Crows premiership-winning AFLW players will help grow the game locally in the Adelaide Footy Women’s League this year.
The 18 South Australian-based Crows players have been split between the League’s six Division One teams to try and spread the talent as evenly as possible.
Formerly known as the South Australian Women’s Football League (SAWFL), the Adelaide Footy Women’s League has been renamed for Season 2017.
Previously, nine of the Crows AFLW players represented Morphettville Park. Five will continue to play for the club: Rising Star Ebony Marinoff, fellow All Australian Courtney Cramey, defender Dayna Cox and ball winners Deni Varnhagen and Georgia Bevan.
West Australian marquee players Chelsea Randall (Salisbury) and Kellie Gibson (Adelaide University) have joined local clubs.
Forwards Sarah Perkins and Jenna McCormick, defender Talia Radan, ruck Rhiannon Metcalfe and midfielder Monique Hollick, who were also recruited from interstate, have also found new teams.
The majority of players will resume playing in early June. The exception is Club Champion and AFLW Best and Fairest Erin Phillips, who has returned to the US to play with WNBA side, the Dallas Wings.
Plans for Northern Territory-based players are still being finalised, with a series of exhibition matches likely to be held before North Eastern Australia Football League (NEAFL) games at TIO Stadium.
The Club's Adelaide Women’s Footy League allocations are as follows:
Adelaide University – Anne Hatchard, Kellie Gibson, Justine Mules
Morphettville Park – Deni Varnhagen, Dayna Cox, Ebony Marinoff, Georgia Bevan, Courtney Cramey
Port Adelaide – Sarah Perkins, Jenna McCormick, Erin Phillips
Salisbury – Sarah Allan, Chelsea Randall, Jessica Sedunary
West Adelaide – Rachael Killian, Talia Radan, Rhiannon Metcalfe
Modbury – Monique Hollick
Click here to view the Adelaide Footy Women's League fixture
Meanwhile, the AFL has indicated the AFLW player signing and trade period, as well as the subsequent free agency period, may be delayed as the AFL Commission weighs up when to expand the League.
The Commission will decide in the coming weeks whether additional teams are introduced into the competition as early as next season, or to wait until 2019.
AFLW Key Offseason Dates
April 3 – 17 – Mandated player leave period
May 1 – 19 – Player signing and trade period*
May 20 – 26 – Free agency period*
May 31 – August 31 – Player integration into SAWFL/other sport if desired
September 4 – September 29 – Un-signed players can nominate for the Draft
October 18 – AFLW Draft
November 1 – January 20, 2018 – AFLW pre-season followed by AFLW 2018 Season*
*Dates TBC by AFL
