AS PART of a new countdown series leading into the 2023 South Australian National Football League (SANFL) Women’s season, we will name 23 players to watch who are under 23. We are only looking at those players who were born January 1, 2000 or later, have played a SANFL Women’s senior match and have never been on an AFL Women’s list. Today we are up to number #15 and it is Sturt top-age talent, Lily Whitcombe.

#15 Lily Whitcombe (Sturt)

DOB: 02/03/2005
Height: 173cm
Position: Tall Defender
Local club: Blackwood

Entering the top 15 of our count is the first top-ager of the countdown. Sturt defender Lily Whitcombe is a player who has proven herself to be a reliable lockdown defender who is strong one-on-one, but also has areas of improvement given her offensive traits. Playing for the Double Blues and South Australia, Whitcombe was often tasked with shutting down an opposition forward, and the teenager was able to do that more often than not.

Over the past two seasons, Whitcombe has played 23 games, including 12 for the Double Blues in 2023. Though not winning a ton of the ball with an average of 5.8 disposals per game, her role provided far more than numbers. The 17-year-old provides a strong, competitive aerial presence, and is a lovely kick of the ball when she does have it in her possession. Her skill, combined with her decision making, is what helps her stand out from her peers.

Despite playing as that tall defender in 2022, she has the capacity to play further afield, even kicking a goal for the State Academy during their training session this month. It could spell a move to the other end of the field, given anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries to forwards Shae Archbold and Georgia McKee. Whitcombe can only get better with more time with ball-in-hand, and she is impressive enough to be an option to drive the ball out of defence.

Sturt had so many players with speed and skill coming from the back half of the ground, Whitcombe was not required to play further afield, with the eventually drafted pairing of Kiera Mueller and Alex Ballard playing the intercepting, offensive roles. With the duo now set to be restricted compared to playing full seasons, Whitcombe could fill that void and show what she can do with an unleashed role. However even if just playing a defensive role, would follow a similar path to North Adelaide’s Amelie Borg who was drafted off a defence-first role.

Despite her numbers not jumping off the page, Whitcombe showed as a bottom-ager in a successful state side that she can compete with the best forwards in the country. With another year of development, and having that success through not only South Australian duty, but reaching a grand final with Sturt, Whitcombe’s experiences have grown and the top-age talent should improve exponentially in 2023.