HARD-RUNNING South Adelaide winger Lily Baxter is having a sterling finish to the SANFL Women’s season and through to another grand final for the Panthers. Baxter transformed her game from being a clever forward to a two-way running wing, and will play her third SANFLW decider in as many seasons on the weekend.

In the preliminary final against the Double Blues, Baxter was relentless in her running patterns and she held her ground well to be a switch option on the outside. The top-age National Academy member also kicked a vital goal on the edge of half-time and her overall performance was our Player Focus from the Preliminary Final.

PLAYER FOCUS:

2025 SANFL Women’s – Preliminary Final:
South Adelaide 7.6 (48) def. by Sturt 0.3 (3)

#56 Lily Baxter (South Adelaide)
Stats: 24 disposals (15 kicks, 9 handballs), 7 marks, 3 inside 50s, 1 goal

FIRST HALF

Baxter started the game on the wing and remained there for its entirety, with the top-ager having a strong speed-endurance mix which helps her cover the ground exceptionally well. Her first involvement was a strong intercept mark on the wing and immediately used her great vision and skill to hit up a target on the 45 at centre half-forward.

Baxter is a player who keeps her head on a swivel and will look to place kicks in front of teammates to mark, or hope to find a target in the corridor to open up the game. She holds her width really well, and even when missing a target – such as in the sixth minute of the game looking for a lead inside 50, it goes to a dangerous spot where it is tricky to get the ball out of – deep in the pocket.

While not being a prolific tackler, Baxter still puts pressure on her opponent to force mistakes, and when having the opportunity herself, shows quick and clean hands to dish off in an instant. A play midway through the second term saw her receive the ball via hand and then while under pressure deliver a well-weighted handball inside to a teammate.

Her spreading was becoming a problem for the Double Blues as Baxter was working between the corridor and the outside, taking a couple of marks and putting the ball into advantageous positions. At one point with Emma Charlton marking just inside 50, Baxter dashed forward to work into space and took a nice mark with contact just before half-time. She went back and drilled the set shot to make the score 26-0 at the main break.

SECOND HALF

Baxter continued to have some nice involvements in the third term even if it was a quieter quarter for her. She took a mark out in front at half-forward and delivered low inside 50 only just missing the target. She remained firm in her position at the top of 50, and then as the game progressed worked behind the ball too. Her other main involvement in the third quarter was a clean and quick handball to Charlton on the wing.

Most of Baxter’s disposals did come between the arcs, often peering inside for that short 20-30m pass to open up the ground and use angles effectively. Quite commonly, Baxter would then dash forward to be an option even if not rewarded. An early touch in the fourth term on the wing saw the top-ager slip after gathering under pressure, but kept her composure to handball it back into play.

As Sturt gained more forward half ascendancy in the last, Baxter was in the defensive half of the ground and took a good mark close to the back 50 shortly after her first touch. In the fifth minute she leapt high – showing her athleticism – to try and spoil even if a touch mistimed. Aside from being run-down in the middle of the ground – but still getting the ball away, Baxter worked well with any space in front of her and made good decisions by hand or foot.

Her last couple of touches included a long kick down the ground to half-forward off the handball receive under pressure, and a quick dish off in the back 50 – though intercepted – when scooping it off the deck. Having already beaten her season-high disposal tally by half-time, the wing would go on and finish with a really strong performance running out the game brilliantly.

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

Baxter’s previous disposal threshold has been 15, with her semi-final performance the week before, along with her Round 1 game against Norwood the two times she had hit the mark. Not a massive accumulator, all bar two games have seen Baxter produced 12 or more touches, with seven matches being either 12 or 13 disposals.

Her preliminary final performance far exceeded that with 24 disposals as well as an equal season-high of seven marks. She kicked her seventh goal of the season as well, and looked dangerous anywhere in the front half of the ground. Her speed and endurance, coupled with her vision, decision making and skill stands out in her game, and while being an outside player who can develop areas of her game, she is having a promising purple patch to cap off the year and lead into South Australia’s last two national carnival matches.