Round 1 Hostplus SANFLW League Match Wraps

By ZAC MILBANK

West Adelaide star Lauren Young capped her long-awaited return to the Hostplus SANFLW League with the match-sealing goal against Glenelg at Hisense Stadium.

Missing the entire 2022 campaign due to a knee reconstruction, Young followed up her own inside 50m entry with outstanding work-rate to then mark and kick truly on the goalline deep into the final term.

The 2021 SANFLW best-and-fairest winner proved she will be a key influence in West’s predicted rise up the ladder this season as her side led at every change in the opening round victory against the Tigers.

Recruits Paige Allan and Kelly Barltrop also hit the scoreboard for the hosts while former skipper Bec Hansen (nee Owen) and Zoe Venning found plenty of the ball for the Bruce Dawes-coached Bloods with 22 and 21 disposals respectively.

Glenelg’s Madisyn Freeman led the way statistically for her side with 23 disposals and 10 clearances while veteran Caitlyn Swanson – celebrating her 50th SANFLW game – finished her milestone match with a goal.

Reigning flag-winner North Adelaide began its premiership defence with a nail-biting two-point win against a resurgent Norwood at The Parade. 

Despite leading at every change, the Roosters were never able to truly shrug the Redlegs, who got within one point with five minutes to play when last year’s SANFLW Leading Goalkicker Alana Lishmund converted her mark at the top of the goal square.

But North – which registered 38 inside 50 entries to Norwood’s 24 – did enough to hold firm as co-captain Jess Edwards (25 disposals, six tackles), hard-running Katelyn Pope (24 disposals) and Central ruck recruit Isabelle Starmer (24 disposals, five clearances, one goal) had significant influences.

Beginning life under new coach Brad Snell, the hosts had midfielder Lana Schwerdt contributing strongly with 20 disposals while exciting GWS recruit Meghan Gaffney showed off her speed with two goals and 15 possessions.

Norwood’s tally of 7.8 (50) reset the record for highest losing score in the SANFLW since its inception in 2017, surpassing the Eagles’ 7.4.(46) against South last year.

Central District got its pursuit for a maiden Hostplus SANFLW League finals berth to an ideal start with a 13-point victory against Woodville-West Torrens at X Convenience Oval.

The Bulldogs’ fast start enabled them to build a 14-point break at the first change, which stretched to a game-high 21 when former Crow Katelyn Rosenzweig booted her second major in the 17th minute of the third quarter.

Central captain Shelby Smith continued where she left off last season with a commanding 24 disposals and five tackles while North Adelaide recruit Elaine Grigg impressed in her first outing for the hosts with 16 disposals, six tackles and a goal.

The Eagles managed to hold Central scoreless in the final term but their 1.2 after the final change wasn’t enough to reel the Bulldogs in as new vice-captain Leah Cutting led the way with 18 disposals as emerging star Shineah Goody collected 17.

South Adelaide held off a final-term surge from rival Sturt to secure an eight-point win at Flinders University Stadium.

The Panthers – powered by dominant ruck Soriah Moon – appeared set to coast to a comfortable victory when Lucy Northcott opened up a 17-point lead six minutes into the fourth quarter.

But Sturt’s Abbey Rigter closed the gap to within two majors after booting her team’s first goal nearing the halfway mark of the final term.

The Double Blues’ inaccuracy in front of goal – which resulted in the visitors kicking six behinds to start the game in succession – again proved costly at the end after three more misses before full-time.

South’s Senna Gulden, the sister of Sydney Swan Errol, tallied 22 disposals, eight clearances and seven tackles while emerging midfielder Brooke Boileau registered 20 disposals and seven tackles.

Crows-listed Kiera Mueller racked up 24 touches for Sturt while teammate Alisha Gepp finished with 21 possessions, six tackles and six clearances.