Checkside Chats – Glenelg’s Chelsea Packer and West’s Adam Hartlett

By ZAC MILBANK

It might be Chelsea Packer’s 50th Hostplus SANFLW game on Saturday but it will be just as special as any she has played since making her debut in 2019.

That’s because all she wanted to do was play footy for Glenelg, something she cherishes greatly since making the journey to Brighton Road after playing in her hometown of Mundulla.

A special guest on Checkside Chats, the 33-year-old premiership star details how tough it was to initially not be provided with the same opportunities to play footy as the boys her age while growing up in the State’s south-east.

It has made the former teacher – who has declared this will be her last SANFLW season – even more passionate about her role at SANFL as Women and Girls Community Lead, helping to ensure young girls are exposed to the game of Australian Football where possible.

West Adelaide coach Adam Hartlett makes his first appearance on Checkside Chats, detailing how he missed his first chance to guide the Bloods in Round 1.

Now loving life as father to newborn Elkie May, Hartlett was still tempted to jump in the coaches box at Prospect despite having been up all night to support his partner Sarah during childbirth.

Well accustomed to planning the demise of the Bloods’ opposition while feeding Elkie her midnight bottle, Hartlett reveals he is ”mining the gold” at Richmond after being offered wise words from former coach Andy Collins.