Cassie Hartley to captain Glenelg in first SANFL women’s match against West Adelaide

CASSIE Hartley will captain Glenelg in the inaugural SANFL women’s competition against West Adelaide tonight.

CASSIE Hartley is always tempted to give her body a rest and hang up her football boots for good.

But the 42-year-old is forever stopped in her tracks because of her passion for Australian rules and her teammates.

“There’s been a few times that I’ve thought, ‘yeah, I’ll retire’,” Hartley says.

“But then I realise how much I miss the game and think to myself, ‘it’s such a good game, why did I stop playing?’

“Just the excitement that you see in your teammates’ faces every time we run out on to the park, or when we kick a goal is great.”

The decision to stick with the sport has paid dividends for the on-baller, who will captain Glenelg in the inaugural SANFL women’s competition tonight.

Hartley has been playing with West Adelaide in the South Australian Women’s League since 2012 and planned to retire at the end of 2013.

But after agreeing to act as a fill-in player for most of 2014, she pulled the jumper back on for good the following year.

Although a Bloods’ player in the SAWFL, Hartley bleeds yellow and black.

“I grew up supporting Glenelg, but I don’t think it ever came into my head that I’d actually be able to play for them,” Hartley, of Christies Beach, says.

“I grew up in country Victoria and girls didn’t play football at school, let alone in a competition.

“I just kicked the footy in the yard with my brother, and it wasn’t until I was 20 and moved to Adelaide for uni that I heard about a local women’s league.

“So I’ve really fallen on my feet.”

Norwood captain Rebekka McMahon says the SANFL competition will provide a springboard for more local females to break into the AFL Womens ranks.

“I think this is really good for the next progression phase for women’s footy here in SA,” McMahon, 29, says.

“It’s exciting that it’s finally happening and young girls growing up can say ‘I want to play for Norwood’ and then take their football further.”

FIXTURE

Tonight

Coopers stadium

Norwood v North Adelaide 6:00pm

Glenelg v West Adelaide 8:10pm