SOUTH Australian coach Courtney Cramey cannot wait until the first bounce of the inaugural state clash between the SANFLW and WAFLW tomorrow, with the Croweaters flying west today ahead of huge contest. Boasting a side of mature-age players as well as a sprinkling of ex-AFLW listed talents, Cramey said the coaching panel was “really proud” of the assembled side.

“All the girls are obviously really talented in their own right and are some of the best at their own clubs so when talent comes together from experience, it’s about the team that can gel quickly, gel the most really quickly is going to be one that might have an edge on being successful,” Cramey said.

“We have no doubt that we have lots of talent and bringing that all together is about how well they all get to know each other across the journey and the program. Travelling to Perth really helps in that regard. I think away trips always bond a group in terms of spending more time together, so we’re all really excited and looking forward to it.”

The playing list is not the only star-studded group with Cramey’s senior assistant and ex-AFLW player Sam Virgo alongside a trio of SANFLW mentors in reigning premiership coach Ben Hunt (Central District), Michael O’Connor (Sturt) and Narelle Smith (Woodville-West Torrens).

Of the confirmed 22-player side, three are current SANFLW captains, of which the trio make up the leadership group in Samantha Franson (captain), Annie Falkenberg and Shelby Smith (both vice-captains).

“They’re fantastic leaders of their own clubs and really represent the SANFLW competition well and throughout their communities in improving the game and helping out at grassroots level,” Cramey said.

“Sam Franson as the captain of Glenelg footy club sitting on top of the ladder, they’re travelling really well, the Bays. How she goes about it and the energy and vibe she brings to the group was just a standout on the first couple of nights of training and that’s what you want in this short program is someone that’s going to gel the group together so it was a no brainer for all of us as coaches that Sam Franson was the best captain for this team.”

In terms of the squad itself, the Croweaters have opted for just the one pure ruck in Soriah Moon who will likely have a tag team between West Australian talls Emmelie Fiedler and Lauren Quaife on the day. Cramey said the coaching panel decided on just the one ruck with the likes of Katelyn Rosenzweig and Jade Halfpenny among the options to give Moon a chop out.

“We think on a much wider deck at Optus, we’re really looking forward to using that space and having one ruck and the ability to chop out with some of our key forwards is going to be crucial in keeping that speed on the ball and hopefully play some exciting football, so Soriah’s had an outstanding season,” Cramey said.

“We feel that some of the chop out rucks that we’ll see on the weekend have done a fair bit of work in that space within their own club at SANFLW level and are quite capable in their own right to do that ruck work.”

Cramey said the coaching staff would “put some parameters” around how they would like the team to play, but the underlying element was for the players to show their unique gifts and play on instinct within those parameters. The South Australian coach said the opposition had young players such as Zippy Fish, Molly O’Hehir, Claudia Wright and Natasha Entwistle who would do just that and provide a challenge for the Croweaters.

“We understand what we’re coming up against, but we’re really proud of the side that we’ve put together and we feel that these are the best women in our competition at the moment and we look forward to the challenge,” Cramey said.

The states agreed on a maximum of four under-age players, though with South Australia hosting an internal trial, the Croweaters opted to purely focus on mature-age talent, to provide them with “another avenue” to showcase their skills for AFLW clubs.

“We understand the Under 18 girls and Under 16s have their pathways of state football, so we’re really excited to put on a show what the SANFLW competition has to offer from those over-age players and it’s really exciting for them to go out on a big stage and present themselves and they’re all looking and striving for that next opportunity and this is just one of them,” Cramey said.

Cramey admitted she “wouldn’t be able to help myself” when it came to scoping out the opposition and admitted she had watched a “fair bit” of the WAFLW across the first nine rounds, and was looking forward to seeing the best against the best from both states.

“It’s fantastic to see the talent that’s running around in their comp, and that’s what makes state footy so good, it’s the best of the best coming together,” Cramey said. “I’ve had a quick look at what their talent looks like, but obviously as I mentioned before, it will just be about the team that can gel and bond together and play and put their talents on display quicker than the other one I think. We’ll go about our business and what we want to achieve and really focus and be proud of the talent that we have.”

As for the game itself, Cramey is hoping both sides can put on a memorable exhibition and she hopes to see some end-to-end football and high octane action.

“We’re looking forward to hopefully having a high-scoring game and make the game really exciting and a spectacle for the fans to enjoy,” she said. “We understand we have an opportunity in front of the big stage with the crowd pouring in for the West Coast and Essendon match and we want to play some absolutely exciting football.

“It should be a good hitout and understanding that WA footy is very much that type of footy and using the big spaces and getting out and getting some speed on the game, so it looks to be a great game.”