A COUPLE of huge clashes play out for Round 3 of the SANFL Women’s with unbeaten West Adelaide taking on reigning premiers South Adelaide, while Norwood searches for its first win in 2025 against a North Adelaide side that got on the board last week.

FORM

West Adelaide maintained its unbeaten start to the season with a second consecutive win last round, while South Adelaide was upset by a red-hot North Adelaide keen to turn around its 2024 fortunes. That gave the reigning premiers an idea that the season will be as close as ever before, and the Round 3 match is a huge contest.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

West Adelaide: 4
South Adelaide: 15

South Adelaide easily has the wood over their western counterparts, and despite the Bloods being at home, have never actually won at the venue. South won the first seven matches against the Bloods, with West winning three consecutive games en route to the 2021 SANFLW Grand Final, before South has claimed four of the past five to be well on top again.

TEAMS

West Adelaide:

B: Niamh Davis – Grace McNicol
HB: Philippa Worthley – Emma Chapman – Tiana Fernandez
C: Ella Maxwell – Hannah Button – Emma Kilpatrick
HF: Chelsea Newitt – Georgie Pater – Lucy Waye
F: Alana Lishmund -Nicole Hooper
R: Tess Huxtable, Zoe Venning, Ruby Ballard
INT: Sarah Campbell – Jemma Ellis – Emily Mableson – Gracie Sim – Olivia Smith

South Adelaide:

B: Tiffany King – Marley Tape
HB: Samantha Pratt – Jaslynne Smith – Esther Schirmer
C: Melissa Anderson – Caitlin Couch – Emma Charlton
HF: Caitlin Ross – Tamika May – Shae Archbold
F: Lauren Clifton – Emily Brockhurst
R: Soriah Moon – Jordann Hickey – Layla Vizgaudis
INT: Lilly Baxter – Casie Coombe – Charlotte Dolan – Molly Jenkins – Brylee Kerrin – Taya Maxwell – Jaidee-Lee Shortridge – Abby Woodward

CHANGES

West Adelaide has made just two changes with Molly Peterson (concussion) and Summer Malone out of the side. Tall Jemma Ellis and forward Nicole Hooper come into the side. South on the other hand has left it open with an extended bench, though made big calls to omit forwards Laquoiya Cockatoo-Motlap and Doreena Hansen, while losing defender Carly Milsom to an ACL injury. Caitlin Ross, Cassie Coombe nd Charlotte Dolan are among the inclusions.

AFLW DRAFT WATCH

Both sides have plenty of draftable talent, with West Adelaide’s Lucy Waye and Emily Mableson having outstanding starts to the 2025 SANFLW season. Gracie Sim has found a role in defence for the Bloods, likely to come across either of Emma Charlton or Layla Vizgaudis when down there. The duo, along with fellow bottom-ager Taya Maxwell have been in red-hot form to start the year. Marley Tape is young, but the Under 16s prospect has held her own at League level this season.

PREDICTION

West faces its biggest challenge yet against a hungry South side coming off a rare loss at home. The Panthers are generally considered the team to beat, though the Bloods have quality players across the park. Expect it to a be a single-digit margin by the final siren.

FORM

Norwood is still searching for its first win of the season, coming off back-to-back 20-plus point losses to South Adelaide and West Adelaide in the first two weeks. North Adelaide made sure it did not have as slow of a start as 2024, toppling the Panthers in a shock upset after pushing the Bloods a week earlier.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Norwood: 9
North Adelaide: 7

Norwood does hold a narrow head-to-head lead over North Adelaide, having won both matches last season to move two clear in the ledger. Having only played three times at Hisense Stadium, Norwood has won twice, including in Round 4 last year where the Redlegs got up by 25 points.

TEAMS

Norwood:

B: Nicola Burns – Ashlee Gould
HB: Charlee Brooksby – Emily Bartsch – Sophie Arkun
C: Kiana Lee – Sophie Armitstead – Sarah Branford
HF: Shai Hiscock – Jade Halfpenny – Charli Hazelhurst
F: Amelia Rusden – Grace Whittaker
R: Kate Alexander – Georgina Birchall – Stephanie Simmonds
INT: Candice Belbin – Emma Clark – Jazmine Egan – Elle Lineage – Lana Schwerdt

North Adelaide:

B: Tiara Hatchard – Jamie Parish
HB: Ella Metcalfe – Laela Ebert – Lauren Hoffmann
C: Erin Sundstrom – Ash George – Sasha Hardin
HF: Polly Turner – Julia Clark – Aprille Crooks
F: Amber Ward – Lucy Reddaway
R: Brooke Wilson – Djimila Totham – Zara Molloy
INT: Anja Bancevic – Tiara Hatchard – Bailey Murray – Iris Newman – Libby Taylor

CHANGES

North Adelaide has kept a consistent lineup without needing to make any forced changes, while Norwood opted to bring in Amelia Rusden and the returning Shai Hiscock with Mykaela Walker (concussion) and Jiarna Zerella (omitted) the outs.

AFLW DRAFT WATCH

Norwood unveiled bottom-ager Charlee Brooksby last week and she will be better for the run, while the versatile Charli Hazelhurst had some great moments including a classy goal. The other Norwood State Academy member is ruck Kate Alexander who gets better by the week, while Polly Turner has been a dominant contested marking force for the Roosters. Iris Newman, Bailey Murray and Lucy Reddaway have provided some dash and smarts for North as well.

PREDICTION

It is a must-win for Norwood in a 14-round season with slipping to 0-3 not a great start and would require the Redlegs to play some serious catch up. North Adelaide on the other hand can move to 2-1 and keep in touch with the top few sides and put itself in a good spot. Norwood in a nail-biter.