Adelaide’s highly-successful AFLW program has seen 25 players from Season Seven, including 14 with premiership experience, recommit to the Club.
Captain Chelsea Randall and All Australians Anne Hatchard, Ebony Marinoff and Sarah Allan were already contracted for Season Eight, and will be joined by a host of exciting talent.
All Australian and winner of Adelaide’s Players’ Player and Best Defensive Player Awards, Chelsea Biddell, has agreed to a new two-year deal, along with star forward Danielle Ponter, emerging midfielder Teah Charlton and reliable winger Stevie-Lee Thompson. All-Australian nominee and two-time premiership player Eloise Jones has also extended her stay at West Lakes until at least the end of 2024.
Impressive ruck/forward Caitlin Gould and NAB Rising Star nominees Madison Newman and Montana McKinnon have recommitted, alongside forwards Rachelle Martin, Hannah Munyard, Jess Waterhouse, McKenzie Dowrick and Lisa Whiteley, and premiership defender Najwa Allen.
Adelaide’s three 2021 AFLW draftees Zoe Prowse, Abbie Ballard and Brooke Tonon are also locked in for Season Eight, joining last year’s Sign and Trade Period recruits Niamh Kelly and Amber Ward.
The Club’s most recent draftees, Kiera Mueller and Keeley Kustermann, will remain in Crows colours until at least the end of 2024 after successful AFLW debuts last season.
During the Sign and Trade Period, the Club also welcomed Sarah Goodwin via a trade with Port Adelaide in exchange for Jasmine Simmons and the first and second round picks in the supplementary draft. Goodwin played alongside Mueller and Kustermann in the backline of the undefeated South Australian team at the 2022 NAB AFLW Under-18 Championships.
Ruck/forward Jess Allan will return to West Lakes after the Club completed a trade with GWS GIANTS in exchange for Pick No.52, and rookie Taylah Levy joined the Club after returning to Adelaide from college basketball in the US.
In other list changes, defender Hannah Button has been placed on the inactive list after tearing her ACL, while Jasmyn Hewett has been delisted due to work commitments. Deni Varnhagen also returns to the list for Season Eight after being on the inactive list.
Crows Head of Women’s Football Phil Harper said the loyalty shown by the players that have recommitted is an integral part of ongoing success.
“Having retained the majority of our squad into the next season is a testament to the players and the culture we have built in our AFLW program,” Harper said.
“We are fortunate to be well led by some experienced senior players, like Chelsea Randall and Stevie-Lee Thompson, but more than 20 members of our squad are aged 25 or under, so we feel as though our Club is well positioned now and in the future.
“We are looking forward to welcoming some new and some familiar faces into the team this season and can’t wait to get started with preseason training in few months.”
Adelaide has one list spot remaining ahead of this season which will be filled in the supplementary draft on Tuesday, April 4.
Adelaide’s Season Eight Squad:
Jess Allan, Sarah Allan, Najwa Allen, Abbie Ballard, Chelsea Biddell, Teah Charlton, McKenzie Dowrick, Sarah Goodwin, Caitlin Gould, Anne Hatchard, Eloise Jones, Niamh Kelly, Keeley Kustermann, Taylah Levy, Ebony Marinoff, Rachelle Martin, Montana McKinnon, Kiera Mueller, Hannah Munyard, Madison Newman, Danielle Ponter, Zoe Prowse, Chelsea Randall, Stevie-Lee Thompson, Brooke Tonon, Deni Varnhagen, Amber Ward, Jess Waterhouse, Lisa Whiteley.
