SANFLW’s best female talent ready to battle in women’s ‘Showdown’

Some of the state’s best senior women footballers will get to don a Port Adelaide guernsey for the first time in a ‘Showdown’ on Saturday.

West Adelaide defender Maddi Newman (left) will feature with the Power, while North Adelaide’s Nadia von Bertouch will play for the Crows in the women’s Showdown on Saturday. Picture: Sarah Reed

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A women’s ‘Showdown’ will be played at Richmond Oval on Saturday.

The eight SANFLW clubs have been split into a ‘Crows’ and a ‘Power’ team for the game, which will be the first of two exhibition matches aimed at showcasing SA’s best players not on AFLW lists.

Sturt, North Adelaide, Glenelg and Central District players will represent Adelaide, while those from West Adelaide, reigning premiers South Adelaide, Norwood and Woodville-West Torrens will be in Power guernseys.

Roosters co-captain Nadia von Bertouch hopes the match will prove SA has enough talent to warrant a second team in the AFLW soon.

Nadia Von Bertouch gets a handball away during the SANFLW grand final against South Adelaide last month. Picture: AAP/Brenton Edwards

“It’s a pretty cool opportunity,” von Bertouch says.

“This will show some progress towards Port coming into the (AFLW) competition and I think they are starting to take the talent we have in SA pretty seriously.

“With how successful the Crows have been, they are probably seeing there’s room for expansion with another team in SA.”

Crows AFLW dual premiership star Courtney Cramey will coach Adelaide’s team, while Port’s women’s academy mentor Naomi Maidment takes the reins of the Power.

West Adelaide defender Maddi Newman, who will feature with the Power, is keen to return to the field following the end of the SANFLW season last month.

“It’s pretty exciting because I think there will be AFLW scouts watching the games,” Newman says.

Crows player Courtney Cramey will coach Adelaide’s team on Saturday. Picture: Russell Millard.

SANFL football general manager Adam Kelly says the Showdown is an opportunity for local players to be involved in an AFLW-like environment.

The Crows received an AFLW licence for the competition’s inaugural season in 2017 and claimed that year’s flag as well as one this past season.

The national women’s league will increase from 10 to 14 teams next season when Richmond, West Coast, St Kilda and Gold Coast join.

That will leave only Port, Hawthorn, Sydney and Essendon without sides, and the AFLW has yet to provide a timeline for further expansion.

Port will apply for an AFLW licence during the next round of bidding – possibly in 2022.

The women’s Showdown is at Richmond Oval on Saturday from 12.25pm and is a curtain-raiser for the men’s match between West Adelaide and Adelaide.