ONE of four South Australians in the National Academy, South Adelaide wing Lily Baxter is a player to watch in 2025. The hard-running Panther started her career as a dynamic attacking forward, but after developing her defensive work the last 12 months, is a fully fledged wing who can hurt opposition teams both ways.
We spoke to Baxter at the recent South Australian Preseason Testing Day about her journey, why she chose football and the goals she sets herself in 2025.
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Q: Lily, tell us a little bit about your footy journey?
LB: “I actually started in soccer when I was quite young and then my older brother made the switch to footy when I was about 10 and of course I low key just wanted to be him for a while. I just followed him really, fell in love with it my first training and just stuck with it then. Played with the boys for about five years and made the switch over to girls.”
Q: What has it been like developing through the South Adelaide program?
LB: “It’s been really good. Everyone there is just so welcoming and they never make you feel bad if you feel like you’ve had a bad training or game. They always find a way to bring you up. I think I was there two years in the junior program before I was lucky enough to be selected. It just felt like a family my first training as well, and going into my third season now.”
Q: The success of the club last year winning the SANFLW premiership, what was that like for you?
LB: “It was incredible. I’ve never won a grand final in footy before. I’ve lost quite a few, same in basketball actually. I’ve lost a lot of grand finals in my time, so it was really good to finally win one and with such a good team like obviously on the field, but off the field. It was just unreal really, it was incredible.”
Q: You mentioned you played basketball, soccer and footy, what was it that had you lean towards footy?
LB: “It was just always the most fun for me. Obviously I had a lot of pressure, still do, but it didn’t feel like so much pressure and it wasn’t as stressful. Basketball I was very stressed the whole time, so it was almost like a fun hobby outlet, and then got serious after South emailed me and I was like ‘mum I want to play footy’ and it just happened then.”
Q: You’ve played forward a bit as well in your early SANFLW days, what was the reason for the transition to the wing?
LB: “I’m not actually 100 per cent sure. I got told, but it was my first season. I think Round 10, quarter four, we had a couple of injuries in the mid. So Holly Ifould who was the winger at the time, she moved into the mid for a quarter so they put me on. I think it was just my running abilities so they stuck me there and kind of just fell in love with it, so they kept me there really.”
Q: What do you see as some of the strengths in your game?
LB: “Fundamentally probably my kick at the moment. I’ve been trying to work on it quite a lot of the past year. As a winger you have to bring the the ball down the ground a lot, so I thought ‘you have to lock in there’. But I also feel like I hold my space really well for my position and it’s a bit of a strength of mine, and I can read the play pretty well so it’s all works well together as a wing player.”
Q: What are you looking to improve on at the moment?
LB: “Fundamentally I want to work a bit more on my ground balls. I’ve been working on them a bit the past few months. They have already improved a bit, but I also have to still move them more when I come closer to the contest as a winger. I also want to be able to hold my sprint pace for longer, that hard running I want to work on a lot. They’re my two goals for this year.”
Q: You’re a part of the National Academy, what’s that been like?
LB: “It’s been so fun. Tarkyn (Lockyer, head coach) is a great coach and I’ve already learnt so much and so many skills and drills as well, and we do a lot of education there so I’ve already improved my recovery and activation because I did not do incredible amounts before learning all the details at Academy and the girls are so fun. We already have a group chat and we all get a long, there’s just no hatred anywhere. It was our first camp in December we looked like we’d played together for ages, it was just a really fun experiences.”
Q: Who do you look up to or model your game on at the top level?
LB: “There’s quite a few attitude wise, but playing wise I think it was 2022 I got coached for a bit by Eloise Jones from the Crows. I started watching her and she was a winger for a while, but she was someone I tried to model my game off because she’s very smart and plays her role really well and that’s something I really want to be known for. It would obviously be nice to be known as a good player but someone that can play a role is needed so I model my game off her.”
Q: Which AFL/W club do you support?
LB: “Currently I’m a Port supporter, but I do love watching the Crows girls. Because obviously I’m really good friends with Emma Charlton and her sister is in it, so whenever I’m around her I’m like ‘oh yeah go Crows!’ but I do really like the Crows girls.”
Q: Who’s had the most individual influence on your career?
LB: “Coaching wise, obviously Rick (Watts, South Adelaide head coach) is one big one. He really got me into the program, took a chance on me Round 1 and has kept helping me improve with a lot of good feedback, but also he’s not our coach anymore but he was our senior assistant coach and then our backline coach the year before that, Ben Yeomans. I used to strength and conditioning at his gym and he’s helped me physically a lot and we used to watch my individual vision together so he definitely has helped me a lot and I don’t think I would be as high as I am without him to be honest.”
Q: Finally, what goals do you set for yourself?
LB: “Well obviously my big goal of the year is the draft in December. It would be a dream come true to get drafted anywhere. But I just really want to work on my hard running in this year and just be a really strong wing for South and hopefully really do well at state, come back with a premiership and get those Victorians!”
