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Women's Footy AFLW Crows player profiles
- Thread starter cmndstab
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- Thread starter
- #52
#8 - Najwa Allen
Age: 26
Drafted in: 2019
An exercise physiologist by trade, Najwa grew up in Canberra where her main sport was soccer. Her path to AFLW began in 2016, when her best friend and fellow soccer player Alison told her that she had started playing women's footy for the Eastlake Demons in the AFL Canberra women's league. Alison invited Najwa to come and try out, where her natural athleticism saw her ultimately selected in the team as well.
Still completely new to the game, Najwa was initially a solid player without being a standout, relying mostly on her athletic traits. However, by her third season, she had matured into a very strong player for that league, winning Eastlake's best and fairest in 2018, as well as being named best on ground in their grand final win against Queanbeyan. By the time the 2018 season finished, Najwa had already decided she wanted to focus on improving her footy. She had very quickly outgrown the Canberra league, so she decided to look interstate. In particular, she made the decision to move to Melbourne and try to find a spot on a VFLW list.
However, a chance phone call from another friend changed the course of Najwa's football career. Hannah Dunn, who played against Najwa in that 2018 grand final, rang her to say she was relocating to Adelaide. Hannah had been on the GWS list in 2017, playing only one game (a 36 point loss against the Crows in round 1), and was hoping to find her way onto another AFLW list. Her rationale for moving to Adelaide was that the SANFLW season runs earlier in the year than the VFLW season, so she could complete a season of football before the AFLW draft took place and get in the eyes of recruiters. She had been offered a place in Norwood's side, and asked if Najwa would be keen to come as well. Najwa decided to take the opportunity to push herself and move to Adelaide for a season of SANFLW football, hoping that it would put her in good stead to find a spot on a VFLW list.
Until this point, AFLW had not been in Najwa's thinking at all, but her performances for Norwood quickly changed that. In her first and only SANFLW season, she played all ten games, and was named BOG in five of them, ultimately winning the SANFLW best and fairest, as well as Norwood's best and fairest. She was the leading disposal winner in the league, averaging 25.4 touches a game, along with 5 marks, 3 clearances and 3 inside 50s. She was also able to impact on the scoreboard, kicking seven goals over the course of the season. She won the Coaches award, and was named as vice captain in the Team of the Year. In the space of ten weeks, Najwa went from being a virtual unknown to a genuine chance of being being drafted in the AFLW. In the end, she never did play in the VFLW, with the Crows committing to pick her up. They ultimately took her with their second selection out of eight picks. On a happy side note, Hannah was also drafted, becoming one of Gold Coast's inaugural players, and this year was named the Suns' co-captain.
Najwa debuted in round 1 of the 2020 season, but ultimately struggled to find her role in a team already stacked with star midfielders. In 2021, she took on a new role as a rebounding defender, where she has thrived and played every match of the season. As one of the 50,000+ people who were in attendance at the 2019 AFLW Grand Final, Najwa will now have her chance to experience that premiership glory herself in front of a packed house.
Age: 26
Drafted in: 2019
An exercise physiologist by trade, Najwa grew up in Canberra where her main sport was soccer. Her path to AFLW began in 2016, when her best friend and fellow soccer player Alison told her that she had started playing women's footy for the Eastlake Demons in the AFL Canberra women's league. Alison invited Najwa to come and try out, where her natural athleticism saw her ultimately selected in the team as well.
Still completely new to the game, Najwa was initially a solid player without being a standout, relying mostly on her athletic traits. However, by her third season, she had matured into a very strong player for that league, winning Eastlake's best and fairest in 2018, as well as being named best on ground in their grand final win against Queanbeyan. By the time the 2018 season finished, Najwa had already decided she wanted to focus on improving her footy. She had very quickly outgrown the Canberra league, so she decided to look interstate. In particular, she made the decision to move to Melbourne and try to find a spot on a VFLW list.
However, a chance phone call from another friend changed the course of Najwa's football career. Hannah Dunn, who played against Najwa in that 2018 grand final, rang her to say she was relocating to Adelaide. Hannah had been on the GWS list in 2017, playing only one game (a 36 point loss against the Crows in round 1), and was hoping to find her way onto another AFLW list. Her rationale for moving to Adelaide was that the SANFLW season runs earlier in the year than the VFLW season, so she could complete a season of football before the AFLW draft took place and get in the eyes of recruiters. She had been offered a place in Norwood's side, and asked if Najwa would be keen to come as well. Najwa decided to take the opportunity to push herself and move to Adelaide for a season of SANFLW football, hoping that it would put her in good stead to find a spot on a VFLW list.
Until this point, AFLW had not been in Najwa's thinking at all, but her performances for Norwood quickly changed that. In her first and only SANFLW season, she played all ten games, and was named BOG in five of them, ultimately winning the SANFLW best and fairest, as well as Norwood's best and fairest. She was the leading disposal winner in the league, averaging 25.4 touches a game, along with 5 marks, 3 clearances and 3 inside 50s. She was also able to impact on the scoreboard, kicking seven goals over the course of the season. She won the Coaches award, and was named as vice captain in the Team of the Year. In the space of ten weeks, Najwa went from being a virtual unknown to a genuine chance of being being drafted in the AFLW. In the end, she never did play in the VFLW, with the Crows committing to pick her up. They ultimately took her with their second selection out of eight picks. On a happy side note, Hannah was also drafted, becoming one of Gold Coast's inaugural players, and this year was named the Suns' co-captain.
Najwa debuted in round 1 of the 2020 season, but ultimately struggled to find her role in a team already stacked with star midfielders. In 2021, she took on a new role as a rebounding defender, where she has thrived and played every match of the season. As one of the 50,000+ people who were in attendance at the 2019 AFLW Grand Final, Najwa will now have her chance to experience that premiership glory herself in front of a packed house.
GreyCrow
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- Mar 21, 2016
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Great work cmndstab
I found a stats site for AFLW - finally
www.aflwstats.com.au
I found a stats site for AFLW - finally
AFLW Stats
View AFLW stats, leaders, matches and more from the AFLW Premiership Seasons.
www.aflwstats.com.au
- Thread starter
- #54
Great work cmndstab
I found a stats site for AFLW - finally
AFLW Stats
View AFLW stats, leaders, matches and more from the AFLW Premiership Seasons.
You can also get AFLW stats from http://australianfootball.com
- Thread starter
- #55
#11 - Rhiannon Metcalfe
Age: 29
Drafted in: 2016
Probably the most well-known player among the newcomers to the 2021 grand final team, Rhiannon played every match for the Crows in 2017 and 2018 before succumbing to an ACL injury during a trial match in the 2019 pre-season. Although she did make it back for a couple of return matches in 2020, it wasn't until 2021 that she came back looking physically ready to lead our ruck.
However, despite being synonymous with the Crows as one of our inaugural players and a 2017 premiership star, Rhiannon's background is in the eastern states. Originally from the small coastal town of Nelson Bay in NSW, around 60km north of Newcastle, Rhiannon joined the Navy at the age of 20, working in electronic warfare. She had never played a game of football until 2015, when at the age of 23 she decided to attend the annual women's football camp hosted by the Australian Defence Force. She immediately fell in love with the physicality of the game, and being over 6 feet tall she took quickly to the ruck position. She was selected in the team, and ended up being voted the best first year player. In that series, she represented the New South Wales representative side, which beat the Victoria representative side on Anzac day. Having loved the experience, she soon joined the Western Wolves in the Sydney Women's AFL league, playing three matches and being named twice in the best players. She also joined her local Navy team where she was selected in the leadership group and eventually voted the league MVP.
Meanwhile, Rhiannon's Navy career was starting to blossom, and in 2016 she relocated to Canberra for more opportunities to build her career. She quickly set about finding a team in AFL Canberra Women's, ending up as the lead ruck for the Gungahlin Jets. In a funny coincidence, it was the same club her future AFLW coach, Bec Goddard, had begun her coaching career at back in 2008. She featured for a second time in the ADF annual women's competition, this time representing Canberra, and was named BOG against the NSW representative side.
With AFLW starting up, Rhiannon decided to put her name in the mix, but she had a choice to make. Would she stay in Canberra and hope the GWS Giants would take her? Or would she try moving elsewhere? For the sake of her career - she was in the process of successfully applying for a promotion to leading seaman - she decided to move to South Australia, the defence hub of Australia. She listed South Australia as her zone and crossed her fingers, hoping the Crows would pick her up. She knew that it was a long shot, since she would be competing against South Australian players who all knew each other, as well as Northern Territory players.
However, unbeknownst to her, she had an ace up her sleeve. Among the various quality players that were available for selection in SA and NT, there were no genuine rucks. Chosen as the tenth player taken by the Crows in the 2016 draft, she was the only player in that initial squad above six feet tall, leaving her as the only true ruck in a side that would end up relying on Sarah Allan, Sarah Perkins and Anne Hatchard as backups. Ironically, if Rhiannon had remained in Canberra, it is unlikely she would have been selected ahead of GWS's Erin McKinnon, who made the 2017 AA squad and was the tallest player in the inaugural AFLW season.
Rhiannon played every game in 2017 and 2018, winning a flag along the way. Recognising the danger of having only one ruck, the Crows stocked up on Jess Allan and Jasmyn Hewett in the 2017 draft, but unfortunately the Crows lost all three rucks before the start of the 2019 season, including Rhiannon to an ACL injury. That left the ruck duties to Jess Foley, a 2018 draftee who had been primarily brought in as a tall defender.
The injury came at an unfortunate time for Rhiannon, who had just finished getting herself into the best shape of her life, hitting several personal bests. While her teammates compiled the finest AFLW season of any team on their route to the 2019 flag, Rhiannon could only sit on the sidelines and watch. Her ACL operation was the first time she had ever had any kind of surgery. While she was under, the doctor discovered her meniscus was torn as well, and repaired it at the same time. With no family in SA, Rhiannon spent most of her time at the club, where she took on a mentoring and coaching role, including helping Jess Foley develop into arguably the finest ruck in the competition in 2019.
Rhiannon returned in round 4 of 2020, but was clearly underdone. In her two matches back, she amassed only 8 hitouts and 6 disposals in total. Then, before she had a chance to warm into the season, it was called off for Covid, leaving her frustrated and unfulfilled. In an ironic twist, she never got to play alongside Jess Foley, with the latter injuring her foot before Metcalfe even got on the ground in her return match, and retiring at the end of the season. Even with Foley no longer on the list, there was a genuine danger that Rhiannon would not survive the cutoff, particularly given the Crows had recruited two quality young rucks in McKinnon and Gould. Of the players on the list in 2019 who didn't play in the premiership, only two survived through to 2021, Gore and Metcalfe.
In 2021, Metcalfe surprised many by reclaiming the number one ruck position, and has held it for most of the season despite strong seasons from her two rival rucks. After a battle for the position with Gould, the Crows eventually decided that both could play in the same side, with Rhiannon assigned the lead ruck duties. In the best form of her career, she now has the chance to add a second premiership to her resume.
Age: 29
Drafted in: 2016
Probably the most well-known player among the newcomers to the 2021 grand final team, Rhiannon played every match for the Crows in 2017 and 2018 before succumbing to an ACL injury during a trial match in the 2019 pre-season. Although she did make it back for a couple of return matches in 2020, it wasn't until 2021 that she came back looking physically ready to lead our ruck.
However, despite being synonymous with the Crows as one of our inaugural players and a 2017 premiership star, Rhiannon's background is in the eastern states. Originally from the small coastal town of Nelson Bay in NSW, around 60km north of Newcastle, Rhiannon joined the Navy at the age of 20, working in electronic warfare. She had never played a game of football until 2015, when at the age of 23 she decided to attend the annual women's football camp hosted by the Australian Defence Force. She immediately fell in love with the physicality of the game, and being over 6 feet tall she took quickly to the ruck position. She was selected in the team, and ended up being voted the best first year player. In that series, she represented the New South Wales representative side, which beat the Victoria representative side on Anzac day. Having loved the experience, she soon joined the Western Wolves in the Sydney Women's AFL league, playing three matches and being named twice in the best players. She also joined her local Navy team where she was selected in the leadership group and eventually voted the league MVP.
Meanwhile, Rhiannon's Navy career was starting to blossom, and in 2016 she relocated to Canberra for more opportunities to build her career. She quickly set about finding a team in AFL Canberra Women's, ending up as the lead ruck for the Gungahlin Jets. In a funny coincidence, it was the same club her future AFLW coach, Bec Goddard, had begun her coaching career at back in 2008. She featured for a second time in the ADF annual women's competition, this time representing Canberra, and was named BOG against the NSW representative side.
With AFLW starting up, Rhiannon decided to put her name in the mix, but she had a choice to make. Would she stay in Canberra and hope the GWS Giants would take her? Or would she try moving elsewhere? For the sake of her career - she was in the process of successfully applying for a promotion to leading seaman - she decided to move to South Australia, the defence hub of Australia. She listed South Australia as her zone and crossed her fingers, hoping the Crows would pick her up. She knew that it was a long shot, since she would be competing against South Australian players who all knew each other, as well as Northern Territory players.
However, unbeknownst to her, she had an ace up her sleeve. Among the various quality players that were available for selection in SA and NT, there were no genuine rucks. Chosen as the tenth player taken by the Crows in the 2016 draft, she was the only player in that initial squad above six feet tall, leaving her as the only true ruck in a side that would end up relying on Sarah Allan, Sarah Perkins and Anne Hatchard as backups. Ironically, if Rhiannon had remained in Canberra, it is unlikely she would have been selected ahead of GWS's Erin McKinnon, who made the 2017 AA squad and was the tallest player in the inaugural AFLW season.
Rhiannon played every game in 2017 and 2018, winning a flag along the way. Recognising the danger of having only one ruck, the Crows stocked up on Jess Allan and Jasmyn Hewett in the 2017 draft, but unfortunately the Crows lost all three rucks before the start of the 2019 season, including Rhiannon to an ACL injury. That left the ruck duties to Jess Foley, a 2018 draftee who had been primarily brought in as a tall defender.
The injury came at an unfortunate time for Rhiannon, who had just finished getting herself into the best shape of her life, hitting several personal bests. While her teammates compiled the finest AFLW season of any team on their route to the 2019 flag, Rhiannon could only sit on the sidelines and watch. Her ACL operation was the first time she had ever had any kind of surgery. While she was under, the doctor discovered her meniscus was torn as well, and repaired it at the same time. With no family in SA, Rhiannon spent most of her time at the club, where she took on a mentoring and coaching role, including helping Jess Foley develop into arguably the finest ruck in the competition in 2019.
Rhiannon returned in round 4 of 2020, but was clearly underdone. In her two matches back, she amassed only 8 hitouts and 6 disposals in total. Then, before she had a chance to warm into the season, it was called off for Covid, leaving her frustrated and unfulfilled. In an ironic twist, she never got to play alongside Jess Foley, with the latter injuring her foot before Metcalfe even got on the ground in her return match, and retiring at the end of the season. Even with Foley no longer on the list, there was a genuine danger that Rhiannon would not survive the cutoff, particularly given the Crows had recruited two quality young rucks in McKinnon and Gould. Of the players on the list in 2019 who didn't play in the premiership, only two survived through to 2021, Gore and Metcalfe.
In 2021, Metcalfe surprised many by reclaiming the number one ruck position, and has held it for most of the season despite strong seasons from her two rival rucks. After a battle for the position with Gould, the Crows eventually decided that both could play in the same side, with Rhiannon assigned the lead ruck duties. In the best form of her career, she now has the chance to add a second premiership to her resume.
Just an educated guess, I reckon the Martin sisters have had some training in martial arts. Not just talking about their "tough as nails" approach to their footy, but their tackling techniques are some of the best ever in AFL, men or women's league. I rarely see their opponents escaping from the sister's tackling grasps.
- Thread starter
- #57
#24 - Ashleigh Woodland
Age: 22
Drafted in: 2020 (originally drafted to Melbourne in 2018)
Growing up in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, Ashleigh's first sport was basketball, which she played for a decade starting at the age of five. Once she turned fifteen, however, Ashleigh decided to turn her hand to football, joining Salisbury in the SAWFL Under 16s comp in 2014. She quickly established herself as a dangerous forward, and throughout 2015 and 2016 she played in both the Under 18s competition and the Div 1 competition, regularly featuring in the best players and scoring bags of goals. In 2016 in particular, she played a combined 23 matches for 51 goals.
Her prominence as a forward saw her selected in the 2016 NAB Youth Girls All-Stars game, an Under 18s match played at Whitten Oval as a curtain raiser for the famous 2016 NAB Women's All-Stars game that peaked at over a million TV viewers and established women's footy as a ratings draw. Ashleigh played alongside future AFLW stars such as Madison Prespakis, Izzy Huntington and even future Crows teammate Anne Hatchard.
In 2017, Woodland continued playing twice a week, once for Salisbury in the Div 1 competition, and once for North Adelaide in the SANFLW. By this point, she had clearly stamped herself as a dominant forward at Div 1 level, scoring at least one goal in every match. At SANFLW level, she played all over the ground, including stints up forward, down back, and even pinch-hitting in the ruck.
In 2018, Ashleigh played a total of 28 matches, including winning a premiership with the Salisbury Div 1 team against Adelaide University. It was quite a turnaround from the 2017 grand final, also between Salisbury and Adelaide University, where Salisbury had gone down 127-9! (Yes, Ashleigh kicked the lone goal for that match.) She also starred for North Adelaide, winning their Best and Fairest award in a very strong side which contained six players who were drafted to AFLW, including eventual Crows teammate Chloe Scheer. In between all of this footy, Ashleigh also found the time to be part of the coaching group for the North Adelaide Under 15's girls team.
Ashleigh nominated SA as her draft zone in 2018, but to her disappointment she was not drafted by the Crows. In a bid to find her way into the AFLW, she listed herself as a free agent, willing to move anywhere in the country. She was rewarded with a spot on Melbourne's list, heading east only three days after receiving the news and moving into an apartment with former Crows premiership player, Talia Radan. Typecast in a new role as a defender, Ashleigh played the first four matches in 2019, but struggled to get much of the ball. As keen as she had been to get on an AFLW list, the reality was that Ashleigh was terribly homesick. She had never even moved out of home before moving interstate, and had left her friends, family and partner behind. Feeling down on confidence, Ashleigh requested her release as soon as Melbourne's 2019 campaign ended. She was home so soon, in fact, that she was playing her first SANFLW match back for North Adelaide on the same day that the Crows won the 2019 AFLW premiership. Sadly for Ashleigh, she only managed two SANFLW matches in 2019 before breaking her wrist, causing her to miss the rest of the season.
Having made the heartbreaking decision to give away her AFLW career at Melbourne, Ashleigh set her mind on the 2020 SANFLW season, determined to force her way onto the Crows list. Forgoing the Div 1 matches, she put all of her focus on starring for North Adelaide. Her coach Krissie Steen challenged her, instructing her to train as a midfielder for the preseason, a position Ashleigh had never played before. Ashleigh worked hard to build up her fitness to play in the midfield, a task which was aided by being selected as a train-on player for the Crows. In the end, she switched between midfield and forward in a role reminiscent of that played by Erin Phillips. The move proved to be genius, with Ashleigh again winning North Adelaide's Best and Fairest. Despite spending only part of her time up forward, Ashleigh was the league's leading goalscorer with 17 goals, including two bags of four goals. The first of those, in round 2, saw her named SANFLW player of the week in a performance that also included 20 disposals. North Adelaide ended up going undefeated and winning the grand final.
In addition to her strong season, Ashleigh also performed admirably at the 2020 NAB AFLW Combine, posting a 53cm in the vertical jump, and a 64cm in the running vertical jump; both results were the fifth all-time best numbers ever recorded at an AFLW Combine. Put together, it was all too much for the Crows to pass up. They drafted her with their third and final selection, listing her athleticism and versatility as her main strengths. In 2021, Ashleigh has played every match, holding her spot as a strong-leading forward who averages a goal per game and can apply pressure on opposition defenders.
Age: 22
Drafted in: 2020 (originally drafted to Melbourne in 2018)
Growing up in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, Ashleigh's first sport was basketball, which she played for a decade starting at the age of five. Once she turned fifteen, however, Ashleigh decided to turn her hand to football, joining Salisbury in the SAWFL Under 16s comp in 2014. She quickly established herself as a dangerous forward, and throughout 2015 and 2016 she played in both the Under 18s competition and the Div 1 competition, regularly featuring in the best players and scoring bags of goals. In 2016 in particular, she played a combined 23 matches for 51 goals.
Her prominence as a forward saw her selected in the 2016 NAB Youth Girls All-Stars game, an Under 18s match played at Whitten Oval as a curtain raiser for the famous 2016 NAB Women's All-Stars game that peaked at over a million TV viewers and established women's footy as a ratings draw. Ashleigh played alongside future AFLW stars such as Madison Prespakis, Izzy Huntington and even future Crows teammate Anne Hatchard.
In 2017, Woodland continued playing twice a week, once for Salisbury in the Div 1 competition, and once for North Adelaide in the SANFLW. By this point, she had clearly stamped herself as a dominant forward at Div 1 level, scoring at least one goal in every match. At SANFLW level, she played all over the ground, including stints up forward, down back, and even pinch-hitting in the ruck.
In 2018, Ashleigh played a total of 28 matches, including winning a premiership with the Salisbury Div 1 team against Adelaide University. It was quite a turnaround from the 2017 grand final, also between Salisbury and Adelaide University, where Salisbury had gone down 127-9! (Yes, Ashleigh kicked the lone goal for that match.) She also starred for North Adelaide, winning their Best and Fairest award in a very strong side which contained six players who were drafted to AFLW, including eventual Crows teammate Chloe Scheer. In between all of this footy, Ashleigh also found the time to be part of the coaching group for the North Adelaide Under 15's girls team.
Ashleigh nominated SA as her draft zone in 2018, but to her disappointment she was not drafted by the Crows. In a bid to find her way into the AFLW, she listed herself as a free agent, willing to move anywhere in the country. She was rewarded with a spot on Melbourne's list, heading east only three days after receiving the news and moving into an apartment with former Crows premiership player, Talia Radan. Typecast in a new role as a defender, Ashleigh played the first four matches in 2019, but struggled to get much of the ball. As keen as she had been to get on an AFLW list, the reality was that Ashleigh was terribly homesick. She had never even moved out of home before moving interstate, and had left her friends, family and partner behind. Feeling down on confidence, Ashleigh requested her release as soon as Melbourne's 2019 campaign ended. She was home so soon, in fact, that she was playing her first SANFLW match back for North Adelaide on the same day that the Crows won the 2019 AFLW premiership. Sadly for Ashleigh, she only managed two SANFLW matches in 2019 before breaking her wrist, causing her to miss the rest of the season.
Having made the heartbreaking decision to give away her AFLW career at Melbourne, Ashleigh set her mind on the 2020 SANFLW season, determined to force her way onto the Crows list. Forgoing the Div 1 matches, she put all of her focus on starring for North Adelaide. Her coach Krissie Steen challenged her, instructing her to train as a midfielder for the preseason, a position Ashleigh had never played before. Ashleigh worked hard to build up her fitness to play in the midfield, a task which was aided by being selected as a train-on player for the Crows. In the end, she switched between midfield and forward in a role reminiscent of that played by Erin Phillips. The move proved to be genius, with Ashleigh again winning North Adelaide's Best and Fairest. Despite spending only part of her time up forward, Ashleigh was the league's leading goalscorer with 17 goals, including two bags of four goals. The first of those, in round 2, saw her named SANFLW player of the week in a performance that also included 20 disposals. North Adelaide ended up going undefeated and winning the grand final.
In addition to her strong season, Ashleigh also performed admirably at the 2020 NAB AFLW Combine, posting a 53cm in the vertical jump, and a 64cm in the running vertical jump; both results were the fifth all-time best numbers ever recorded at an AFLW Combine. Put together, it was all too much for the Crows to pass up. They drafted her with their third and final selection, listing her athleticism and versatility as her main strengths. In 2021, Ashleigh has played every match, holding her spot as a strong-leading forward who averages a goal per game and can apply pressure on opposition defenders.
Dirty Bird
Pokémon Master
Where do you find all this information commander?
- Thread starter
- #60
Various sources... news articles from local papers when they get drafted, footy record sites like Sportstg, interviews posted on Youtube, and so on. Then it's just a case of putting it all together and lining it up.
Sometimes the sources contradict each other and I have to work out which is correct, haha. One source said the Martin sisters are from Millicent, for example.
Dirty Bird
Pokémon Master
Did you get this information when they were drafted?
Just wondering where you'd find the articles from news papers from years ago.
- Thread starter
- #62
Google, mostly. Following references of Wikipedia pages. Good old fashioned cyberstalking, you know how it goes.
Often reading one article gives me a nugget of information that helps me make a more specific Google search, ie a particular club or sport that they played, or a local area they grew up in. There is almost always a "local girl makes it big" kind of news story in a local newspaper or club website.
- Thread starter
- #63
#25 - Teah Charlton
Age: 18
Drafted in: 2020
Teah's love for football started as an eleven year old, while watching her younger brother play. She immediately liked the look of the sport because it was rougher than netball, and she asked her Dad if she could play, but he said there were no girls leagues, apparently unaware of the SAWFL. She did get to play against the boys for two years in her brother's under 12s side in 2013 and 2014, but after that Teah gave up the sport, not realising that playing on was even a possibility.
There was plenty to occupy Teah's time, anyway. In addition to netball, Teah was also an avid participant in surf lifesaving at her local club in Moana, specialising in paddle-board and flags. From the age of seven, she competed at a high level, regularly participating in the Australian titles as part of the state team. Nonetheless, her passion for football remained, first as a huge Crows fan who idolised Rory Sloane, and then in 2017 as a fan of the new AFLW competition.
Spurred on by watching AFLW, Teah investigated further and discovered that there was a women's football team based in Christies Beach, and she signed up to their under 18s side as a 15 year old. For a short while she continued to compete in both surf lifesaving and football, but quickly found that doing both was too hard on her body. Enjoying playing a contact sport for the first time, and motivated by the emergence of women's football on the national stage, Teah decided to give away surf lifesaving and focus on her footy.
It helped that Teah was immediately dominant as a midfielder and small forward. Despite playing with and against girls up to two years older than her, Teah was named in the best players in nine out of ten matches in 2017, and scored 19 goals to end up fifth on the goalkicking tally. She also represented South Australia at the School Sport Australia Australian Football Championships, and was named in the 2017 All-Australian Under 16s team. In 2018, Teah looked to back up her strong debut season, but unfortunately suffered from stress fractures in her shins and was not able to complete the season.
Teah, however, had an advantage that most of her teammates did not have. She had a work ethic forged by competing on the national stage in surf lifesaving, which she would later credit for teaching her how hard you have to train to be at the elite level in sport. She rehabbed and trained hard, and found a spot in the South Adelaide SANFLW team as a 16 year old. She quickly established herself as a star of the future, being nominated in round 3 for the 2019 SANFLW Breakthrough Player of the Year award for a 1 goal, 19 disposal performance. She ended up winning the award outright, beating out future AFLW players Caitlin Gould, Madison Newman and Indy Tahau, among others. She was part of the 2019 SANFLW premiership side, with 18 touches and 5 tackles on the day, and was named in the 2019 All-Australian Under 18s team. It was a dominant season that saw her lead the league in tackles (averaging 7.7 tackles per game), as well as scoring ten goals for the season playing as a midfielder.
Despite being too young to be drafted in 2019, Teah had clearly established herself as a future AFLW player. As such, the Crows invited her to train at their AFLW Academy for a few weeks at the start of 2020. Ebony Marinoff took Teah under her wing and made sure everyone knew who she was. Teah's dominant form continued into 2020, averaging 19 disposals, 5.3 tackles, 3.8 inside 50s and 3.3 clearances per match before the COVID-19 shutdown period (after which stats were not kept). It was seemingly inevitable that she would be drafted, with draft watchers noting that she would be in the conversation for the first few picks if it was a truly open draft. In the end, the Crows gladly swooped on her with pick 4.
In a side already flush with quality midfielders and forwards, Teah has nonetheless found a spot rotating through the middle, playing every game of her debut season wearing #25, the same number she wore for her entire junior career. As with her junior career, her tackling has been a feature, with 33 for the season so far making her the fifth-highest tackler in the Crows lineup. Much like Najwa Allen, Teah was at the 2019 grand final, watching in the stands and dreaming of one day holding that premiership cup herself. This weekend she has a chance to realise that dream at just 18 years of age.
Age: 18
Drafted in: 2020
Teah's love for football started as an eleven year old, while watching her younger brother play. She immediately liked the look of the sport because it was rougher than netball, and she asked her Dad if she could play, but he said there were no girls leagues, apparently unaware of the SAWFL. She did get to play against the boys for two years in her brother's under 12s side in 2013 and 2014, but after that Teah gave up the sport, not realising that playing on was even a possibility.
There was plenty to occupy Teah's time, anyway. In addition to netball, Teah was also an avid participant in surf lifesaving at her local club in Moana, specialising in paddle-board and flags. From the age of seven, she competed at a high level, regularly participating in the Australian titles as part of the state team. Nonetheless, her passion for football remained, first as a huge Crows fan who idolised Rory Sloane, and then in 2017 as a fan of the new AFLW competition.
Spurred on by watching AFLW, Teah investigated further and discovered that there was a women's football team based in Christies Beach, and she signed up to their under 18s side as a 15 year old. For a short while she continued to compete in both surf lifesaving and football, but quickly found that doing both was too hard on her body. Enjoying playing a contact sport for the first time, and motivated by the emergence of women's football on the national stage, Teah decided to give away surf lifesaving and focus on her footy.
It helped that Teah was immediately dominant as a midfielder and small forward. Despite playing with and against girls up to two years older than her, Teah was named in the best players in nine out of ten matches in 2017, and scored 19 goals to end up fifth on the goalkicking tally. She also represented South Australia at the School Sport Australia Australian Football Championships, and was named in the 2017 All-Australian Under 16s team. In 2018, Teah looked to back up her strong debut season, but unfortunately suffered from stress fractures in her shins and was not able to complete the season.
Teah, however, had an advantage that most of her teammates did not have. She had a work ethic forged by competing on the national stage in surf lifesaving, which she would later credit for teaching her how hard you have to train to be at the elite level in sport. She rehabbed and trained hard, and found a spot in the South Adelaide SANFLW team as a 16 year old. She quickly established herself as a star of the future, being nominated in round 3 for the 2019 SANFLW Breakthrough Player of the Year award for a 1 goal, 19 disposal performance. She ended up winning the award outright, beating out future AFLW players Caitlin Gould, Madison Newman and Indy Tahau, among others. She was part of the 2019 SANFLW premiership side, with 18 touches and 5 tackles on the day, and was named in the 2019 All-Australian Under 18s team. It was a dominant season that saw her lead the league in tackles (averaging 7.7 tackles per game), as well as scoring ten goals for the season playing as a midfielder.
Despite being too young to be drafted in 2019, Teah had clearly established herself as a future AFLW player. As such, the Crows invited her to train at their AFLW Academy for a few weeks at the start of 2020. Ebony Marinoff took Teah under her wing and made sure everyone knew who she was. Teah's dominant form continued into 2020, averaging 19 disposals, 5.3 tackles, 3.8 inside 50s and 3.3 clearances per match before the COVID-19 shutdown period (after which stats were not kept). It was seemingly inevitable that she would be drafted, with draft watchers noting that she would be in the conversation for the first few picks if it was a truly open draft. In the end, the Crows gladly swooped on her with pick 4.
In a side already flush with quality midfielders and forwards, Teah has nonetheless found a spot rotating through the middle, playing every game of her debut season wearing #25, the same number she wore for her entire junior career. As with her junior career, her tackling has been a feature, with 33 for the season so far making her the fifth-highest tackler in the Crows lineup. Much like Najwa Allen, Teah was at the 2019 grand final, watching in the stands and dreaming of one day holding that premiership cup herself. This weekend she has a chance to realise that dream at just 18 years of age.
- Thread starter
- #64
With Ailish Considine, who I've covered previously, being named as the replacement for Randall, we're done with new profiles for the 2021 grand final!
Six new faces... let's see if we can convert that into six new premiership stars!
Six new faces... let's see if we can convert that into six new premiership stars!
- Thread starter
- #65
Another grand final, which means another round of player profiles! I want to cover the players who haven't appeared in a grand final before. This year there is a bit more of a question mark over exactly which ones will play, since at least one player needs to drop our for Jones, and possibly another for Allen as well. Still, I'll cover the most likely players and do the rest if they end up being selected. I'm aiming for one profile per day.
Keen to hear your thoughts!
Keen to hear your thoughts!
- Thread starter
- #66
#7 - Nikki Gore
Age: 21
Drafted in: 2018
It feels strange including Nikki in the latest round of grand final newcomers, because it feels like she's been on the list for years. In fact, Nikki was on our list during our 2019 premiership campaign, debuting but playing only one match. There were only two players on the 2019 list to escape delisting despite not making the grand final side - Nikki Gore and Rhiannon Metcalfe. Rhiannon was injured, so Nikki was the only one to miss out on form and still be retained. Then, in 2021, as a then-established player, Nikki suffered a horror ankle injury in round 6, causing her to miss her second grand final. This weekend, she will finally get to play on the grandest stage and vie for an AFLW premiership.
Nikki's football journey begins a decade earlier. Growing up around Christies Beach in a footy-mad household of Crows supporters, her favourite player growing up was Rory Sloane. Her mother, Fiona, had always kicked the footy and encouraged her daughters to do the same. However, football was not the first calling for Nikki and her twin sister Amy. Initially, they were into surfing, and were both talented juniors. Amy continued to pursue surfing and nowadays competes on the national circuit. As for Nikki, as much as she enjoyed surfing, she found that she yearned for the camaraderie of a team sport. That, and some physical contact. For that, she turned to football at the age of 11. Fiona was only too happy to indulge Nikki's interests, and found her an opportunity to play at the McLaren Eagles with the boys in 2012. By 2013, Nikki was playing for the Christies Beach U14s team, and went on to captain the side in 2014 and 2015. She was one of only two girls in the team at the time.
Between Nikki's football commitments and Amy's surfing, the sisters made the decision to move to online schooling from grade 9, so they could better balance their education with their sporting lives. As Nikki thrived in her junior football career, Fiona agonised over what to tell Nikki. There was no pathway for girls to continue playing football beyond the age of 14. In fact, she wasn't even eligible to continue playing in 2015; she missed the cut-off by two weeks. Her club had to apply for dispensation to allow Nikki to stay on, which was thankfully granted, but that would be her final year of eligibility to play football. With no pathway to continue playing, and AFLW still not yet announced, Nikki had already resigned herself to playing a different sport once 2016 came along. But then, something very fortuitous happened - Christies Beach introduced a female seniors team. Nikki was a walk-up start to the inaugural squad, allowing her to continue training for and playing the sport she loved.
In addition to being a Crows fan, Nikki was also a Norwood fan, and had a dream of wearing the red and blue. In 2017, she got her wish, playing in the round 1 match for the Norwood SANFLW team in an appearance that earned her a rising star nomination. It would be her only SANFLW match for the year. The following year, South and Sturt were added to the competition, and so she was able to relocate to South Adelaide and play closer to home. The move, along with the seven uninterrupted years of football behind her, paid immediate dividends. Nikki had a fantastic 2018 season, including winning a premiership (ironically, over Norwood) with a second-best-on-ground performance, amassing 21 disposals and 8 tackles. In addition, Nikki won South Adelaide's 2018 best and fairest despite missing two matches (she polled in eight out of nine matches), and also won the SANFLW Breakthrough Player of the Year award. The award is given to the best under 21 year old; Nikki was just 17 at the time. In the process, she beat out a stacked field of eventual Crows teammates in Hannah Munyard, Katelyn Rosenzweig, Rachelle Martin, Ashleigh Woodland, Hannah Martin, and Abbie Ballard, as well as eventual Gold Coast player Cheyenne Hammond. Throughout the year, she also found the time to play two VFLW matches for the NT Thunder. It was a body of work that could not be ignored, and the Crows gladly selected Nikki with their first pick in the 2018 draft, the 8th pick overall.
However, having been drafted, there was now another obstacle for Nikki to overcome. Her junior career had been spent primarily as an inside midfielder. With Marinoff and Phillips locked in as starting mids, Hatchard's emergence as one of the competition's leading midfielders in 2019 made it difficult for Nikki to get in the side. In the end, she played only one game in her debut season (a win against GWS). In response, Nikki worked on her versatility, and found a spot as a medium defender/wing from round 1 in 2020. Other than the ankle injury, she held her spot until round 5 this year when she was surprisingly dropped. For a while, it appeared as if lightning would strike a third time and Nikki would miss out on a grand final appearance yet again, as she remained out of the side for weeks despite dominating the SANFWL. Thankfully, a recall and strong performance in round 10 sees her on the cusp of her first AFLW grand final appearance.
Age: 21
Drafted in: 2018
It feels strange including Nikki in the latest round of grand final newcomers, because it feels like she's been on the list for years. In fact, Nikki was on our list during our 2019 premiership campaign, debuting but playing only one match. There were only two players on the 2019 list to escape delisting despite not making the grand final side - Nikki Gore and Rhiannon Metcalfe. Rhiannon was injured, so Nikki was the only one to miss out on form and still be retained. Then, in 2021, as a then-established player, Nikki suffered a horror ankle injury in round 6, causing her to miss her second grand final. This weekend, she will finally get to play on the grandest stage and vie for an AFLW premiership.
Nikki's football journey begins a decade earlier. Growing up around Christies Beach in a footy-mad household of Crows supporters, her favourite player growing up was Rory Sloane. Her mother, Fiona, had always kicked the footy and encouraged her daughters to do the same. However, football was not the first calling for Nikki and her twin sister Amy. Initially, they were into surfing, and were both talented juniors. Amy continued to pursue surfing and nowadays competes on the national circuit. As for Nikki, as much as she enjoyed surfing, she found that she yearned for the camaraderie of a team sport. That, and some physical contact. For that, she turned to football at the age of 11. Fiona was only too happy to indulge Nikki's interests, and found her an opportunity to play at the McLaren Eagles with the boys in 2012. By 2013, Nikki was playing for the Christies Beach U14s team, and went on to captain the side in 2014 and 2015. She was one of only two girls in the team at the time.
Between Nikki's football commitments and Amy's surfing, the sisters made the decision to move to online schooling from grade 9, so they could better balance their education with their sporting lives. As Nikki thrived in her junior football career, Fiona agonised over what to tell Nikki. There was no pathway for girls to continue playing football beyond the age of 14. In fact, she wasn't even eligible to continue playing in 2015; she missed the cut-off by two weeks. Her club had to apply for dispensation to allow Nikki to stay on, which was thankfully granted, but that would be her final year of eligibility to play football. With no pathway to continue playing, and AFLW still not yet announced, Nikki had already resigned herself to playing a different sport once 2016 came along. But then, something very fortuitous happened - Christies Beach introduced a female seniors team. Nikki was a walk-up start to the inaugural squad, allowing her to continue training for and playing the sport she loved.
In addition to being a Crows fan, Nikki was also a Norwood fan, and had a dream of wearing the red and blue. In 2017, she got her wish, playing in the round 1 match for the Norwood SANFLW team in an appearance that earned her a rising star nomination. It would be her only SANFLW match for the year. The following year, South and Sturt were added to the competition, and so she was able to relocate to South Adelaide and play closer to home. The move, along with the seven uninterrupted years of football behind her, paid immediate dividends. Nikki had a fantastic 2018 season, including winning a premiership (ironically, over Norwood) with a second-best-on-ground performance, amassing 21 disposals and 8 tackles. In addition, Nikki won South Adelaide's 2018 best and fairest despite missing two matches (she polled in eight out of nine matches), and also won the SANFLW Breakthrough Player of the Year award. The award is given to the best under 21 year old; Nikki was just 17 at the time. In the process, she beat out a stacked field of eventual Crows teammates in Hannah Munyard, Katelyn Rosenzweig, Rachelle Martin, Ashleigh Woodland, Hannah Martin, and Abbie Ballard, as well as eventual Gold Coast player Cheyenne Hammond. Throughout the year, she also found the time to play two VFLW matches for the NT Thunder. It was a body of work that could not be ignored, and the Crows gladly selected Nikki with their first pick in the 2018 draft, the 8th pick overall.
However, having been drafted, there was now another obstacle for Nikki to overcome. Her junior career had been spent primarily as an inside midfielder. With Marinoff and Phillips locked in as starting mids, Hatchard's emergence as one of the competition's leading midfielders in 2019 made it difficult for Nikki to get in the side. In the end, she played only one game in her debut season (a win against GWS). In response, Nikki worked on her versatility, and found a spot as a medium defender/wing from round 1 in 2020. Other than the ankle injury, she held her spot until round 5 this year when she was surprisingly dropped. For a while, it appeared as if lightning would strike a third time and Nikki would miss out on a grand final appearance yet again, as she remained out of the side for weeks despite dominating the SANFWL. Thankfully, a recall and strong performance in round 10 sees her on the cusp of her first AFLW grand final appearance.
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- Thread starter
- #67
#12 - Chelsea Biddell
Age: 23
Drafted in: 2019
I have already discussed much of Chelsea's story previously, when discussing Rachelle Martin. The two were close friends at school, growing up in the Minlaton district in central Yorke Peninsula. Unlike Rachelle and her older sister Hannah, Chelsea was a tall girl growing up and gravitated towards basketball. Indeed, she and all three of her sisters played for the state junior team. Like many Yorke Peninsula kids, her family's life revolved around sports, with her dad coaching the local football club, ironically called the CMS Crows. Recognising Chelsea's potential as a sportswoman, her parents urged her towards netball, seeing this as having the greatest pathway for someone of her size and athletic traits.
When Chelsea finished school, she along with Rachelle and Hannah all applied for and were accepted into Adelaide University. Chelsea and Hannah chose to study teaching, while Rachelle went into commerce. Among the hoopla of the debuting AFLW, it was Chelsea's idea for the three of them to try out football when they arrived in Adelaide, and the three of them had successful tryouts with West Adelaide in 2017. All three became integral parts of the side almost immediately, with Rachelle and Hannah trading various awards through the midfield while Chelsea came runner up in West's best and fairest (behind Rachelle) in 2018 playing primarily as a tall forward.
Of the three of them, it was Hannah who was drafted first, joining the Crows in the 2018 draft and going on to feature in their 2019 premiership. Chelsea continued playing in the SANFLW in 2019, finishing second in the league for goals despite missing two matches. Hoping to join Hannah at the Crows, both Rachelle and Chelsea registered for the 2019 AFLW draft, where the Crows were making eight selections. In the end, it came down to the very last pick in the live draft, selection 102, for Chelsea's name to be called out. Rachelle missed out, although she would go on to debut alongside Chelsea in round 1, 2020 after being required as an injury top-up player.
Chelsea played every game in her debut season, but struggled to find form in the Crows' forward line. Their non-functioning midfield probably didn't help matters. By the time the season had been called off due to Covid after six rounds, Chelsea had managed only three goals, including going scoreless in all but two matches. Heading into 2021, Chelsea soon found her place in the side taken by Woodland, and was dropped from the side after three matches, only managing one more match that season (round 7) as the Crows marked towards a grand final. In the end, she would only manage to kick a single goal in the 2021 season.
Left out of the 2021 finals campaign, Chelsea went to coach Matthew Clarke in the off-season to discuss how to kick-start her sputtering career. Her training was good, her fitness was fine, but she was struggling to find her place up forward. Clarke suggested she consider a positional move, even if only to add to her versatility and increase her opportunities to get into the side, so Chelsea began training with the defensive group. Having always played previously as a forward it was a steep learning curve, but Chelsea found that knowing about leading patterns and forward craft helped her to predict how her opponents would act. She hit the ground running in round 1 and has played every match in 2022, quickly becoming a key part of the stingiest defence in AFLW history. She leads the Crows for intercept possessions and rebound 50s, using her marking prowess and long kick to excellent effect.
Age: 23
Drafted in: 2019
I have already discussed much of Chelsea's story previously, when discussing Rachelle Martin. The two were close friends at school, growing up in the Minlaton district in central Yorke Peninsula. Unlike Rachelle and her older sister Hannah, Chelsea was a tall girl growing up and gravitated towards basketball. Indeed, she and all three of her sisters played for the state junior team. Like many Yorke Peninsula kids, her family's life revolved around sports, with her dad coaching the local football club, ironically called the CMS Crows. Recognising Chelsea's potential as a sportswoman, her parents urged her towards netball, seeing this as having the greatest pathway for someone of her size and athletic traits.
When Chelsea finished school, she along with Rachelle and Hannah all applied for and were accepted into Adelaide University. Chelsea and Hannah chose to study teaching, while Rachelle went into commerce. Among the hoopla of the debuting AFLW, it was Chelsea's idea for the three of them to try out football when they arrived in Adelaide, and the three of them had successful tryouts with West Adelaide in 2017. All three became integral parts of the side almost immediately, with Rachelle and Hannah trading various awards through the midfield while Chelsea came runner up in West's best and fairest (behind Rachelle) in 2018 playing primarily as a tall forward.
Of the three of them, it was Hannah who was drafted first, joining the Crows in the 2018 draft and going on to feature in their 2019 premiership. Chelsea continued playing in the SANFLW in 2019, finishing second in the league for goals despite missing two matches. Hoping to join Hannah at the Crows, both Rachelle and Chelsea registered for the 2019 AFLW draft, where the Crows were making eight selections. In the end, it came down to the very last pick in the live draft, selection 102, for Chelsea's name to be called out. Rachelle missed out, although she would go on to debut alongside Chelsea in round 1, 2020 after being required as an injury top-up player.
Chelsea played every game in her debut season, but struggled to find form in the Crows' forward line. Their non-functioning midfield probably didn't help matters. By the time the season had been called off due to Covid after six rounds, Chelsea had managed only three goals, including going scoreless in all but two matches. Heading into 2021, Chelsea soon found her place in the side taken by Woodland, and was dropped from the side after three matches, only managing one more match that season (round 7) as the Crows marked towards a grand final. In the end, she would only manage to kick a single goal in the 2021 season.
Left out of the 2021 finals campaign, Chelsea went to coach Matthew Clarke in the off-season to discuss how to kick-start her sputtering career. Her training was good, her fitness was fine, but she was struggling to find her place up forward. Clarke suggested she consider a positional move, even if only to add to her versatility and increase her opportunities to get into the side, so Chelsea began training with the defensive group. Having always played previously as a forward it was a steep learning curve, but Chelsea found that knowing about leading patterns and forward craft helped her to predict how her opponents would act. She hit the ground running in round 1 and has played every match in 2022, quickly becoming a key part of the stingiest defence in AFLW history. She leads the Crows for intercept possessions and rebound 50s, using her marking prowess and long kick to excellent effect.
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- Thread starter
- #68
#17 - Madison Newman
Age: 20
Drafted in: 2019
Madison was watching Erin Phillips on TV in 2019 as she accepted the 2019 AFLW best and fairest award. Phillips spoke about having a famous football dad, and being one of three daughters. She said her dad had been constantly asked about if he was "disappointed you didn't have any sons," and how happy she was that girls now had a pathway to play football at the highest level. The speech really spoke to Madison (or Maddi, as she prefers), herself one of three daughters. Her father, Steve Newman, might not have been the footballing equal of Greg Phillips, but he was a legend in his own right at the Morphett Vale Football Club, having played 300 games, captaining the side for several years and continuing to help out with the admin post-career. Interestingly, he regularly played against the fathers of both Teah Charlton and Caitlin Gould. Young Maddi would go to the ground every weekend to watch him play and have a kick at half time. Her family were all big Crows supporters, but of the three girls, Maddi was the most footy-obsessed. She would drag her dad out before school, after school, and on weekends to kick the footy. She participated in Auskick as early as she was able to, and started playing junior football as a seven year old.
As a young child, the concept of girls being unable to play football was foreign to Maddi. Steve has told a funny story of a six-year-old Maddi being upset going to bed one night. He asked her what was wrong, and she told him "Dad, I don't want to be drafted by Essendon." As Maddi approached her teenage years, however, she began to understand that pathways for women to play football professionally didn't exist. Already recognised as a talented sportswoman by that age, Maddi made the decision to move to cricket. She was a standout there as well, making the state team for her age group, and the Australian youth development squad, but she never loved cricket like she did football.
Maddi did continue playing football sporadically, including a few games in the U14s and U16s teams. But it wasn't until AFLW started that Maddi realised she there was now a genuine pathway to continue playing the game she loved. She focused on completing her schooling, playing a few games for West Adelaide in the SANFLW in 2018 while doing year 12. Then, she took a gap year in 2019 to focus solely on football. She sat down with her father at the start of the year to lay out some goals - some relatively achievable, others more aspirational. Perhaps her loftiest goal was to make the All Australian U18 team that year.
Maddi's 2019 SANFLW season was sparkling. She was nominated in round 1 for the breakthrough player of the year, with a 26 disposal, 4 mark performance. Impressively it was only her sixth ever SANFLW match. She ended up selected in the SANFLW team of the year, and came second in the best and fairest for West Adelaide in 2019 (behind Abbie Ballard). She was selected to play for South Australia, and the Central Allies, across the 2019 NAB AFLW U18 championships, where she finished in the top ten players for disposals. She was also invited to the Crows AFLW Acceleration Academy where she worked with Marinoff and Cramey. It wasn't so much her skills that needed work; she was reknowned as having the best kick in the entire SA U18 team. But she credits Marinoff and Cramey with teaching her about work ethic, and about not just relying on your talents. And at the end of it all, she was rewarded by reaching her goal; she was selected in the NAB AFL Women's U18 All Australian team, one of only three SA girls to achieve the honour (Charlton and McKinnon were the other two).
And then it was time for the AFLW draft, where Maddi nominated SA as her draft zone. The Crows, fresh off a premiership in 2019, had cleaned out almost all of their non-premiership side, and were taking eight selections into the draft, so Maddi felt she was a decent chance. However, despite having had a strong year, the fact was that Maddi had essentially come from nowhere, having only played football seriously for one season, and there were plenty of quality SA girls in the draft who had been in the system for years. In the end, Maddi had to wait until selection number 100 - the Crows' seventh pick overall - to hear her name. She almost didn't hear it, as technical difficulties caused the feed to drop out where she was listening right near the end of the draft.
Having been on the list for three years now, Maddi has found it tough to cement her spot in the team, playing four games in her debut season, and only two games in 2021. In 2022, she was again left out of the side until opportunity came knocking in round 4, in the form of three Crows players missing due to the AFL Health and Safety Protocols. She made the most of the opportunity, and has gone on to play all but one game since then as a classy small defender. Maddi looks set to compete for her first football premiership this Saturday.
Age: 20
Drafted in: 2019
Madison was watching Erin Phillips on TV in 2019 as she accepted the 2019 AFLW best and fairest award. Phillips spoke about having a famous football dad, and being one of three daughters. She said her dad had been constantly asked about if he was "disappointed you didn't have any sons," and how happy she was that girls now had a pathway to play football at the highest level. The speech really spoke to Madison (or Maddi, as she prefers), herself one of three daughters. Her father, Steve Newman, might not have been the footballing equal of Greg Phillips, but he was a legend in his own right at the Morphett Vale Football Club, having played 300 games, captaining the side for several years and continuing to help out with the admin post-career. Interestingly, he regularly played against the fathers of both Teah Charlton and Caitlin Gould. Young Maddi would go to the ground every weekend to watch him play and have a kick at half time. Her family were all big Crows supporters, but of the three girls, Maddi was the most footy-obsessed. She would drag her dad out before school, after school, and on weekends to kick the footy. She participated in Auskick as early as she was able to, and started playing junior football as a seven year old.
As a young child, the concept of girls being unable to play football was foreign to Maddi. Steve has told a funny story of a six-year-old Maddi being upset going to bed one night. He asked her what was wrong, and she told him "Dad, I don't want to be drafted by Essendon." As Maddi approached her teenage years, however, she began to understand that pathways for women to play football professionally didn't exist. Already recognised as a talented sportswoman by that age, Maddi made the decision to move to cricket. She was a standout there as well, making the state team for her age group, and the Australian youth development squad, but she never loved cricket like she did football.
Maddi did continue playing football sporadically, including a few games in the U14s and U16s teams. But it wasn't until AFLW started that Maddi realised she there was now a genuine pathway to continue playing the game she loved. She focused on completing her schooling, playing a few games for West Adelaide in the SANFLW in 2018 while doing year 12. Then, she took a gap year in 2019 to focus solely on football. She sat down with her father at the start of the year to lay out some goals - some relatively achievable, others more aspirational. Perhaps her loftiest goal was to make the All Australian U18 team that year.
Maddi's 2019 SANFLW season was sparkling. She was nominated in round 1 for the breakthrough player of the year, with a 26 disposal, 4 mark performance. Impressively it was only her sixth ever SANFLW match. She ended up selected in the SANFLW team of the year, and came second in the best and fairest for West Adelaide in 2019 (behind Abbie Ballard). She was selected to play for South Australia, and the Central Allies, across the 2019 NAB AFLW U18 championships, where she finished in the top ten players for disposals. She was also invited to the Crows AFLW Acceleration Academy where she worked with Marinoff and Cramey. It wasn't so much her skills that needed work; she was reknowned as having the best kick in the entire SA U18 team. But she credits Marinoff and Cramey with teaching her about work ethic, and about not just relying on your talents. And at the end of it all, she was rewarded by reaching her goal; she was selected in the NAB AFL Women's U18 All Australian team, one of only three SA girls to achieve the honour (Charlton and McKinnon were the other two).
And then it was time for the AFLW draft, where Maddi nominated SA as her draft zone. The Crows, fresh off a premiership in 2019, had cleaned out almost all of their non-premiership side, and were taking eight selections into the draft, so Maddi felt she was a decent chance. However, despite having had a strong year, the fact was that Maddi had essentially come from nowhere, having only played football seriously for one season, and there were plenty of quality SA girls in the draft who had been in the system for years. In the end, Maddi had to wait until selection number 100 - the Crows' seventh pick overall - to hear her name. She almost didn't hear it, as technical difficulties caused the feed to drop out where she was listening right near the end of the draft.
Having been on the list for three years now, Maddi has found it tough to cement her spot in the team, playing four games in her debut season, and only two games in 2021. In 2022, she was again left out of the side until opportunity came knocking in round 4, in the form of three Crows players missing due to the AFL Health and Safety Protocols. She made the most of the opportunity, and has gone on to play all but one game since then as a classy small defender. Maddi looks set to compete for her first football premiership this Saturday.
- Thread starter
- #69
#20 - Hannah Munyard
Age: 20
Drafted in: 2019 (to the Bulldogs, traded to Adelaide in 2020)
Hannah grew up in the Adelaide hills, around the Strathalbyn area. A Port supporter whose favourite player growing up was Ollie Wines, Hannah loved football and even briefly played as an eight year old with the boys at McLaren Vale, but soon moved to netball instead. It wasn't until 2016, when AFLW was announced, that a 14-year old Hannah made the decision to turn her focus back to football.
Hannah's first foray back into football came for the Mount Barker Football Club in 2017, where she was the U16 best and fairest for her zone. In 2018, she joined South Adelaide's inaugural SANFLW team and was an immediate standout, being nominated as the breakthrough player in round 1. Hannah played every match, and the season culminated in a premiership. She continued her good form into 2019, winning a second premiership, and representing South Australia and the Central Allies in the U18 championships. Hannah was also invited to the AFLW draft combine, one of only four SA players invited. She finished top five in three of the five tests (agility, 20m sprint and standing vertical jump) to cap off an impressive year, and put her name down for the AFLW draft in the SA zone.
Unfortunately for Hannah, despite the Crows taking eight selections to the draft, her name was not one of those called. However, in the leadup to the draft, the Western Bulldogs had indicated they were interested in her, and had passed on their final selection to hold open a spot for her. Sure enough, the following day they announced that Hannah Munyard had been signed as a free agent. Hannah was completely onboard with moving interstate and set about creating her new life in Melbourne and forcing her way into the side. In round 4 of 2020, Hannah did just that, debuting against West Coast in a narrow loss. Her Mother, who Hannah described as her biggest supporter, flew over to Perth to watch her debut match and share in the jubilation. It would be the last time they would see each other.
With the onset of Covid, travel became problematic. Hannah played the next two rounds in Melbourne, at which time the decision was made to cut the season short. With Melbourne in lockdown, Hannah made the decision to relocate her belongings back home. Her brother flew over to Melbourne, they rented a car, and drove back to South Australia. Since they had crossed a border, they were required to quarantine for 14 days. Tragically, two days before their quarantine period ended, their mother died after a long battle with mental health.
The period that followed was, obviously, extremely challenging for Hannah. Any thoughts of returning to Melbourne were out of the question, as she realised she needed to be home with her family. With sports competitions cancelled and gyms closed, Hannah stopped exercising for three months. It wasn't until SANFLW announced they would be restarting that Hannah realised how much she missed football. It became her reason to get out of bed and continue on with life. She has also said that she knows that her mother would want her to keep playing. She returned to training, worked hard to rebuild her fitness base, and made it back into the South SANFLW team. By the time the season ended with a grand final loss to North, the Crows and Bulldogs had already announced a trade. Hannah would be playing for the Crows in 2021.
Hannah has been in and out of the side since coming to the Crows, but has managed to play seven out of eleven matches so far this year, including being recalled for last weekend's preliminary final.
Age: 20
Drafted in: 2019 (to the Bulldogs, traded to Adelaide in 2020)
Hannah grew up in the Adelaide hills, around the Strathalbyn area. A Port supporter whose favourite player growing up was Ollie Wines, Hannah loved football and even briefly played as an eight year old with the boys at McLaren Vale, but soon moved to netball instead. It wasn't until 2016, when AFLW was announced, that a 14-year old Hannah made the decision to turn her focus back to football.
Hannah's first foray back into football came for the Mount Barker Football Club in 2017, where she was the U16 best and fairest for her zone. In 2018, she joined South Adelaide's inaugural SANFLW team and was an immediate standout, being nominated as the breakthrough player in round 1. Hannah played every match, and the season culminated in a premiership. She continued her good form into 2019, winning a second premiership, and representing South Australia and the Central Allies in the U18 championships. Hannah was also invited to the AFLW draft combine, one of only four SA players invited. She finished top five in three of the five tests (agility, 20m sprint and standing vertical jump) to cap off an impressive year, and put her name down for the AFLW draft in the SA zone.
Unfortunately for Hannah, despite the Crows taking eight selections to the draft, her name was not one of those called. However, in the leadup to the draft, the Western Bulldogs had indicated they were interested in her, and had passed on their final selection to hold open a spot for her. Sure enough, the following day they announced that Hannah Munyard had been signed as a free agent. Hannah was completely onboard with moving interstate and set about creating her new life in Melbourne and forcing her way into the side. In round 4 of 2020, Hannah did just that, debuting against West Coast in a narrow loss. Her Mother, who Hannah described as her biggest supporter, flew over to Perth to watch her debut match and share in the jubilation. It would be the last time they would see each other.
With the onset of Covid, travel became problematic. Hannah played the next two rounds in Melbourne, at which time the decision was made to cut the season short. With Melbourne in lockdown, Hannah made the decision to relocate her belongings back home. Her brother flew over to Melbourne, they rented a car, and drove back to South Australia. Since they had crossed a border, they were required to quarantine for 14 days. Tragically, two days before their quarantine period ended, their mother died after a long battle with mental health.
The period that followed was, obviously, extremely challenging for Hannah. Any thoughts of returning to Melbourne were out of the question, as she realised she needed to be home with her family. With sports competitions cancelled and gyms closed, Hannah stopped exercising for three months. It wasn't until SANFLW announced they would be restarting that Hannah realised how much she missed football. It became her reason to get out of bed and continue on with life. She has also said that she knows that her mother would want her to keep playing. She returned to training, worked hard to rebuild her fitness base, and made it back into the South SANFLW team. By the time the season ended with a grand final loss to North, the Crows and Bulldogs had already announced a trade. Hannah would be playing for the Crows in 2021.
Hannah has been in and out of the side since coming to the Crows, but has managed to play seven out of eleven matches so far this year, including being recalled for last weekend's preliminary final.
- Thread starter
- #70
Given that we're still waiting to see which other first-timers make it into the final side (Hewett and Tonon seem the most likely), I figure tonight I'll just post about Montana McKinnon. It's cheating because she's not actually going to play, but oh well. I already wrote a profile for her so I may as well post it!
#21 Montana McKinnon
Age: 20
Drafted in: 2019
Nobody was surprised when Montana was drafted with the Crows' first selection in 2019. She had been spoken as a likely first round selection for at least two years at that point, and had represented South Australia at the U18 championships several times. It would be easy to assume that Montana grew up playing football from a young age, but that couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, when Montana pulled on the state jumper for the first time back in 2016, it was actually her first ever match of football.
Growing up as a tall girl, Montana gravitated towards volleyball and netball, and represented South Australia in various underage netball competitions, primarily playing goal defence. As a spectator, however, football was always a love. Her family was split evenly between Crows supporters and Carlton supporters. Montana fell in with the double blues, with Chris Judd her favourite player growing up. On the rare occasions Carlton would play in SA she would attend the matches with her Dad, and they would fly once a year to Melbourne to watch a match over there. It was that fascination with football, along with the looming AFLW competition, that drew her to attend the trials for the U18 side. She was primarily there for fun, just to see what women's footy was about, but she asked the selectors there if she could put her name in the hat anyway.
The problem was, Montana was 14 years old at the time, and ineligible to play. The selectors saw promise in her, and applied for special dispensation for Montana to be permitted to play anyway, despite her young age. The request was rejected. Montana, who never really expected to be permitted to play anyway, happily set about training in preparation for the following year. But a spate of injuries the week prior to the tournament suddenly left the cupboard bare when it came to ruck stocks, and at the last minute, permission for McKinnon to join the squad was sought and approved. She flew to Melbourne, and played as the second ruck (Jess Allan was the lead ruck) against NSW. She got a few touches, had a great experience, and returned home with a renewed enthusiasm to pursue football.
Within days, she had joined Morphettville Park, which at the time was becoming a powerhouse in the SAWFL. Montana played 12 games in the U15s, coached by Courtney Cramey, and also worked closely with future Crows players Marinoff, Varnhagen and Bevan. The following year, in 2017, she moved up to the U18s and played 14 matches, including a best on ground performance in the winning grand final side. In that match she played alongside eventual Crows teammate Eloise Jones (who was second-best on the day), while Teah Charlton and Nikki Gore were the two best players for the opposing team. While Montana's ruckwork was good, her biggest weapon was her contested marking ability, allowing her to remain involved in the play between stoppages.
By 2018, Montana had firmly established herself as a star of the future. Already with a year of U18 football under her belt as a 16 year old, she continued playing for Morphettville Park, being named in the best players more often than not, while also playing every match for the premiership-winning South Adelaide SANFLW team. She again represented South Australia in the U18 Championships and was named in the All Australian team. On the back of this strong season, Montana was invited to both the Crows AFLW Acceleration Academy, and the AFLW Academy. In 2019, Montana backed it up again, playing every match on her way to yet another premiership in the SANFLW (she was named third best in the grand final), again representing SA in the U18 championships, and again being named in the All Australian team. In addition, she was named as starting ruck in the SANFLW team of the year, and was the leading contested mark player in the SANFLW with 12 more contested marks than second place. It was a compelling body of work that saw the Crows gladly swoop with their first selection in the 2019 draft.
Once in the Crows squad, it took Montana some time to find her way into the starting side. In 2020, she was held out by Jess Foley, until Foley's career-ending ankle injury in round 4, and even then only got to play two matches before the season was ended early by Covid. 2021 was even more frustrating for Montana, as she played the entire season in the SANFLW, dominating at that level, but was held out by the surprising duo of Metcalfe and Gould. With Metcalfe inactive in the 2022 season due to work commitments, McKinnon was given the opportunity to play from round 1, and quickly demonstrated her worth, forming a highly effective duo with Gould. Early in the season, Gould was viewed as the lead ruck, but by mid-season it was much closer to a 50/50 partnership. While Gould often rests up forward when not rucking, McKinnon has been most effective as a floating defender, often dropping all the way back to the goal square to take a crucial intercept mark; she was third overall in the entire AFLW for contested marks this year.
Unfortunately, after a (frankly marginal) tribunal decision on a bump in the preliminary final, Montana won't be playing this weekend for a chance to add to her two SANFLW premierships and one U18 premiership... but hopefully this will add fire to an already competitive player to get back and do it all again next year!
#21 Montana McKinnon
Age: 20
Drafted in: 2019
Nobody was surprised when Montana was drafted with the Crows' first selection in 2019. She had been spoken as a likely first round selection for at least two years at that point, and had represented South Australia at the U18 championships several times. It would be easy to assume that Montana grew up playing football from a young age, but that couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, when Montana pulled on the state jumper for the first time back in 2016, it was actually her first ever match of football.
Growing up as a tall girl, Montana gravitated towards volleyball and netball, and represented South Australia in various underage netball competitions, primarily playing goal defence. As a spectator, however, football was always a love. Her family was split evenly between Crows supporters and Carlton supporters. Montana fell in with the double blues, with Chris Judd her favourite player growing up. On the rare occasions Carlton would play in SA she would attend the matches with her Dad, and they would fly once a year to Melbourne to watch a match over there. It was that fascination with football, along with the looming AFLW competition, that drew her to attend the trials for the U18 side. She was primarily there for fun, just to see what women's footy was about, but she asked the selectors there if she could put her name in the hat anyway.
The problem was, Montana was 14 years old at the time, and ineligible to play. The selectors saw promise in her, and applied for special dispensation for Montana to be permitted to play anyway, despite her young age. The request was rejected. Montana, who never really expected to be permitted to play anyway, happily set about training in preparation for the following year. But a spate of injuries the week prior to the tournament suddenly left the cupboard bare when it came to ruck stocks, and at the last minute, permission for McKinnon to join the squad was sought and approved. She flew to Melbourne, and played as the second ruck (Jess Allan was the lead ruck) against NSW. She got a few touches, had a great experience, and returned home with a renewed enthusiasm to pursue football.
Within days, she had joined Morphettville Park, which at the time was becoming a powerhouse in the SAWFL. Montana played 12 games in the U15s, coached by Courtney Cramey, and also worked closely with future Crows players Marinoff, Varnhagen and Bevan. The following year, in 2017, she moved up to the U18s and played 14 matches, including a best on ground performance in the winning grand final side. In that match she played alongside eventual Crows teammate Eloise Jones (who was second-best on the day), while Teah Charlton and Nikki Gore were the two best players for the opposing team. While Montana's ruckwork was good, her biggest weapon was her contested marking ability, allowing her to remain involved in the play between stoppages.
By 2018, Montana had firmly established herself as a star of the future. Already with a year of U18 football under her belt as a 16 year old, she continued playing for Morphettville Park, being named in the best players more often than not, while also playing every match for the premiership-winning South Adelaide SANFLW team. She again represented South Australia in the U18 Championships and was named in the All Australian team. On the back of this strong season, Montana was invited to both the Crows AFLW Acceleration Academy, and the AFLW Academy. In 2019, Montana backed it up again, playing every match on her way to yet another premiership in the SANFLW (she was named third best in the grand final), again representing SA in the U18 championships, and again being named in the All Australian team. In addition, she was named as starting ruck in the SANFLW team of the year, and was the leading contested mark player in the SANFLW with 12 more contested marks than second place. It was a compelling body of work that saw the Crows gladly swoop with their first selection in the 2019 draft.
Once in the Crows squad, it took Montana some time to find her way into the starting side. In 2020, she was held out by Jess Foley, until Foley's career-ending ankle injury in round 4, and even then only got to play two matches before the season was ended early by Covid. 2021 was even more frustrating for Montana, as she played the entire season in the SANFLW, dominating at that level, but was held out by the surprising duo of Metcalfe and Gould. With Metcalfe inactive in the 2022 season due to work commitments, McKinnon was given the opportunity to play from round 1, and quickly demonstrated her worth, forming a highly effective duo with Gould. Early in the season, Gould was viewed as the lead ruck, but by mid-season it was much closer to a 50/50 partnership. While Gould often rests up forward when not rucking, McKinnon has been most effective as a floating defender, often dropping all the way back to the goal square to take a crucial intercept mark; she was third overall in the entire AFLW for contested marks this year.
Unfortunately, after a (frankly marginal) tribunal decision on a bump in the preliminary final, Montana won't be playing this weekend for a chance to add to her two SANFLW premierships and one U18 premiership... but hopefully this will add fire to an already competitive player to get back and do it all again next year!
- Thread starter
- #71
So much for my profiles! Two of the five players I wrote about aren't even playing this weekend.
I guess that just leaves Jas Hewett to go.
I guess that just leaves Jas Hewett to go.
- Thread starter
- #72
#19 - Jasmyn Hewett
Age: 28
Drafted in: 2017 (redrafted as a delisted free agent in 2021)
Jasmyn grew up in Stirling North, just out of Port Augusta. Her primary sport throughout her childhood and early adulthood was netball, although she did kick the footy with her dad at home. It wasn't until 2016 at the age of 23, after having moved to Darwin, that Jasmyn played her first proper match of football. Even prior to moving, she had already planned to try and find a place in the NTFLW, knowing that women's football had a vibrant scene in Darwin. She ended up playing for St Mary's, the same team that Ponter came through.
Naturally athletic, Jasmyn burst onto the scene as a ruck/utility, kicking 6 goals in her first ever match, and finished the season her club's leading goalscorer with 36. She won the NTFLW rising star award that year, and finished second in the Gwynne Medal (the league's best and fairest award), the same award that Angela Foley had won the previous two seasons. The NTFLW season began in October, so it was too late for her to stake a claim for the inaugural AFLW draft, but she let it be known that she was interested in joining the Crows list. Before long, she was training with the Crows side, first in NT, and then later with the whole squad down in Adelaide during their premiership campaign in early 2017. Jasmyn went to the AFL Combine in 2017 and dominated, finishing in the top ten in every single physical test, including three top two finishes (yoyo test, vertical jump, and 2km time trial). In the end, the Crows were happy to select her with their second selection overall, seeing Jasmyn as a versatile utility who could play key position roles, and act as backup to Metcalfe if needed.
Jasmyn played every match in her debut season, mostly playing as a tall utility with only very occasional stints in the ruck. Heading into the 2019 season, Jasmyn suffered a very unfortunate injury in the preseason practice match where Metcalfe also did her ACL. Jasmyn's injury was to her ankle, and was reported as being "as bad as an ankle injury can be without breaking it". In practice, a break probably would have been quicker to heal. As the Crows marched to their second premiership, Jasmyn returned to Darwin and missed the entire season. There wasn't even a chance she could make it back in time. In fact, Jasmyn wasn't convinced she would even be back in time for the following season.
After the 2019 season, a change was made to the NT zone, taking it out of the hands of the Crows and handing it to the Queensland clubs instead. With the Crows no longer training in Darwin, Jasmyn made the decision to sign up with the new Gold Coast side, becoming their final expansion player. The Suns worked closely with Jasmyn, helping her to rehab to the point where she was able to return in round 1 and play all but one match of the 2020 season. However, despite being capable of playing, Jasmyn's body still wasn't right, and she was in significant pain between each match. At the season's end, Jasmyn decided to step away from the game to focus on getting her body right, and building her career in Darwin.
Towards the end of the year, the new 20/21 NTFLW season was kicking off, and on a whim, Jasmyn decided to give it another go. She dominated the competition that year playing for PINT, helping them to their first ever premiership, and winning the Gwynne medal that year. The experience helped to reignite the flame to pursue AFLW again, a sentiment she shared with her best friend. Her friend, a teacher, just happened to be teaching at a school where the Crows were running a footy clinic, and so she had a quick word with Randall about Jasmyn's desire to play again. Knowing that Metcalfe was going to take the 2022 season off, the Crows were keen to add some AFLW experience into their ruck depth, and got on the phone to confirm she was genuine. In the end, the Crows took Jasmyn prior to the draft, signing her as a delisted free agent.
As clearly the least preferred of the three genuine rucks on the list in 2022, Jasmyn has played only two matches this season. However, following McKinnon's unfortunate suspension after the preliminary final, Jasmyn has been granted an unexpected opportunity to compete for her first AFLW premiership.
Age: 28
Drafted in: 2017 (redrafted as a delisted free agent in 2021)
Jasmyn grew up in Stirling North, just out of Port Augusta. Her primary sport throughout her childhood and early adulthood was netball, although she did kick the footy with her dad at home. It wasn't until 2016 at the age of 23, after having moved to Darwin, that Jasmyn played her first proper match of football. Even prior to moving, she had already planned to try and find a place in the NTFLW, knowing that women's football had a vibrant scene in Darwin. She ended up playing for St Mary's, the same team that Ponter came through.
Naturally athletic, Jasmyn burst onto the scene as a ruck/utility, kicking 6 goals in her first ever match, and finished the season her club's leading goalscorer with 36. She won the NTFLW rising star award that year, and finished second in the Gwynne Medal (the league's best and fairest award), the same award that Angela Foley had won the previous two seasons. The NTFLW season began in October, so it was too late for her to stake a claim for the inaugural AFLW draft, but she let it be known that she was interested in joining the Crows list. Before long, she was training with the Crows side, first in NT, and then later with the whole squad down in Adelaide during their premiership campaign in early 2017. Jasmyn went to the AFL Combine in 2017 and dominated, finishing in the top ten in every single physical test, including three top two finishes (yoyo test, vertical jump, and 2km time trial). In the end, the Crows were happy to select her with their second selection overall, seeing Jasmyn as a versatile utility who could play key position roles, and act as backup to Metcalfe if needed.
Jasmyn played every match in her debut season, mostly playing as a tall utility with only very occasional stints in the ruck. Heading into the 2019 season, Jasmyn suffered a very unfortunate injury in the preseason practice match where Metcalfe also did her ACL. Jasmyn's injury was to her ankle, and was reported as being "as bad as an ankle injury can be without breaking it". In practice, a break probably would have been quicker to heal. As the Crows marched to their second premiership, Jasmyn returned to Darwin and missed the entire season. There wasn't even a chance she could make it back in time. In fact, Jasmyn wasn't convinced she would even be back in time for the following season.
After the 2019 season, a change was made to the NT zone, taking it out of the hands of the Crows and handing it to the Queensland clubs instead. With the Crows no longer training in Darwin, Jasmyn made the decision to sign up with the new Gold Coast side, becoming their final expansion player. The Suns worked closely with Jasmyn, helping her to rehab to the point where she was able to return in round 1 and play all but one match of the 2020 season. However, despite being capable of playing, Jasmyn's body still wasn't right, and she was in significant pain between each match. At the season's end, Jasmyn decided to step away from the game to focus on getting her body right, and building her career in Darwin.
Towards the end of the year, the new 20/21 NTFLW season was kicking off, and on a whim, Jasmyn decided to give it another go. She dominated the competition that year playing for PINT, helping them to their first ever premiership, and winning the Gwynne medal that year. The experience helped to reignite the flame to pursue AFLW again, a sentiment she shared with her best friend. Her friend, a teacher, just happened to be teaching at a school where the Crows were running a footy clinic, and so she had a quick word with Randall about Jasmyn's desire to play again. Knowing that Metcalfe was going to take the 2022 season off, the Crows were keen to add some AFLW experience into their ruck depth, and got on the phone to confirm she was genuine. In the end, the Crows took Jasmyn prior to the draft, signing her as a delisted free agent.
As clearly the least preferred of the three genuine rucks on the list in 2022, Jasmyn has played only two matches this season. However, following McKinnon's unfortunate suspension after the preliminary final, Jasmyn has been granted an unexpected opportunity to compete for her first AFLW premiership.
