SOUTH Adelaide leads all-comers when it comes to SANFL Women’s Team of the Week representatives for Round 9, notching up five players after a strong win over the Eagles. Fellow winners Central District (four), Glenelg and Norwood (both three), with losers Eagles and Sturt also having three, and the remaining two sides combining for the last three.

This week’s captain is top-age Sturt young gun India Rasheed who racked up 34 disposals, seven marks – one contested – nine tackles, eight clearances, nine inside 50s and two goals in a dominant display. She is one of three Double Blues in the side with three-goal forward Georgia Swan and winger Claudia Edmonds.

Glenelg midfielder Jessica Bates earned the vice-captaincy for this round, notching up 35 disposals, three marks, 13 tackles, eight clearances, five inside 50s and four rebound 50s in the Bays’ win over West Adelaide. Fellow midfielder Jo Miller and ruck Shay’Lee Dayman were the other two Bays to complete the follower line.

South Adelaide’s five players topped the round this week with the Panthers having experienced AFLW-experienced players in Jordann Hickey, Nicole Campbell, Nikki Nield and Laquoiya Cockatoo-Motlap, as well as SANFLW games record holder Jaslynne Smith, all of whom fill out each third of the field.

Central District was next best with four players, and that included two defenders in Madison Lane and Liz Wilson who are on the last line of defence. In the centre was best on ground in the win over Sturt, being Bulldogs midfielder Caitlin Wendland. Tall top-ager Charlotte Riggs slots into the full-forward spot, having rotated between ruck and attack in Round 9.

Other winning side Norwood had a trio of players including two forwards in multiple goalkickers, Kiana Lee and debutant Ailene Hiebner. The third representative was former Port Adelaide utility Jade Halfpenny. Norwood’s opponent North Adelaide has the one player in the side, with midfielder Julia Clark chosen for the bench.

The remaining team with three representatives was Woodville-West Torrens, where, like Central District, the Eagles had two defenders in the side. Annie Falkenberg and Christina Leuzzi were named in the back six, while midfielder Marlie Fiegert got onto the bench.

West Adelaide duo Lucy Boyd and Emma Kilpatrick round out the side at half-back and on the wing, with the top-agers both putting in strong performance against the ladder-leading Bays. Their teammate Zoe Venning was chosen as one of three emergencies, alongside Norwood’s Sophie Armitstead and Woodville-West Torrens’ Poppy Waterford.

2024 SANFL WOMEN’S ROUND 9 TEAM OF THE WEEK:

B: Madison Lane (Central District) – Liz Wilson (Central District) – Christina Leuzzi (WWT Eagles)
HB: Annie Falkenberg (WWT Eagles) – Lucy Boyd (West Adelaide) – Jaslynne Smith (South Adelaide)
C: Emma Kilpatrick (West Adelaide) – Caitlin Wendland (Central District) – Laquoiya Cockatoo-Motlap (South Adelaide)
HF: India Rasheed (Sturt) (c) – Kiana Lee (Norwood) – Jordann Hickey (South Adelaide)
F: Georgia Swan (Sturt) – Charlotte Riggs (Central District) – Ailene Hiebner (Norwood)
R: Shay’Lee Dayman (Glenelg) – Jess Bates (Glenelg) (vc) – Jo Miller (Glenelg)
INT: Nicole Campbell (South Adelaide) – Julia Clark (North Adelaide) – Claudia Edmonds (Sturt) – Marlie Fiegert (WWT Eagles) – Jade Halfpenny (Norwood) – Nikki Nield (South Adelaide)

EMG: Sophie Armitstead (Norwood) – Zoe Venning (West Adelaide) – Poppy Waterford (WWT Eagles)