but had the right intentions of attacking the contest. Surprisingly Rasheed’s bread and butter of hitting the scoreboard had not come to fruition yet, but it would. In the 11th minute of the final term, she found space and marked all alone. Her set shot from 25m out never looked like missing and she would cap off her performance with a major of her own.

CLOSING THOUGHTS ….

India Rasheed looms as one of the top AFLW Draft prospects in next year’s draft. She has a lot of untapped potential, and some of that includes midfield development. Boasting a potent left foot and outstanding vision to go with her execution, the talented bottom-ager is an exciting player who will not only be among the best in next year’s AFLW Draft, but also a standout throughout this year.