THREE sides picked up their second wins of the 2024 SANFL Women’s season, with Sturt storming home against Central District, South making it back-to-back victories with a win over Eagles, and Norwood proving too good for North Adelaide in the second half of their Round 4 match.

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Young guns steer Sturt to impressive win

STURT duo India Rasheed and Monique Bessen had the ball on a string all game against Central District, combining for a whopping 64 disposals, 19 marks, nine clearances and 14 inside 50s as the Double Blues kicked away in the final term to win by five goals at The Ponderosa.

The Double Blues handed the reigning premiers their second consecutive loss of the season, and despite the home side cruising to a three-goal lead at quarter time, only kicked three majors for the rest of the game as Sturt piled on 11 in the last three quarters to run out 11.6 (2) to 6.6 (42) winners.

Rasheed had a whopping 13 disposals and booted two goals in the last quarter to steer the Double Blues to victory in a stat-stuffing performance. She (36 disposals, 11 marks, eight tackles, four clearances eight inside 50s and three goals) and bottom-age Bessen (28 disposals, eight marks, five clearances and six inside 50s) went to down using their elite skills to full advantage.

Despite Central District always being in the contest, the Dogs could not contain the duo, with over-ager Zara Walsh benefiting from their delivery, slamming home five goals – just one short of the all-time record – while clunking eight marks from 14 disposals. The other standout was Isobel Kuiper who amassed seven clearances on the inside to lead by example, while Lily Whitcombe was rock solid in defence.

The Dogs welcomed back captain Shelby Smith to the fold as the skipper picked up a team-high 23 disposals, also taking six marks, laying seven tackles and having three clearances. The standout was Laitiah Huynh (21 disposals, six marks and five tackles), while Caitlin Wendland (17 disposals, four marks and four inside 50s) was busy. Young defenders Mikaylah Antony and Tarly Borgas also caught the eye.

CENTRAL DISTRICT 3.1 | 3.1 | 6.2 | 6.2 (38)
STURT 0.2 | 3.3 | 6.5 | 11.6 (72)

GOALS:
Central District: K. Rosenzweig 2, J. Teakle 2, S. Eaton, J. Evans
Sturt: Z. Walsh 5, I. Rasheed 3, A. Healy, G. King, S. Ross

RMC BEST:
Central District: L. Huynh, C. Wendland, M. Anthony, S. Smith, T. Borgas
Sturt: I. Rasheed, M. Bessen, Z. Walsh. I. Kuiper, L. Whitcombe

Redlegs roar home to deny Roosters maiden win

NORWOOD recovered from a shaky first half to put away North Adelaide and even their 2024 SANFL Women’s season ledger at 2-2 with a 25-point victory at Hisense Stadium. The Roosters kicked the only two goals of the first half through Djimila Totham and Lauren Hoffman to lead by 12 points at the main break, only for Norwood to kick the last six majors of the game and secure the 6.5 (41) to 2.4 (16) victory.

At half-time it looked like the Roosters would finally crack through for their first win of the season, but the Kiana Lee show rolled into town in the third term and the ex-Eagles forward slammed home three consecutive majors to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. She put her side 14 points up at the final break, then moved into defence in the last term to take some crunch intercept marks back there.

Last term majors from Jade Halfpenny and Amelia Rusden put some icing on the cake, but the score was not indicative of just how close the match had been. Had it not been for Lee’s incredible five minute purple patch where she turned a four-point deficit into a 14-point lead, the Redlegs could well have been staring down the barrel of a 1-3 start to the season.

Lee was clearly the difference with her three goals from 15 touches and five marks, while Najwa Allen and Molly Brooksby coming out of defence provided some class and stability in transition. Tahlita Buethke found plenty of the ball, while Jade Halfpenny and Elle Lineage were busy through the forward half and midfield.

Defender Laela Ebert was busy throughout the match, topping 20 touches, five marks and laying 10 tackles, while Julia Clark and Katelyn Pope were both prolific across the ground. Port Adelaide-listed Amelie Borg was an intercepting force in the back half of the ground.

NORTH ADELAIDE 0.0 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 (16)
NORWOOD 0.2 | 0.2 | 4.5 | 6.5 (41)

GOALS:
North Adelaide: L. Hoffman, D. Totham
Norwood: K. Lee 3, A. Davies, J. Halfpenny, A. Rusden

RMC BEST:
North Adelaide: L. Ebert, A. Borg, J. Clark, K. Pope, A. Crooks
Norwood: K. Lee, N. Allen. T. Buethke, J. Halfpenny, E. Lineage

Panthers win back-to-back games after dominant performance

South Adelaide has recovered from an 0-2 start to the season to level its win-loss record ledger heading into Round 5. In the battle between the two sides who got on the board last week, the Panthers started strongly kicking the first two goals of the match, and then three of four in the first quarter to race out to a 12-point lead.

Despite the Eagles bringing the heat again, the Panthers matched that fierce defensive pressure and then kicked away, albeit slowly. Woodville-West Torrens kept the Panthers within 23 points at the final break, but goals to teenagers Emma Charlton and Brooke Boileau – as well as three straight behind to competition leading goalkicker Emily Brockhurst – resulted in the Panthers coming away with the 6.9 (45) to 1.4 (10) victory.

South Adelaide dominated the clearances 35-17, and therefore got on top of the inside 50s 27-19, while recording more disposals, marks and laying more tackles in an all-round eye-catching effort. The Eagles’ defence was able to restrict the home side to just 1.6 (12) over the middle two quarters, but could only kick one behind in that time themselves, while the Panthers booted 5.3 to 1.3 in the first and fourth terms.

The combination of Boileau (22 disposals, seven tackles and six clearances) and Caitlin Couch (21 touches, five marks, seven tackles and seven inside 50s) were outstanding, while Nikki Nield was productive. Last week’s SANFLW Rookie nomination Charlton helped herself to 1.2 from 16 disposals, while Jess Waterhouse and Laquoiya Cockatoo-Motlap both kicked two goals in the win.

Even in defeat, the class of Shineah Goody was evident as the Eagles star picked up 22 disposals, two mars, seven tackles, four clearances and two rebound 50s, while defenders Annie Falkenberg – in her 50th game – and Bianca Portaro never stopped trying. Debutant Imogen Trengove (16 disposals) found plenty of the ball as well.

SOUTH ADELAIDE 3.0 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 6.9 (45)
WWT EAGLES 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 (10)

GOALS:
South Adelaide: Laq. Cockatoo-Motlap 2, J. Waterhouse 2, B. Boileau, E. Charlton
WWT Eagles: M. Fiegert

RMC BEST:
South Adelaide: B. Boileau, C. Couch, J. Waterhouse, N. Nield, E, Charlton
WWT Eagles: S. Goody, B. Portaro, A. Falkenberg, P. Waterford, I. Trengove