
Saulitis rides wave of success on the back of hard work and determination
WHEREVER South Warrnambool’s Renee Saulitis goes, generally premierships follow. She tasted success at Ararat Storm, then at Lake Wendouree, and at Ballarat Grammar in the Herald Sun Shield. Now the Greater Western Victoria (GWV) Rebels prospect is hoping that all those long treks from the Shipwreck Coast to the Goldfields will pay off at next […]

Hill finds her voice at Stingrays
DANDENONG Stingrays defender Zoe Hill admits she started the program back in 2017 as a softly-spoken 15-year-old who was still new to football. After all, the year prior was her first season running around with the oblong ball, crossing from basketball to play with some friends at Mt. Eliza. Fast forward three years, and Hill […]

Clark dares greatly and follows coach’s mantra to Roosters’ flag
NORTH Adelaide’s Julia Clark by her own admission is quieter than most and despite being told of her abilities and how she can influence a game, Clark was just happy to play her role in 2019. She was happy to do her bit each week as the Roosters reached the grand final, only to fall […]

Hartwig follows pathway to the top
A PIONEER of sorts in the junior female football space, Sarah Hartwig was quick to sign up in the first South Metro Junior Football League (SMJFL) girls competition a decade ago. On the advice of a friend, the now Sandringham Dragons utility and Vic Metro representative decided to give Australian rules football a crack and […]

Ankle injury can’t stop Kuiper rekindling love for footy
STURT over-ager Izzy Kuiper‘s top-age year might have come to a sour end due to an ankle injury last year culminating in her missing the 2019 AFL Women’s Under-18 Championships, but it has not deterred the inside midfielder. It was just her first year in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) Women’s competition after […]

Lifelong dream close to realisation for determined Smith
IN a couple of weeks, passionate footy fan Tyanna Smith is set to live out a lifelong dream of reaching the elite level. The talented midfielder who starred for Dandenong Stingrays and Vic Country over the past few years is among the top prospects heading into this year’s 2020 AFL Women’s Draft, but her road […]

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 […]