TWO unbeaten sides wanting to fend off a rival, while two winless sides hoping to get on the board in 2025 meet tomorrow as Round 3 of the SANFL Women’s competition begins.

FORM

Both these sides could not have started the year in better form, winning their first two matches which marked the first time the Eagles had done so in club history. Woodville-West Torrens has made the most of a home stint at the start of the season, as had Central District who hit the road for the first time in 2025 to head down to Eastern Parade Reserve in Ottoway.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Woodville-West Torrens: 1
Central District: 9

There is a heavy weighting towards Central District in the side’s head-to-head which might seem a little surprising given the teams entered at the same time in 2019 as the last teams to join the SANFLW. However aside from the Eagles’ nine-point win in Round 4 of 2021, Central District has won the rest of the time, having played Woodville-West Torrens twice a season the last four, and having won the past six matches.

TEAMS

Woodville-West Torrens:

B: Maia Freemantle – Ashley Baker
HB: Annie Falkenberg – Zahlia Niemann – Marlie Fiegert
C: Imogen Trengove – Poppy Waterford – Cheryllee Waters
HF: Brianna Walling – Klaudia O’Neill – Bianca Portaro
F: Rosette Zerella – Christina Leuzzi
R: Leah Cutting – Lucy Moore – Popi Gikas
INT: Amie Blanden – Olivia Evans – Audrey Holt – Ruby Lynch – Sophie Zuill

Central District:

B: Georgia Madigan – Elizabeth Wilson
HB: Madison Lane – Miyu Endersby – Tess Gerhardy
C: Karissa Searle – Caitlen Teague – Laitiah Huynh
HF: Lauren Breguet – Dakota Williams – Tesharna Maher
F: Alysha Healy – Katelyn Rosenzweig
R: Erica Rowe – Sophie Eaton – Jovanka Zecevic
INT: Amy Gaedtke – Tara Lord – Shelby Raven – Demi Sonneman – Holly Tralaggan

CHANGES

With both teams undefeated, there has only been one change made between either side. Alysha Healy – who was a late withdrawal last week – has come into the Central District team to replace the omitted Tiarna Grovermann.

AFLW DRAFT WATCH

National Academy member Sophie Eaton was again strong for the Dogs last round, having started the 2025 season in style. She will face another State Academy top-ager in Imogen Trengove who was best on ground in her side’s win last round. Another Dog who stepped up last week was Tara Lord, while Miyu Endersby could face fellow athletic tall Ruby Lynch in defence. Lucy Moore and Maia Freemantle have also had their moments through the middle of the ground.

PREDICTION

An incredibly difficult match to pick, with the home ground advantage potentially nudging the Eagles ahead. However the Bulldogs have the experience to match them, and it will likely come down to single-digit difference.

FORM

Neither of these sides has started in ideal fashion, going down in their first two matches. The Double Blues lost to both Eagles and Bulldogs, though looked competitive particularly in Round 2. Glenelg lost to the same two sides, though made a marked improvement – despite a slow start – against the Eagles after a disappointing first round defeat the hands of Central District.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Sturt: 6
Glenelg: 7
Draw: 1

Delicately poised at an almost even keel, Sturt is looking to level the head-to-head with a win here. However the Double Blues will need to revers recent history, having only won one of the last four encounters against the Bays. Sturt won the first three between the two teams dating back to 2018, though since then Glenelg has claimed seven wins to only three losses, and a draw.

TEAMS

Sturt:

B: Gypsy Schirmer – Lily Whitcombe
HB: Imogen Szegedi – Isabella Drew – Alexandra Ballard
C: Lily Smart – Monique Bessen – Claudia Edmonds
HF: Zara Walsh – Millie McCarthy – Molly Fletcher
F: Summer Ross – Ruby Cunningham
R: Eqxelle Evans – Isobel Kuiper – Sophie Thredgold
INT: Georgia King – Grace Powell – Hannah Prenzler -Saskia Reynolds – Georgia Swan

Glenelg:

B: Lauren Edwards – Mackenzie O’Dea
HB: Ash Dyer-Pietsch – Tessa Davis – Marie Martino
C: Georgie Fielder – Ellie Kellock – Samantha Franson
HF: Eloise Mackereth – Cassie McWilliam – Jordan Horne
F: Kiahni Russell – Astrid Gooley
R: Shaylee Dayman – Jessica Bates – Asha Dufour
INT: Elizabeth Johnson – Tamsyn Morriss – Ella Quinn – Ellen Tyminski – Lucy Weatherald

CHANGES

Neither Sturt nor Glenelg have hit the panic button just yet, with the Double Blues forced to make two changes, while the Bays have opted for extra height and make just one. Losing in-form ruck Jasmin Fejo to NBL1 duties hurts Sturt, while key midfielder Alisha Gepp will miss due to an arm injury. Former Panther Eqxelle Evans returns after dropping back for one week, while Glenunga’s Saskia Reynolds makes her SANFLW debut. For Glenelg, Northern Territory forward Cassie McWilliam makes her Bays debut, while Madisyn Freeman is the unlucky omission.

AFLW DRAFT WATCH

A couple of National Academy members headline the clash, with midfielder/forward Monique Bessen set to have even more responsibility in the absence of Gepp. On the other side of the equation, Bays forward Eloise Mackereth will look to get her season rolling, teaming up well in attack with Jordan Horne. Top-age defender Tessa Davis has been a revelation for the Bays, while Georgie Fielder has been sensational through the middle. Sturt’s young contingent including Sophie Thredgold and Summer Ross particularly stood out in Round 2.

PREDICTION

Another nail-biting clash is predicted with both sides about the same level on form. Sturt get the homeground advantage, though it is really even. Given the loss of Gepp and the already strength of Glenelg’s on-ball group, the Bays may have the upper hand, though Sturt have the systems in place for another to step up and play the role required of them.