A SQUAD of 22 players has been locked in for the SANFL Women’s clash with the WAFL Women’s on Saturday, marking a historic first for the competition. It will be the first time since the SANFLW was established in 2017 that a Women’s State League clash takes place on the domestic stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 2024 SANFL Women’s squad features five players who have previously been on AFL Women’s list, with the likes of Jade Halfpenny<\/a> and Laquoiya Cockatoo-Motlap<\/a> (Port Adelaide), Hannah Button<\/a> and Katelyn Rosenzweig<\/a> (Adelaide) and Caitlin Wendland<\/a> (Brisbane) all making the final side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The team itself has enormous midfield depth, with five of the six bench players in our potential SANFL Women’s lineup predominantly on-ballers. Many of the other midfield options can also play other roles, such as Norwood’s Tahlita Buethke<\/a> who could be stationed off half-back, while Button and Wendland provide a mix of pressure and skill in the forward half of the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pure inside ball-winning group that includes Jessica Bates<\/a>, Shelby Smith<\/a> and Zoe Venning<\/a> will be tough to beat around the stoppages, though expect Alisha Gepp<\/a> and Tesharna Maher<\/a> to add some pace to the first possession-winning core.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Specialist winger Laitiah Huynh<\/a> will add just that on the outside, with the SANFLW state skipper and Glenelg captain Sam Franson<\/a> likely on the other wing, but could easily head forward and rotate with Cockatoo-Motlap as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Forwards Halfpenny and Rosenzweig loom as the obvious contested marking targets inside 50, with Eagles’ McKenzie Dowrick<\/a> unfortunately missing out due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear a couple of weeks back. A former Subiaco player, the West Australian would have been extremely familiar with many of the opposition players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In defence, Eagles’ skipper Annie Falkenberg<\/a> and Glenelg back Marie Martino<\/a> have a great ability to both lockdown and provide drive out of defence, with another impressive young Eagle in Christina Leuzzi<\/a> doing just that. The two harder lockdown defenders will be South Adelaide’s Tiffany King<\/a> and North Adelaide’s Sarah Steele-Park<\/a> who will take the Sandgropers’ best tall forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n South Australia has gone with just the one pure ruck in the team, being South Adelaide’s Soriah Moon<\/a> who has truly earned the honour. She will not only have the star-studded on-ball group previously mentioned, but also the likes of Isobel Kuiper<\/a>, Poppy Waterford<\/a> and Sophie Zuill<\/a> to palm down to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All up, the South Australian team looks a balance between sheer contested ball-winning and defensively strong midfielders, as well as some speedsters to break the lines. The selectors went with a smaller hybrid side with just the one player – Moon – coming in at 180cm or taller. However a number of the players will be able to match up on taller opponents which will be great to watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While Franson was named as skipper of the side, she has plenty of experience around her in Central District premiership captain Smith and Eagles’ leader Falkenberg as her vice-captains in the three-player leadership group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “It’s an honour just to be a part of this squad and now the team and to lead you guys, who are the best in the League, hopefully I will do you all proud,” Franson\u00a0said to her teammates after being announced captain this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Crows AFLW assistant coach Courtney Cramey<\/strong> will lead the side, with Eagles’ coach Narelle Smith<\/strong> the Chair of Selectors, and current SANFLW coaches, Ben Hunt <\/strong>(Central District) and Michael O’Connor<\/strong> (Sturt) the assistant coaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n POTENTIAL SANFLW STATE TEAM LINEUP:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n B:<\/strong> Tiffany King – Sarah Steele-Park <\/p>\n\n\n\n
HB:<\/strong> Annie Falkenberg (vc) – Marie Martino – Tahlita Buethke
C:<\/strong> Laitiah Huynh – Shelby Smith (vc) – Sam Franson (c)
HF:<\/strong> Hannah Button – Jade Halfpenny – Caitlin Wendland
F: <\/strong>Laquoiya Cockatoo-Motlap – Katelyn Rosenzweig
R: <\/strong>Soriah Moon – Jess Bates – Zoe Venning
INT:<\/strong> Alisha Gepp – Isobel Kuiper – Christina Leuzzi – Tesharna Maher – Poppy Waterford – Sophie Zuill<\/p>\n\n\n\n