South Australia’s top 25 most influential women on and off the field of sport
South Australian Hall of Fame netballer Natalie von Bertouch and Advertiser sports journalist Liz Walsh have compiled a list of 25 women who they think hold the power in this state.
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THEY are the women who wield power and influence in South Australian sport and we celebrate them this International Women’s Day.
To limit this list, we have chosen women who live in South Australia.
Do you agree with this list — leave your comments?
1. ERIN PHILLIPS
Elite sportswoman
There’s not much Erin Phillips hasn’t achieved in sport: an Olympic basketballer who has played in both the United States and Europe, she has two Australian WNBL titles to her name, and is now an assistant coach for the Dallas Wings in the biggest female basketball league in the world: the WNBA. But her transition to a football field has been stunning to watch: as co-captain of the Adelaide Crows in the AFLW, she has a premiership to her name, an AFLW best and fairest medal, as well as an Adelaide club champion, and the AFLW Players’ most valuable player accolades.
2. BRONWYN KLEI
Sport administrator
The current general manager of both the male and female Adelaide Strikers teams in the highly successful Big Bash League, Klei has built a reputation as a leader in the sports industry. She will use that influence as she moves to her new role as the chief executive office of Netball SA from March 18.
3. MEGAN SCHUTT
Australian cricketer
The fast bowler has enjoyed a stellar 12 months after becoming not only the first Australian woman to take a T20 international hat-trick, but being named the ICC’s No. 1 T20 bowler in the world. An important player of the rise of women’s cricket, she tweets messages of love and equality to her 44,900 worldwide Twitter followers.
4. FRANCES NELSON QC
Sports boards
A leading Adelaide lawyer, Nelson is still head of the Parole Board after nearly 30 years in the chair. A lover of horses, she sits on various racing boards, including Thoroughbred Racing SA since 2007 (the last seven years as its chairman) and was elected chair of Racing Australia in 2017. In May last year she was elected as one of two Vice Chairmen of the Asian Racing Federation. Not only is Nelson the first South Australian to be appointed to this position, but she is also the first woman to be elevated to such a role.
5. ANNA MEARES
Track cycling
The most successful female track cyclist in history who has 11 world champion titles and six Olympic medals to her name, Meares continues to wield influence as an advocate for her sport both in SA and across Australia. But she also uses her influence in the not-for-profit space as an advocate for numerous charities.
6. LOUISE SMALL
SA Football commission
The former netball champion was this week voted onto SA’s peak football commission, and is its sole female voice after the commission’s original ceiling breaker — June Roache — lost her seat. Small joins the commission with a strong background in netball — as a premiership captain with the Matrics State league team and tenure as an assistant coach with the Thunderbirds team. But she also has a noted interest in Australian football with work at the Adelaide Football Club in women’s player development.
7. JESS TRENGOVE
Distance runner
Thanks to hard work and determination, the Olympic long-distance runner gets better year on year and she is now considered one of the foremost marathon runners Australia has produced. In 2017, by placing ninth at the world championships in London, she became the highest-ever placed woman at a world champs. She is also paving a career in sportswear, designing a range of underwear specifically for running, called Rundies.
8. TANIA OBST
Netball coach
Coming home to South Australia as the coach of the Thunderbirds as the team tries to rebuild after a disastrous two previous seasons. At the core of her beliefs is to plan for long-term sustainable success of the club, with a focus on local talent, complemented by international and/or interstate athletes.
9. MARGARET RALSTON AM
Journalist/media adviser
Australia’s first female sports editor after being appointed to the position in 1979 at Adelaide’s former daily newspaper The News, Ralston continues to work behind the scenes as A former ministerial Adviser for sport and member of SA’s Media Hall of Fame, she is instrumental in driving support for South Australia’s Olympic and Commonwealth Games athletes.
10. EMMA CHECKER
Soccer player
Having made her senior debut for Adelaide United in the W-League in 2011 — at the age of just 15 — Checker, who turns 23 on Monday, is a three-time capped Matilda. Having played stints at Melbourne Victory and Canberra United and with Incheon Red Angels in South Korea, Checker has returned home and is now captain of the Reds.
11. AMANADA VANSTONE
Port Adelaide Football Club board
Former South Australian Senator, federal government minister and Australian ambassador to Italy, Vanstone has been a director on Port’s board since 2012. She is a vocal campaigner against drugs in sport and was a member of the foundation Board of the World Anti-Doping Authority in 2000. When she talks, people listen.
12. KAREN ROLTON
Retired cricketer
Arguably one of Australia’s all-time best cricketers, Rolton was the International Cricket Council’s inaugural female Player of the Year in 2006. While she’s retired and coaches in Victoria, her name lives on here in SA as it is emblazoned on the spectacularly redeveloped cricket oval that was once called: Park 25 in Adelaide’s CBD. Now “Karen Rolton” is on the lips of every SA cricketer male or female, professional or amateur, international or local.
13. TRACY YORK
Basketball coach
Experienced world championship basketball coach, who is a fellow from the Governors Leadership Foundation of SA, York is currently an assistant coach with the Adelaide 36ers. She is the only female coach anywhere in Australia in the NBL.
14 CHELSEA PITMAN
Thunderbirds netballer
The fast netball midcourter won the 2011 world championships with Australia but then switched her allegiance to the England Roses, for whom she qualifies through her English-born father. She was a part of the English team that beat the Australians to a gold medal at last year’s Commonwealth Games. Now, the 30-year-old is an integral part of the Thunderbirds.
15. TANYA HOSCH
AFL executive
A leading AFL executive. She is the general Manager of Inclusion and Social policy at the Australian Football League and is a champion of indigenous issues. She has proven herself an impressive leader.
16. CHELSEA RANDALL
AFLW player
The Crows co-captain is inspiring the next generation of female footballers with her work in various development academies associated with the Adelaide Football Club. The reigning AFLW Club Champion has this year taken on a new role as the club’s female talent officer.
She oversees three female academies part-time, while also continuing her work with female engagement programs in the Crow’s community team.
17. ANNETTE EDMONDSON
Cycling
Dual 2015 world champion Edmondson last week returned to the UCI world champ stage for the first time in three years, this time being staged in Poland. And she is a world champion again, this time as part of the Australian Team Pursuit. Fluent in Indonesian, she is an official ambassador for World Vision.
18. ELOISE SHERIDAN
Cricket umpire
Sheridan has ticked off many cricket umpiring firsts, breaking ground for women who want to be a part of the game behind the stumps. Last year she became the first woman in Australia to umpire a men’s first grade Premier Cricket final and then teamed with Claire Polosak to officiate a WBBL match which was the first time two female on-field umpires had been in charge of a professional cricket match anywhere in Australia. Then, last month she made history again as part of the first all-female on-field umpiring team to officiate an Australian men’s first-grade premier cricket match.
19. LINDA FELLOWS
Crows board
South Australian Police Assistant Commissioner Linda Fellows joined the Adelaide Football Club’s Board in 2015. She was an inaugural member of the Club’s Professional Standards and Integrity Committee in 2013.
20. CLAIRE TALLENT
Walker
The Olympic and Commonwealth Games walker is fiercely committed to her sport and only a few days after giving birth to her son in 2017, she went for her first 5km walk. Twelve weeks later she competed in the London Athletics World Championships, with her baby son waiting at the finishing line for her. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are in her sights.
21. JJENNY WILLIAMS
Sport psychology
A former elite sportsperson, Williams has pioneered women’s football in SA, but recently her more influential work comes in the form of sport psychology. She’s worked across codes including football and basketball — and recently worked with the North Adelaide Football Club during last year’s premiership winning season. She has written a book about mental training for athletes.
22. WENDY SCHAEFFER
Equestrian board
At the age of 22, Schaeffer became the youngest woman to win an equestrian gold medal when she joined with Phillip Dutton, Andrew Hoy and Gillian Rolton to win the team three-day event at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. After almost a decade living overseas, Schaeffer returned to SA in November last year and has taken up a position on the Equestrian SA Board.
23. LAURA HODGES
Basketballer
A director of the Australian Basketballers Association, she was part of the negotiations that have seen a landmark agreement with the WNBL’s brand new parental and pregnancy care policy. The four-time Olympian and 16-year basketball veteran gave birth to her first child in October last year and just like her idol Rachael Sporn is hoping to return to the sport in the future.
24. NARELLE SMITH
AFLW coach
In 141 years of SANFL football, never had a woman been entrusted to coach a men’s senior team. That was, until Smith took control of Glenelg’s reserves side for the 2018 SANFL season. Last year she joined the Adelaide Football Club as the Crows AFLW team’s forward line coach.
25. SALLY NIEHUUS
SACA board
In 2010, Niehuus made history by becoming SACA’s first female board director elected by members. Continuing her families’ passion for cricket, Sally has been the secretary at Glenelg Cricket Club where her grandfather Dick Niehuus played and served for 50 years. She was a member of the board that voted in favour of redeveloping Adelaide Oval. She is one of four women currently sitting on SACA’s 11-person board, meaning in 2018 SACA met its 40 per cent female board director target; a first in Australian cricket history.
OTHERS NOT LIVING HERE:
1. Jane Woodlands Thompson
2. Kathryn Harby Williams
3. Holly Ransom — Port Adelaide board
4. Joanne Broadbent — NSW Breakers cricket coach
5. Shelley Nitschke — cricket (Australian women’s assistant coach)
6. Alicia Molik — tennis
7. Emily Seebohm — swimming
8. Kellie Underwood — journalist/commentary
9. Moya Dodd — soccer
10. Eleni G — football umpiring
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