West Adelaide’s Abbie Ballard is round one’s SANFLW Player of the Week after dominant display
A West Adelaide rising star has worked extra hard during the off-season to take her game to another level. It’s paying off, as the youngster is named round one’s SANFLW Player of the Week.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Meet the SANFLW players to watch in 2020
- How to get the most out of your Advertiser digital subscription
Abbie Ballard refuses to be complacent.
The West Adelaide tough midfielder claimed the Bloods’ best and fairest award after averaging 16.5 disposals and 4.1 clearances across 10 SANFLW games in 2019.
But she was determined to get even better.
Stream over 50 sports live and on demand with KAYO SPORTS. Just $25/month, no lock-in contract. Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming instantly >
Ballard, 17, kicked off her 2020 campaign with the Bloods in stunning fashion — her 27 possessions, four tackles and nine clearances helped West beat Sturt by 21 points at Elizabeth last Saturday.
The dominant performance led to the rising star being named The Advertiser/SANFLW Player of the Week for round one.
“In the (SANFLW) off-season, I decided I’d better work a bit harder this year, do a bit more fitness stuff so I can definitely take my football to the next level,” Ballard says.
“I was very shocked I was able to rack up that many disposals (against Sturt), but very happy with myself that I was able to perform that well.
“It was a huge achievement to win the best and fairest last year and I was very proud.
“It was fantastic to get the win (against Sturt) and we have a very good vibe at the moment so we are really excited to give it a crack this year.”
Ballard still lives with her family on a sheep, pig and crop farm in Coomandook — a town almost two hours out of Adelaide with a population of 130 people.
She began playing football after following her brother at Peake & District in the Mallee Football League.
West’s country zone recruiters then discovered her talent and Ballard made her debut for the Bloods’ SANFLW team at 15 years old.
“My brother was playing football and at half-time of the A grade game, there was the under-9s, so I went out with them and had a bit of a kick around,” the 159cm on-baller says.
“From there, I got a couple of games with the under-13s and I fell in love with the sport.
“It was amazing to make my debut in 2018, being so young it was huge for me.”
New Bloods coach Mark Moody touted Ballard as a player to watch this season.
And he so far is not wrong about Ballard, who makes the 139km drive to Adelaide and back three times a week — twice for training and on game day.
But it is a sacrifice Ballard, who is preparing to start her Certificate III in Agriculture, is willing to make as she aims to be selected at this year’s AFLW draft.
“I look up to the girls from Westies who have been able to make it into the Crows (AFLW) team and I just want to follow their footsteps and get drafted,” she says.
West Adelaide will look to continue its top form when it hosts Glenelg this Friday night.