Round 1 Hostplus SANFLW League Match Wraps

By ZAC MILBANK

West Adelaide held off a final quarter charge from North Adelaide to record a five-point Hostplus SANFLW League win at Hisense Stadium.

Leading by a commanding 28 points at the final change, the Bloods were forced to defend grimly in the final term as they failed to trouble the scorers while the Roosters piled on 3.5.

It was this late inaccuracy which proved decisive as North star Hannah Ewings kicked her two majors upon a return from a serious ankle injury last year.

West recruit Jessica Macolino racked up a game high 25 disposals after crossing from Norwood in the off-season, while Melanie Elsegood booted two goals.

Ewings also finished with 21 disposals and six clearances while North teammates Ella Metcalfe and (23 disposals) and Katelyn Pope (22 disposals) found plenty of the ball.

A second-quarter surge from Sturt proved pivotal in its impressive 30-point win against Woodville-West Torrens at Hisense Stadium.

Trailing by two points at the opening change, the Double Blues slammed on 4.3 in the 20 minutes before half-time, including the first career goal for teenager India Rasheed just 25 seconds into the second term.

Sturt’s Alisha Gepp continued her ball-winning ways from 2021 with 25 possessions while Crows-listed pair Jasmyn Hewett (18 disposals) and Zoe Prowse (17 disposals) also had an influence.

Exciting youngster Shineah Goody collected a game-high 26 disposals while also laying nine tackles as Gold Coast Suns signing Leah Kaslar had 18 disposals in her Eagles debut.

Defending premier Glenelg sent an ominous statement to its Hostplus SANFLW League rivals with a resounding 73-point win against Norwood at The Parade.

New Crows draftee Brooke Tonon displayed why she was snapped up in the 2021 AFLW Draft with a sensational six-goal haul to go with her 21 disposals and six marks for the Bays.

But it was vice-captain Chelsea Packer booting the opening three goals of the game which allowed the Tigers to get rolling in the first quarter.

Redlegs skipper Ali Ferrall battled hard against the tide to register 22 disposals and six marks while her deputy Sophie Armitstead had 17 possessions and six tackles.

South Adelaide signings Shae Archbold and Jess Waterhouse were prominent in their team’s 46-point victory against Central District at X Convenience Oval.

Archbold, from Willunga, and Waterhouse, from Happy Valley, each booted three goals against the Bulldogs to suggest they will cause plenty of headaches for opposition coaches in 2022.

A second goal to Central’s Demi Sonneman closed the margin to just five points, two minutes into the third quarter but from there, it was the Panthers – spurred by midfielders Tahlita Buethke (24 disposals) and Nicole Campbell (19 disposals) – who finished strongly.

Bulldogs Caitlen Teague and Madison Lane registered 41 possessions between them while ruck Isabelle Starmer filled her stats sheet with 18 disposals, eight marks, 19 hit outs and a goal.