SFNL 2025: Women’s Division 1 Players to watch revealed
With the Southern league Division 1 women’s season in full swing, we reveal the players to watch who could make or break premiership tilts here.
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The Southern league’s Division 1 women’s season is in full swing, and there is plenty of great talent on show.
Check out all the must-watch talents this season below.
Nicola Weston (Endeavour Hills)
The Falcons’ midfield general is going from strength to strength to start 2025. It should come as no surprise given she has captained the Southern league’s interleague side and spent time on Collingwood’s VFLW list. Weston can float forward and kick goals and is also learning how to overcome tags thrown her way.
Emma Stuber (Bentleigh)
A major ball winner who is also impactful forward of the ball, Stuber is a strong stoppage player and uses the footy well. Has Vic Metro experience and is on Sandringham’s VFLW list.
Ally Williams (Murrumbeena)
The club’s reigning best and fairest winner is simply a gun through the midfield who can be found all over the ground. Just doesn’t stop working.
Alicia Heins (Casey Thunder)
The Thunder skipper is a proven matchwinner who can all day and has a great turn of speed. Is also a strong contested mark on the wing.
Jess Evans (Mordialloc)
The experienced inside midfielder has returned to Mordialloc from Seaford. She’s a good leader who rarely takes a step back. Can also float forward.
Annabelle Kidd (Bentleigh)
The co-captain is a rock in defence and has won Bentleigh’s most consistent player award for the past two seasons. Is a superb and staunch one-on-one defender and also uses the footy well.
Brooke Borchard (Endeavour Hills)
Borchard is a player who plays well beyond her years. She’s a pit bull in the midfield and simply natural who has been snagging plenty of goals too.
Stephanie Sandoval (Clayton)
The gun forward has great hands and is a skilful player with great footy knowledge who can do it all.
Bianca Moody (Casey Thunder)
The midfielder plays with tenacity and can kick accurately with both feet. She’s also a great ball-winner.
Ash Bertagno (Murrumbeena)
The in and under midfielder is new to the club but has been unstoppable early. She’s quick and agile and has previously spent time on Richmond’s VFLW list.
Ashlee Sims (Narre South Saints)
Sims recently notched her 50th game for the Saints and is a fearless player who cracked the Southern interleague squad this year.
Kiana Te Huia (Lyndale)
A versatile player, she can be thrown anywhere around the ground and have an impact. Started this season at half back.
Alyssa Weston (Endeavour Hills)
Nicola Weston’s older sister has also been potent for Endeavour Hills and enjoyed a red-hot start to 2025. She is a strong mark who is tough in the contest and ball-winner. Either provides drive in the middle or impacts the scoreboard from half forward.
Alice Barfoot (Casey Thunder)
The defender is a great mark and is always prepared to take the game on.
Felicity Neligan (Clayton)
The ruck is strong with a natural football brain and shares the ball really well. Her delivery of the footy by hand or foot is strong and allows her to bring others into the game.
Eden Tone (Casey Thunder)
The reigning Division 1 league medallist and with good reason, Tone is a natural talent who is simply potent on the wing.
Holly Davies (Clayton)
The midfielder is Clayton’s vice-captain, she can be a gun inside midfielder or play on the outside. Is a great carrier of the ball and also delivers it well.
Haylee Mortimer (Narre South Saints)
The Saints vice-captain often hits the scoreboard and has already snagged a couple of majors this season. Was included in the Southern interleague squad.
Isabella Colaci (Bentleigh)
A really explosive and powerful athlete, Colaci is dangerous at ground level and dynamic at the stoppage. Is playing forward but expect her to progress to a midfield role.
Mia Fortune (Murrumbeena)
The key forward has been a handy addition and is a strong marking tall who kicks goals.
Alice Roberts (Mordialloc)
Another to graduate from the under-18 ranks, Roberts is an athletic and versatile player who can play full forward, ruck or float through the midfield. Has a long left foot kick.
Alesha Thorne (Lyndale)
A potent goal kicker as evidenced by her bag of 10 goals in round one. She’s tall and can play full forward or centre half forward.
Maggie Collins (Clayton)
The Clayton skipper is a tremendous midfielder who is a strong in and under player. She knows how to get the ball and feeds it out well. Was described by coach Jeff Hooper as the “captain every coach dreams of”.
Tori De Groot (Murrumbeena)
Having returned to Murrumbeena, the fullback has been phenomenal. Described as a “gatekeeper” who not much gets past.
Alesha White (Endeavour Hills)
The Endeavour Hills co-captain didn’t miss a beat in pre-season and is the ultimate professional. She plays a hybrid half forward role and knows how to impact the scoreboard.
Jemma Gray (Mordialloc)
Has a raking left foot from half forward and is also in Mordialloc’s leadership group. Has adapted to senior foot well after graduating from the under-18s. Attacks the ball well and is a thumping kick.
Chantelle Marshall (Lyndale)
A shorter defender, but underestimate her size at your peril. The stalwart was one of Lyndale’s first to notch 50 games and is a great leader.
Tabatha Jones (Endeavour Hills)
The young centre half back reads the play really well and picks off plenty of intercepts. She represented Southern in interleague last season and has cracked the squad again in 2025.
Charli Murphy (Bentleigh)
Bentleigh’s main target up forward is a strong contested marking player who is an elite kick and can read the game well.
Ellen Block (Murrumbeena)
The centre half forward is strong and reliable and can nail goals from 40 metres out. Super energetic player.
Ellicia Keith (Lyndale)
The ruck can also go forward and kick goals but is a strong player around the ground.
Emily Van de water (Mordialloc)
Crossed to the club from Beaumaris and is a smart footballer on the half back flank. She likes to attack the ball and can roll through the midfield. Has VFLW experience with the Southern Saints.
Charlotte Trewarn (Murrumbeena)
The small forward is super quick and agile and has been scoring plenty of goals early in the season.
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