IN summarising the 2021 Victorian Football League Women’s (VFLW) season, Draft Central will run through a team-by-team review of how each of the sides fared, and who some of the standout VFLW-listed performers throughout the clubs were. The next team in the firing line is Southern Saints.
Season in a Sentence: “2021 offered a bit of everything for the Southern Saints, who produced both three-game winning and losing runs in what was ultimately a satisfyingly even 7-7 season.”
TOP PERFORMERS (VFLW-LISTED):
Tara Bohanna
The 26-year-old key forward returned sensational numbers as the Saints’ focal point in attack, averaging 16.8 disposals, 4.4 marks, 7.2 hit-outs and booting 19 goals in her 16 games. Bohanna was held goalless just four times in 2021, and her efforts culminated in richly deserved best and fairest honours.
Gabriella De Angelis
From tall to small, De Angelis was another important part of the Saints’ forwardline. The speedy 20-year-old snared 11 goals in her 15 appearances this season, booting two on four seperate occasions to showcase her constant attacking threat. She ended up third in her side’s best and fairest count.
Deanna Jolliffe
One of three co-captains who means plenty to the Southern Saints squad, Jolliffe lead from the front in her 15 outings this season. She averaged 14.3 disposals and 5.7 tackles and 2.8 clearances as a tough member of the midfield group, capping her season by taking out the Saints’ coaches award.
Hannah Stuart
Another of the Saints’ prime midfield movers, Stuart hardly missed a beat in her 15-game campaign with strong averages of 18.5 disposals, 5.9 tackles, and 3.8 clearances. The 27-year-old was named among her side’s best players on nine occasions in 2021, enough to be the runner-up best and fairest.
AFLW TALENT:
So consistent was Alice Burke‘s form at VFLW level, she finished fourth in the best and fairest count with averages of 21 disposals and 6.5 tackles in 11 games. Fellow youngster Renee Saulitis also fared well with an extended run, while Jess Matin was another who earned a senior berth on the back of strong form. The likes of Hannah Priest, Tyanna Smith and Molly McDonald impacted in their short stints, and Nadia Von Bertouch played nine games before being delisted and suiting up for Hawthorn.
OTHERS:
The Saints had a nice spread of contributors from their VFLW-listed group. Alexandra Hynes emerged as a promising ruck option throughout the season, while Lucy Burke held down her post in defence, and Rebecca Neaves earned plaudits alongside Madison Capsalis and Melanie Bertuna. Co-captain Frankie Hocking was another valuable member of the squad across her six appearances, as Kayla Ripari rounded out a trio of players to feature in all 16 games.
WESTERN Bulldogs skipper Dominique Carbone is the toast of the Victorian Football League Women’s competition tonight, after she won the 2024 Lambert-Pearce Medal. She won the award with 17 votes, pipping Don El Chaston, Hawk Tamara Luke and Darebin Falcon Angelica Gogos for the award. Carbone in a tight battle early for the award, but […]
TONIGHT is the of nights in the VFL Women’s competition, with the Lambert-Pearce Medal night set to take place in the heart of Melbourne tonight. The pinnacle award of the evening is the VFLW Best and Fairest the Lambert-Pearce Medal, named after Victorian football pioneers Helen Lambert and Daisy Pearce, but there are a number […]
DAREBIN defender Riley Christgoergl has experienced a lot in the past through years of her VFL Women’s career. Afte a few years at the Western Bulldogs, she then moved to Collingwood before finding her way to the Falcons in 2024. However after leaving the Bulldogs in search of a fresh start, leaving Collingwood so soon […]
A 50-STRONG squad to represent the VFL Women’s competition was announced today ahead of the leagues clash with the SANFL Women’s State Team at Alberton Oval on Friday, April 11. Now just two weeks away, the final team of 21 players will be announced prior to the match. The battle for state rivalry will mark […]
COLLINGWOOD recruit Riley Mason has garnered attention after booting four goals on his VFL debut, as the Magpies beat Sydney by 25 points at Victoria Park on Saturday. The 23-year-old earned a state league berth after posting 72 goals in 18 games for Goulburn Valley League side Seymour last year. Mason is a product of […]
IT IS a key day in the build-up to the 2025 VFL seasons, with the fixtures for both the men’s and women’s competitions announced today. However, only Rounds 1 to 10 of the VFL Women’s fixture and Rounds 1 to 13 of the VFL Men’s fixture has been fully released, with only the matchups confirmed […]
IT IS the dawn of a new era for the VFL Women’s competition. The Southern Saints are no more, with the side that was aligned to St Kilda from an AFLW perspective now truly merging in with the Sandringham Zebras and will share the same name moving forward. The Zebras also have a new coach […]
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WESTERN Bulldogs’ captain Dominique Carbone is the queen of the VFL Women’s competition after she won the 2024 Lambert-Pearce Medal last night as the Best and Fairest of the entire competition. Speaking mere minutes after her crowning last night, Carbone said that it had “not just yet” sunk in that she had won. “It’s an […]
WESTERN Bulldogs skipper Dominique Carbone is the toast of the Victorian Football League Women’s competition tonight, after she won the 2024 Lambert-Pearce Medal. She won the award with 17 votes, pipping Don El Chaston, Hawk Tamara Luke and Darebin Falcon Angelica Gogos for the award. Carbone in a tight battle early for the award, but […]
TONIGHT is the of nights in the VFL Women’s competition, with the Lambert-Pearce Medal night set to take place in the heart of Melbourne tonight. The pinnacle award of the evening is the VFLW Best and Fairest the Lambert-Pearce Medal, named after Victorian football pioneers Helen Lambert and Daisy Pearce, but there are a number […]
DAREBIN defender Riley Christgoergl has experienced a lot in the past through years of her VFL Women’s career. Afte a few years at the Western Bulldogs, she then moved to Collingwood before finding her way to the Falcons in 2024. However after leaving the Bulldogs in search of a fresh start, leaving Collingwood so soon […]
A 50-STRONG squad to represent the VFL Women’s competition was announced today ahead of the leagues clash with the SANFL Women’s State Team at Alberton Oval on Friday, April 11. Now just two weeks away, the final team of 21 players will be announced prior to the match. The battle for state rivalry will mark […]
COLLINGWOOD recruit Riley Mason has garnered attention after booting four goals on his VFL debut, as the Magpies beat Sydney by 25 points at Victoria Park on Saturday. The 23-year-old earned a state league berth after posting 72 goals in 18 games for Goulburn Valley League side Seymour last year. Mason is a product of […]
IT IS a key day in the build-up to the 2025 VFL seasons, with the fixtures for both the men’s and women’s competitions announced today. However, only Rounds 1 to 10 of the VFL Women’s fixture and Rounds 1 to 13 of the VFL Men’s fixture has been fully released, with only the matchups confirmed […]
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