Coaches Report – Women’s Round 9

Round 9 saw us head to the Bay for a triple-header alongside our senior men’s team, facing off against Glenelg in a crucial match to get our season back on track following six consecutive losses.

We made three changes to our lineup, welcoming Nicola Biagi, Ella Maxwell, and debutant Sarah Deed into the side. After a disappointing game against North Adelaide where we failed to score a goal, our focus this week was on resetting, simplifying our structures, and getting back to playing “Westies football” – using short 45-degree kicks and controlling the tempo.

We got off to the perfect start, hitting the scoreboard within the first 40 seconds. Ruby Ballard’s clean clearance found Lucy Waye, who finished off the passage with our opening major. Just three minutes later, Georgie Pater snapped truly from a tight angle to put us two goals up. While we dominated play for the remainder of the quarter, we couldn’t add to our score, heading into the first break with a 12–1 lead.

Credit to Glenelg, who came out stronger in the second quarter, turning the match into a more contested affair. We continued to create opportunities but couldn’t find the goals, adding just four behinds. However, we kept Glenelg goalless and took a 13-point lead into halftime. At the break, our focus was on maintaining pressure and ensuring we were rewarded for our efforts on the scoreboard.

Once again, we started strongly in the third term, with Hannah Button winning the clearance and Nicole Hooper applying excellent forward pressure to win a holding-the-ball free kick. Nicole converted truly to extend our lead. Midfield dominance through Chloe Tonkin and Tess Huxtable allowed us to control territory, and our rucks gave our midfielders first use. Despite this, we only managed two more behinds for the quarter, going into the final break 20 points up.

Our goal for the final term was to finish strongly and not let Glenelg back into the contest. Just one minute in, debutant Sarah Deed was awarded a free kick 10 metres out and calmly slotted her first SANFLW goal – a special moment for her and the team. We continued to play the game in our forward half and added three more points before Glenelg kicked their first major at the 18-minute mark. We held on for a well-deserved 4.9 (33) to 1.4 (10) victory.

There were many strong contributors across the ground.
Best Players:

• Zoe Venning – 34 disposals in a dominant performance
• Hannah Button – 16 disposals, 9 tackles, 5 clearances
• Ruby Ballard – 18 disposals and excellent midfield work
• Madi Russell – rock solid in defence
• Sarah Deed – impressive debut with a goal

Other notable performances came from Emma Chapman, Lucy Waye, and Emily Mableson, who were unlucky to miss out on the best players list.

It was a fantastic night for the group to finally be rewarded for their effort. Despite recent results, the players have remained positive, committed, and dedicated to training. The SANFLW ladder remains tight, and with this win, we sit just one game outside the top four with five games remaining.

Next week, we face Norwood at Hisense Stadium at 4:00 PM, following the senior men’s match. This game marks a significant milestone as it will be West Adelaide SANFLW’s 100th game. A past players’ event will be held to celebrate the occasion, and we encourage all supporters to get down and be part of this historic day for our club.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you at the game.

Go Westies!

Top 3 best Players: Zoe Venning, Hannah Button, Ruby Ballard

Goals: Sarah Deed (1.2), Nicole Hooper (1.0), Georgie Pater (1.0), Lucy Waye (1.1)