A NEW SANFL Women’s season opened with some terrific individual performances and each of the eight teams has between two and four representatives in our Round 1 Team of the Week. In the case of comfortable winners South Adelaide, Central District and Woodville-West Torrens there were a quartet of representatives with West Adelaide and Glenelg recording three, and the remaining trio of sides the two players apiece.

To kick off the first SANFL Women’s Team of the Year, West Adelaide monopolised the captaincy and vice-captaincy, as Hannah Button and Zoe Venning earned those respective honours. The pair picked up 27 disposals each, with Button taking three marks and laying three tackles, as well as recording seven clearances, four inside 50s and four rebound 50s. Venning helped herself to 35 touches, seven tackles and five clearances, while both kicked a goal.

They were joined in the side by new teammate Alana Lishmund who slotted the match-winning goal among three on debut for the Bloods. She shares the forwardline with another debutant in Rooster, Polly Turner from the same game. The Adelaide and Carlton father-daughter bottom-age prospect booted two majors and looked a likely target inside and out of the forward 50. She and North teammate Laela Ebert (27 disposals, nine marks, five inside 50s and six rebound 50s) were among the standouts.

Speaking of youth, South Adelaide bottom-age trio Taya Maxwell, Emma Charlton and Layla Vizgaudis all made the side after starring in the Panthers’ win over Norwood. Working through the middle and rotating forward or in Maxwell’s case the ruck, the three young guns all amassed more than 20 touches and provided crucial touches in the front half of the ground. Shae Archbold joined Lishmund as the other three-goal forward and was named at centre half-forward.

The remaining front six member is Central District’s Tesharna Maher, another former Redleg alongside Lishmund who has been named inside 50. She was lively for the Bulldogs with a goal from 21 touches and four marks, while bottom-ager Sophie Eaton starred through midfield racking up 25 disposals, four marks, six tackles, three clearances and six inside 50s. Due to the strength of the midfield and forwardlines, Jovanka Zecevic and Lauren Breguet were squeezed to the bench but deserved their spots.

Woodville-West Torrens also notched up four players in the Round 1 Team of the Week with a couple of defenders who can also push up the ground. Popi Gikas helped herself to 15 disposals and six rebound 50s, while Christina Leuzzi got her midfield change with 10 clearances from 19 disposals but still pushed behind the ball to assist when needed. Experienced ruck Leah Cutting earned the number one ruck spot, while hard working onballer Marlie Fiegert rounded out the Eagles contingent on the bench with nine clearances from 14 disposals.

Glenelg midfielder Jessica Bates finished with a league-high 37 disposals in the loss to Central District, also finishing with four marks, seven clearances, four inside 50s, five rebound 50s and a goal. She has become a regular in the Team of the Week over the past few years when in the league, and on this occasion was alongside teenage teammates Tessa Davis and Georgie Fielder. Davis was composed on debut in defence, racking up 24 disposals, four marks and 14 rebound 50s, while Fielder stepped up in her second season, notching up 25 disposals and six clearances both inside and outside.

The remaining four players hail from Norwood and Sturt, with a couple of defenders making the cut. Sophie Arkun had 18 disposals, three marks and six rebound 50s, while the returning Alex Ballard also spent time up the field and finished with 16 touches, three marks, two clearances, two inside 50s and five rebound 50s for the Double Blues. Consistent midfielders Isobel Kuiper and Sarah Branford slotted onto the bench for week one.

While plenty of choices remained for the three emergencies, in the end the three spots went to South Adelaide’s Lily Baxter, North Adelaide’s Aprille Crooks and Central District’s Alysha Healy.

2025 SANFLW TEAM OF THE WEEK: ROUND 1

B: Sophie Arkun (Norwood) – Tessa Davis (Glenelg) – Popi Gikas (WWT Eagles)
HB: Christina Leuzzi (WWT Eagles) – Alex Ballard (Sturt) – Laela Ebert (North Adelaide)
C: Sophie Eaton (Central District) – Taya Maxwell (South Adelaide) – Georgie Fielder (Glenelg)
HF: Hannah Button (West Adelaide) (c) – Shae Archbold (South Adelaide) – Emma Charlton (South Adelaide)
F: Alana Lishmund (West Adelaide) – Polly Turner (North Adelaide) – Tesharna Maher (Central District)
R: Leah Cutting (WWT Eagles) – Jess Bates (Glenelg) – Zoe Venning (West Adelaide) (vc)
INT: Sarah Branford (Norwood) – Lauren Breguet (Central District) – Marlie Fiegert (WWT Eagles) – Isobel Kuiper (Sturt) – Layla Vizgaudis (South Adelaide) – Jovanka Zecevic (Central District)

EMG: Lily Baxter (South Adelaide) – Aprille Crooks (North Adelaide) – Alysha Healy (Central District)