Adelaide’s AFLW program will honour the memory of one of its much-loved teammates during the third edition of the ‘Ando Open’ this Sunday.
The event brings players and officials - both past and present - to Peake Gardens Riverside Tennis Club for a day of fun competition, to honour the memory of 2017 premiership player Heather Anderson.
Anderson passed away in November, 2022.
Through the help of Club partners such as Foodland and Thomas Foods, as well as the Past Players and Officials organisation, the event has grown in stature every year, with all proceeds going to Breakthrough Mental Health foundation.
Speaking to AFC Media, two-time Premiership Player and Assistant Coach Courtney Cramey said the event gave the Club the opportunity to connect and honour Anderson’s legacy.
“The Ando Open is a chance for everyone to get together and raise funds for mental health in memory of our teammate and 2017 premiership player Heather Anderson,” Cramey said.
“It’s a great opportunity to remember her, raise some funds and a nice little thing that has evolved from it has been connecting our past players with our current players as well.
“This will be its third year, and it continues to grow each and every year in terms of the participants and support we get behind it.
“The Club’s Past Players and Officials contribute along with a number of the Club’s partners such as Foodland, Thomas Foods, Prohibition Gin and Daimler Trucks.”
The idea for the ‘Ando Open’ spawned from the group’s love of tennis, and was also an event that Cramey said helped boost the team’s cohesion throughout the off-season.
“The Ando Open was inspired by the Australian Open at the time and a summer of tennis where the girls started to have a hit in the off-season,” Cramey said.
“Tennis is the event, but the purpose of the day is to bring everyone together, and it is a day on the calendar everyone in the program really looks forward to.
“It will be good to have the girls come together, have a day out, and keep the memory of Heather going and recognise the importance she continues to play for both our team and the Club.”
Along with it being a day of fun, the ‘Ando Open’ gives the Club a chance to reflect on the influence Anderson continues to have on the AFLW program.
“We continue to remember her every year not only through this event, but through a number of other avenues within our team,” Cramey said.
“She was just a true competitor and her spirit continues to live on through the group.
“Any contribution that we can make to mental health research is important, and the support of Heather’s family in that regard was crucial.
“We can continue to support the cause through events like this.”
As for which players are tipped to star on the court, Cramey highlighted three girls she expected to lead the way on Sunday.
“Hannah Munyard and Madison Newman are actually pretty good tennis players, and they did rock up one year in some great outfits,” Cramey said.
“But I think this year I think the Rasheed name might come in and sweep the trophy cabinet, but we’ll have to wait and see this Sunday.”
