Crows women’s team picks athletes from other sports on AFLW draft day

THE Adelaide Crows women’s AFL team has added a rich sprinkling of talent from other sports as they picked up two accomplished soccer players and a basketballer among their draft haul.

Newly drafted Crows AFLW players Marijana Rajcic (former soccer player), Ruth Wallace (soccer) and Eloise Jones (former basketballer) at the Adelaide Oval.

THE Adelaide Crows women’s AFL team added a rich sprinkling of talent from other sports as they picked up two accomplished soccer players and a basketballer among their draft haul on Wednesday.

Former Adelaide United captain Marijana Rajcic, 28, has played just one season for Norwood in the SANFL women’s league alongside fellow ex-Reds soccer player Ruth Wallace.

They were taken at No. 32 and 38 respectively at the AFLW draft in Melbourne, alongside former basketballer Eloise Jones, who turned down a US college basketball scholarship to pursue Australian football.

They follow last year’s league best and fairest and premiership hero Erin Phillips, who made a remarkable transition from professional basketball to football, and Olympic beach volleyball player Becchara Palmer, who will join the Crows next year as a rookie.

Rajcic, who works as a physical education teacher, said she had a passion for all sports but football had been in her blood since she was a little girl.

“I think I had my first footy training in January,” she said. “And then two weeks later I went out to Norwood. It was pretty quick but I can’t complain.”

Originally published as Crows women’s team picks athletes from other sports on AFLW draft day