While some of Adelaide’s AFLW players have been travelling far and wide during their off-season, several players have been staying very close to home.

Midfielder Ebony Marinoff has recently joined Adelaide Football Club’s community team, helping to deliver carnivals and continue to grow women’s football in schools and junior clubs across the state.

Dual-sport athlete Jenna McCormick has passed up the opportunity to head interstate or overseas to play soccer as she has done in previous years, and is also working with the Club, as part of the membership team.

Those that have used the long season break to travel include midfielder Justine Mules, who explored England for a couple of weeks, and utility Marijana Rajcic, who has gone to Croatia and Greece with her family.

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Co-captain Chelsea Randall has taken leave from her role with the Club’s community team to travel for three months, returning for the commencement of pre-season.

Currently, she is in Africa camping, hiking and mountain biking, and she also was a bridesmaid at a wedding in the Namib Desert.

Continuing to develop their football is still a strong focus for the team this off-season, with the majority of players getting extra match fitness by lining up with the NT Thunder in the VFLW competition.

The Thunder had a great start to the season, winning their first five games, including big wins over Darebin, Essendon and Melbourne Uni, before suffering consecutive losses in Round Seven and Eight against the Southern Saints and Collingwood.

A big win over Geelong in Round Nine got the team back on track, and they are now sitting third on the ladder. Crows vice-captain and NT Thunder captain Angela Foley has been leading the team from the front, currently sitting second in the League for kicks (109) and first for inside 50s (32), while Jessica Sedunary is second on the VFLW goalkicking list, with 13 goals.

Marinoff, who played in last year’s VFLW Premiership with Darebin, said it has been beneficial for players to be able to compete for the Thunder this year.

To hear the girls coming back after every weekend in the VFL, they are loving it and that standard, so that’s been exciting for them,” Marinoff said.

It’s been really good that the girls have stayed in Adelaide to keep their footy and skills up throughout.”

One of those not competing for the Thunder is co-captain Erin Phillips, who is in Texas fulfilling her role as assistant coach of the Dallas Wings in the WNBA.

Phillips is working primarily with the guards, and since the season began at the beginning of May, Dallas has won 10 games.