TOP-AGE AFL Women’s draft prospect Lily Baxter did not mind the extra time or energy it took to juggle her footballing commitments between South Adelaide and South Australia over the last couple of years, with the hard-running utility more “sad” when she couldn’t be part of training at either.

While now studying occupational therapy at university, she looks back fondly on her time through the junior pathway, and the sacrifices had had to make were all part of the journey.

“It definitely can be a lot, especially last year i was in Year 12 and I was really trying to get a high ATAR,” she said. “It was quite time consuming and I live quite far away from both of them, so at times it definitely was quite difficult. “But I really do just love playing footy and love both teams so it ended up being just fine because training was my favourite part of the week and I was happy to be at either.

“For a lot of the years like last year and this year, training nights would collide at points so I would miss a training for South. “I think I missed four weeks of South trainings in a row so I didn’t have to do a lot of balancing which was honestly kind of sad because I did miss everybody at South. “Balancing I think was okay, especially this year.”

Baxter became a two-time SANFLW premiership player this year after South Adelaide defeated Woodville-West Torrens in the grand final. It is not lost on her that she was one kick away from becoming a three-time premiership player – Central District booted the winning goal in 2023 with the last kick of the game – which she says is a “touchy subject”.

“It was a really good year team-wise especially for South,” Baxter said. “Lucky enough to go back-to-back premiers and I really just love everybody at the club. “It’s a really incredible environment so it was really fun and pretty awesome to be able to do that and I guess in all my sporting I haven’t been lucky enough to be in the team that’s so successful.

“And state’s honestly just the best, its the funnest few weeks of your life.” Every player gets along with everyone so well and the coaching staff is just really good there as well. “I really miss playing with both teams, so pretty good team-wise and I think as a player I feel like i was pretty happy with my year. “Obviously I thought there were games where I could have done more or impacted more but overall I was pretty happy.”

In the off-season with her uni studies almost complete for the year, Baxter is focusing on strength and conditioning ahead of the AFLW Draft. She splits her time between individual sessions and working alongside a number of Panthers who are also digging deep during the break.

“I’m really enjoying it and I really love being around the girls and my coaches are incredible and I think I’ve actually gotten way stronger than I thought I’d be even and he (strength and conditioning coach) even does my running program so I really do owe a lot to him. So I’m just running and gymming really,” Baxter said.

The top-age season also brought about some key improvements defensively in Baxter’s game, having now played off half-back as well as a wing and half-forward, making her a perfect outside utility. Throughout 2025, the South Adelaide prospect said her tackling technique and defensive pressure had notably lifted, and while she conceded she was “not insane” in the area quite year, she regarded that side of her game as her biggest improvement.

“I’d always still love to increase my tackle technique and defensive pressure and my consistency with my groundballs,” Baxter said. “I’ll have some really good games where I’m like ‘wow I was really clean’ and then there will be other games where I don’t think I picked it up at all so its probably not great so I should really work on my consistency with groundballs.”

As for her opposite left boot, Baxter routinely apologised on-field reminding any teammates she was “not a left footer”.

“Definitely left foot is probably my biggest one as well, but I kinda just throw it on the boot and hope for the best, but I do need to actually work on being able to hit a target well,” she laughed.

Now the 2025 AFLW Draft is fast approaching and with South Australian teams occupying just two of the 18 potential spots in the draft, Baxter realises the odds suggest she will be relocating. The thought of that is something she has come to terms with and has no problem moving interstate to chase her dream.

“It is really scary thinking about the draft but I really like the idea of moving away,” she said. “Kind of like starting a new chapter or journey of your life and honestly like getting to move interstate to play the sport that I just love would be really cool.

“Obviously I would still come home and I’d really miss my friends and family. “But when I come home I have to prioritise them because I’m only here for a short amount of time so I think I do quite like that idea that they are my main focus for a week or the few days I’ll be back.”