IN the space of a few hours, Glenelg young gun Piper Window‘s trophy cabinet filled quite significantly. Crowned the SANFL Women’s Best and Fairest as the icing on the cake for a remarkable season, the Bays midfielder/forward also took out the Breakthrough Player, Coaches Award and was named in the SANFLW Team of the Year.
Spending more time on-ball this season, Window averaged 20.3 disposals, 3.1 marks, 6.1 clearances, 4.0 inside 50s and 7.9 tackles, while booting seven goals. Picking up at least 15 disposals in each of her games, she earned the Breakthrough Player nomination in Round 1 for a remarkable 17 tackles to go with 17 disposals, four clearances and three inside 50s.
In a history-making first, Window followed in the footsteps of 1965 Magarey Medallist Gary Window, becoming the first grandfather-granddaughter combination to win league best and fairests.
Voted the best in the league by the coaches and umpires, Window was also named on-ball in the Team of the Year. She was one of six State Academy members in the team along with South Adelaide duo Brooke Boileau and Esther Schirmer, Glenelg’s Poppy Scholz, Central District’s Elaine Grigg and West Adelaide’s Lauren Young.
Window’s season followed that of Young’s 2021 season at SANFL Women’s level where the West Adelaide young gun won the same accolades and catapulted herself into national stardom at just 15 years-old. For the Glenelg talent she is 17 and has already earned the captaincy of the South Australian team, known for her ferocity at the contest and outstanding athletic profile.
Aside from Window scooping up the majority of the awards, South Adelaide’s Lily Baxter won the Maccas’s Moment of the Year for her match-winning goal against Glenelg. Central District’s Katelyn Rosenzweig was awarded the Leading Goalkicker, and Sturt skipper Kate Harris won the Leadership Award.
Harris was also anointed captain of the Team of the Year, with Eagles skipper Annie Falkenberg named vice-captain. Central District coach Ben Hunt – who led the Bulldogs to a maiden finals series and subsequent grand final – was named coach.
2023 SANFLW AWARDS:
SANFLW Best and Fairest: Piper Window (Glenelg)
Breakthrough Player Award: Piper Window (Glenelg)
Coaches Award: Piper Window (Glenelg)
Leading Goalkicker: Katelyn Rosenzweig (Central District)
Leadership Award: Kate Harris (Sturt)
2023 SANFLW TEAM OF THE YEAR:
B: Georgia Madigan (Central District) – Esther Schirmer (South Adelaide)
HB: Georgia Swan (Sturt) – Poppy Scholz (Glenelg) – Annie Falkenberg (WWT Eagles – vc)
C: Tahlita Buethke (Norwood) – Kate Harris (Sturt – c) – Katelyn Pope (North Adelaide)
HF: Elaine Grigg (Central District) – Lauren Young (West Adelaide) – Tesharna Maher (Norwood)
F: Caitlin Wendland (Central District) – Katelyn Rosenzweig (Central District)
R: Soriah Moon (South Adelaide) – Piper Window (Glenelg) – Brooke Boileau (South Adelaide)
INT: Lana Schwerdt (Norwood) – Zoe Venning (West Adelaide) – Isabelle Starmer (North Adelaide) – Isobel Kuiper (Sturt) – Shelby Smith (Central District)
