What’s in a name? Alex the newest Ballard with big dreams
THE ‘sister of’ tag is something which could easily irk a budding AFLW prospect when repeated over time, but Alex Ballard, the proud sister of Gold Coast defender, Charlie gladly accepts the “compliment”. “I don’t mind it, I think it’s a bit of a compliment if I’m compared to him because he is a good […]
Sprinting ace Grubb takes a tough year in his stride
KEEN South Australian draft watchers may remember him as the winner of last year’s SANFL Grand Final sprint, but Central Districts speedster Lachlan Grubb has more in his locker than pure straight-line speed. Sprinting and football run through the 17-year-old’s veins, with his father a former Reserves player at Norwood, while his uncle took out […]
Kohn comes on in leaps and bounds for Bays
SOME players might struggle to get out of bed on a Saturday for an afternoon game, others might ride a casual 150km. Glenelg inside midfielder Tessa Kohn was certainly the latter, prior to entering the South Australia National Football League (SANFL) Women’s competition. The elite cyclist admitted she “didn’t take it (Under 18s footy) seriously” […]
Young leader Prenzler thrives in Sturt’s culture
NAMED as a member of Sturt’s leadership group at just 17 years old, Hannah Prenzler is not overawed by expectations. A cool, calm and collected speaker, the soon-to-be 18-year-old is symbolic of the Double Blues side – young, talented and having a bright future. When head coach Bruce Dawes told Prenzler of her inclusion into […]
Fast and fierce Huynh embodies Centrals’ spirit
SHE may be small, but packs a punch. Central District forward Laitiah Huynh is a prospect who personifies everything great about her side’s style; pace, an attacking mindset, and ferocity in the tackle. The 17-year-old has cut her teeth throughout the South Australian pathway, rising the ranks via her state’s Under 16s, and Under 18s […]
Halfpenny continues Norwood family legacy in search of dream
TALENTED forward Jade Halfpenny never thought of herself as following her father Warren into Australian rules football, but her switch from basketball to Australian rules football enabled her to become one of a number of special family ties in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) Women’s competition. A number of players made their debuts […]
Competitive Morriss loving community aspect of SANFL Women’s
FOR 18-year-old Tamsyn Morriss, her football journey has been interrupted in patches but overall had a speedy rise through the ranks from a junior level. Starting out at Auskick and limited in her pursuit after a couple of years, Morriss did not give in and returned to Aussie rules after exploring other sports. “I’ve grown […]
Shanara Notman – Grasping opportunity through adversity
GIPPSLAND Power prospect Shanara Notman is somewhat of a coach’s dream; versatile, raw, hard-working, and made of leadership material. The 19-year-old narrowly missed out on being drafted last year, and had pegged her 2020 campaign as one which would help garner the experience and game sense required to make the step-up to an AFL Women’s […]
Favell’s sacrifices worth it for chance at AFL Women’s
WHEN talking about sacrifices made to play Aussie rules football, there is not much that Murray Bushrangers and Eastern Allies’ Abby Favell has not done to pursue her dream of playing AFL Women’s. AFLW U18s Ones to Watch: Abby Favell “I started playing AFL in a primary school competition called ‘Paul Kelly Cup’ in year […]
Verrier set for a Thunderous September
FOOTBALL has always been a constant for Peel Thunder youngster Sarah Verrier. Unlike many other potential AFLW draftees who were introduced to footy later in life, Verrier has been involved in the sport for as long as she can remember. “I’ve been playing football since I was in Auskick,” Verrier said. “I was about five […]