Played across Friday evening March 1 and Saturday March 2, the first round of the South Australian National Football League women’s competition started in earnest, and there are several Broken Hill connections.
In the Friday evening season opener at The Parade, between Central District and Norwood, there was a combatant with a Broken Hill heritage on both sides.
A premiership player in her first year with the Bulldogs in 2023, wing Shelby Raven began on the interchange bench for the visitors, while teenager Emma Daley made her SANFLW debut with the Norwood Redlegs, starting on a half back flank, and standing Brisbane listed AFLW player Caitlin Wendland.
Players from both sides, stopped for a minutes’ silence before the first siren, acknowledging the passing of former Norwood team-manager the late Ashleigh Young.
The game was a tight affair all evening, with Central District kicking the only goal of the final quarter to win a low scoring thriller by two points, 5.5 (35) to 5.3 (33).
The match was scoreless for the 14-minute period at the end of the game with Central holding that slender lead.
With the ball trapped deep in Norwood’s forward 30-metre arc with repeated stoppages, the Bulldogs’ defence held firm against the odds.
This was the eighth clash between the two clubs, with Central recording a third victory.
Wearing the number 55 jumper, 17-year-old 164cm Daley finished with a respectable seven disposals – five kicks and two handballs – along with pulling down a mark.
From Central Broken Hill Magpies, Raven playing in her 12th SANFLW league match, had two touches.
A third player, Ashley Forbes, another Central Magpie from the Broken Hill Football League, is on the Woodville West Torrens list for the 2024 season.
At the South Australian Country Football Championships in 2023 Forbes was amongst the Northern Zone’s best players in two of the three matches.
The SANFL women’s program has been increased to a full two-round 14 game home and away program for the 2024 season.
Back in 2017 when the SANFLW competition started, initially four teams – Norwood, North, Glenelg and West – played a six-game minor round, before the Redlegs beat the Roosters to claim the inaugural SANFLW premiership.
Another innovation in 2024 is the SANFLW representative side will play the first ever Women’s State Game against WAFLW in Perth on May 4.
The SANFLW Development League began in 2022, its aim to underpin the league competition with teams from the eight SANFL Clubs, in a seven-round competition aligned to the start of SANFLW season.
