ANOTHER season of SANFL Women’s action is just around the corner, and while the league year is a little later than usual, South Australian footy fans have the brand new AAMI Talent League to look forward to starting February 28. As has become an annual tradition for Rookie Me Central, we name our top juniors from the league to keep an eye on for the year ahead with the only criteria being either top-age or younger.

We kick off our top 15 players to watch countdown – which will run over the three weeks to finish on the eve of the Talent League season – with South Adelaide talent Hope Taylor which shows the depth of the South Australian pool the fact she is kicking off the list.

South Adelaide Women's, South Australia GirlsSmall Forward

Hope Taylor

Height: 162cm

Weight: -

DOB: 26-07-2008

Positional Analysis

Taylor really found a nice niche as that small forward/wing last season and has the traits to really cement her place as that rotating outside talent. She is not big in stature or strength, but just has those natural footballing traits and slick evasiveness that helps her impact games in a big way. It is no easy feat to hold her place in South Adelaide’s senior side, and she got to bask in premiership glory.

2025 Stats

SANFLW | 8.3 disposals | 1.6 marks | 2.3 tackles | 2.6 inside 50s | 3 goals (12 games)

AFLW U18s | 9.0 disposals | 1.7 marks | 1.0 tackles | 2.3 inside 50s | 4 goals (3 games)

Key Strengths

Taylor is one of those players who might only win eight touches in a game, but they can feel like 15-20 at times because of the impact she has. Boasting nice skills, smarts and outside run, she moves well in transition, and while the bulk of her work has been done in the front half, has a lot of transferrable traits to any position. Last season was about adapting to the level as a smaller bottom-ager, but after showing she could compete, has put all the pieces in play to go to another level this year. Has serious class and X-factor.

2026

From 2025 where she rose into the senior Panthers’ side, then South Australian team and Under 17 Futures, Taylor has the experience to build on that breakout year. Far from the only prospect at South Adelaide – they could see up to four drafted this season including a couple in the top five – Taylor will likely settle into a wing role and adapt to winning more of the ball and having sustained impact on games, which is most exciting.

Summary

Hope Taylor is a name who perhaps coming into 2025 was not as known in SANFLW circles, but once she made her debut and showed she could impact games around the sticks and particularly linking up between midfield and attack, she quickly became an important cog in the Panthers’ side. One with fantastic upside and brilliant