SFL Women’s 2025: Key players to watch from Premier and Community teams
The Southern Football League 2025 women’s season is only several rounds in but the contenders have already started to emerge from the pack. We break down the key players for every side.
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The 2025 Southern Football League women’s season is only a few rounds in, but early contenders are already beginning to separate themselves from the pack.
With momentum building and ladder positions starting to take shape, we take a closer look at the standout performers from each club so far and the key players who could shape their team’s campaign.
Premier League
Clarence
Rachael Archer
Position: Centre Half Back
Archer has completed a full pre-season for the first time in four years and has started the season well.
Jemma Webster
Position: Midfield
Won the best-and-fairest last year and has started the season well averaging 22.3 disposals per game and 6.3 clearances.
Ella Wagner
Position: Half Back Flank
Worked hard on her body strength over pre season and she has started the season well, named in the best in two out of three games.
Heidi Preshaw
Position: Midfield
Young player who started the season well coming up from the under-18s, averaging 21 disposals and 4 clearances.
Glenorchy
Stacey Schultz
Position: Midfielder
A fierce competitor that runs through packs and continuously puts her body on the line. She’s known for taking incredible marks and can be handy up forward with a beautiful kick for goal.
Arielle Cannell
Position: Midfielder/CHF
An emerging star of the competition who only recently played her first senior game but has incredible game awareness and attack on the footy. Very clean skills and a booming kick which offers great entries into forward 50. A very hard worker who has already demonstrated she will excel.
Rhianna Davis
Position: Full back
A general down back. Sets up the backline and is known for her intercept marking ability. Attacks the football at full pace and makes it difficult for any forward to have a free run at the ball. Is a really good reliable shut down player.
Brandi Sokolski
Position: Half forward/midfielder
Has had a fantastic start to season 2025. Creates amazing forward pressure and bashes and crashes when she runs through the middle. Smart with her decisions and rarely turns over the ball.
North Hobart
Grace White
Position: Centre Half Forward
Has had a terrific start to the year and her fitness level has improved from last year. Her strength is in the marking contest and over head in particular with the ability to move the game on, bring others into the game and or to finish with a goal has been impressive.
Angelica Clark
Position: Midfield
After an outstanding 2024 campaign, she has reached new heights in her footy with her ability to run out the game this year and apply that determined will to win the footy across four quarters. New structures around centre clearances has seen Clark’s impact on the game develop further.
Madi Lamb
Position: Midfield
Has a ferocious appetite for the footy, her explosive pace and fitness sees her as an important cog in the midfield whether for the hard ball get or running wide to get a handball receive.
Jemma Percey
Position: Forward
Moving over from Lauderdale in the off-season, Jemma’s pre-season has been enormous. Has had an immediate impact with her best option approach to bring others into the game a highlight, along with her natural ability and goal sense.
Kingborough
Matilda Lange
Position: Midfield
Physically strong, can kick off both sides of her body, great tank for running and is the under-16s state captain and just named as an all-Australian.
Perri King
Position: Midfielder
Defensive beast, great at winning the hard ball, a tackling machine and ability to push for a contests and second efforts and formerly on the Kangaroos AFLW list.
Molly Mitchell
Position: Forward
Small crumbing forward who can play midfield, very talented footballer who can kick some freakish goals, a strong in and under player with a great tank as well.
Agnes Sakina
Position: Winger
Stepped up from division 3 a few years ago, always looking for more opportunities, regularly seeks feedback, she is a winger who has played through the midfield due to injuries, has been winning a lot of possession but her tackling pressure and one percenters are key highlights of her game.
Lauderdale
Emma Waller
Position: Midfielder
The Lauderdale skipper has a great physical presence, excellent leadership and is confident and skilled at clearing the ball from stoppages. Will only get better as the season progresses.
Sophie Wheeler
Position: Wing/Forward
Wheeler joined the Bombers with over 250 games under her belt. She is quick, smart and has excellent skills, both around the contest and on the run. She is dangerous around goals and will continue to showcase her skills as the season goes forward.
Lara Sims
Position: Backline
Has stepped up to Division 1 this year and joins the Bombers’ backline. She attacks the ball hard, has a penetrating and accurate kick out of defence, and for a small player has a big tank and gives hard physical pressure. A great on field leader.
Evie Ward
Position: Midfielder
Joined the senior team from the under-18s, and has had a blitzing start to the season. Ward is a possession getter, hard physical tackler and clean disposer. Very handy around goals and not afraid to take on the competition. A star in the making.
Community League
Claremont
Natalie Smedley
Position: Midfield
The 2024 Cara Brooke Medallist is a player to watch not just for the Magpies but for the competition as well.
Katie Stanford
Position: Utility
A very experienced player, you know what you are going to get from her week in and week out and can play all over the ground.
Bianca Hollingsworth
Position: Defender
In just her second year of footy, she has picked up the game really quickly and continues to want to learn more and more about it to improve her game going forward.
Nat Curtis
Position: Player/coach
A veteran of the sport, but this year has taken on the role as midfield coach, her ability to help coach but also lead from the front when she goes in there as well.
Dodges Ferry
Hannah Scott
Position: Midfielder
The captain leads from the front with her attack on the ball. She has a fantastic work rate and doesn’t mind a contest.
Ellie Macleod
Position: Midfielder
If there is a pack you will find Macleod at the bottom of it trying to get the ball out to running teammates. Every team needs in and under players willing to put their bodies on the line and Dodges is glad to have Ellie.
Jordyn Ward
Position: Defence/Forward
Ward’s first season with the club has started strongly. A great mark who doesn’t mind kicking a goal when forward but also stopping a goal when in defence. A true utility player willing to play anywhere.
Leah Fennessy
Position: Defence
Fennessy has had a great pre-season really showing great improvement. A very reliable defensive player who you know will put a lock down on her player and they will know they have been in a contest.
Huonville Lions
Maya Lamprill
Position: Centre Half Back
In her second year at the club. Lamprill is a strong attacking backman with her kicking skills just one of her strengths.
Mollie Ford
Position: Midfielder
Ford is the captain and is known as an in-and-under midfielder.
Airlee Lawson
Position: Winger
Lawson is a talented player. She started down back but with her speed and skills with the ball saw her change to a wing this year.
Emma Groves
Position: Centre Half Forward
Groves is an experienced player who can win a game off her own boot and a former best-and-fairest winner. Also has great footy smarts.
Hutchins
Brooke Miller
Position: Half forward/winger
Young, talented, tall, quick, great skills and very Scott Pendlebury like with movement in traffic, only 19 years old.
Mia Giles
Position: Midfielder
From the Gold Coast – getting better and better as she gets used to the pace of the competition. Very quick and hard at the footy.
Mimosa Middleton-Miller
Position: Midfielder
Improving all the time, quick, gets a lot of the footy, hard at it, very passionate, loves her footy.
Lindisfarne
Mena McLeod
Position: Midfielder
McLeod’s explosive burst from a pack is second to none. She creates space and opportunity in any position she is played in. She has a strong set of skills which makes her so versatile all around the ground.
Gabriella Lee
Position: Ruck
Lee is a tall, strong ruckman who gives those second and third efforts which really opens up the game. She fights all game long all around the ground, and her big kick often finds its way into our forward line.
Elena Gaffney
Position: Winger
Gaffney is the club’s “little pocket rocket” who runs up and down the wing, sometimes even sneaking forward for a goal. She gets thrown around a bit but it just fuels her to keep fighting for that ball.
Zoe Henley
Position: Midfielder
Henley joined the senior squad this year and is already making her mark. She’s a tough little midfielder, with the run and carry to match.
New Norfolk
Tarn Ford
Position: Forward
One of the best small forwards in the competition. Her change of speed and forward craft is second to none and she can change a game off her own boot.
Sophie Farrow
Position: Midfield
Captain on the team and leads from the front. A contested footy beast with deadly skills and a strong overhead mark.
Ellie Henricks
Position: Forward/Midfield
Has speed to burn and the ability to get in the right spots in front of goal. Is also a run down tackling machine.
Amber Rainbird
Position: Back
Rainbird has a footy knowledge and ability to read the play that is well beyond her years. Takes multiple intercept marks per game and applies tackle pressure and intensity at the contest.
University
Mariam Refaei
Position: Midfield
Refaei is a dynamic midfielder that can play both inside and outside the contest. She won the University B & F last year. She loves to hunt the ball and lays a solid tackle. She is expected to have another massive year for the club.
Maisey Fraser-Easton
Position: Midfield
An important part of the University midfield, she gets plenty of disposals and can be a big influence on a game. She also can go forward and kick a snag or two.
Mikayla Lack
Position: Backline / Midfield
Captain of University, she leads by example and is a formidable player for the Bows. She can do it all, ruck, play midfield, run the backline, and even kick a few goals.
Tarnith Kelly
Position: Forward
Kelly is a stalwart for the Bows, she has a killer instinct for goal and helps the midfield immensely.
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Originally published as SFL Women’s 2025: Key players to watch from Premier and Community teams
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