Sport Star Awards: Adelaide Crows premiership winners enjoy it one last time

THE AFLW champions will use Friday night’s celebration to mark the start of a new beginning.

• History: Crows claim AFLW crown in thriller against Brisbane

ADELAIDE Crows’ inaugural premiership players will yet again soak up the glory of their historic 2017 AFLW premiership at Friday night’s Advertiser/Channel 7 Sport Star of the Year Awards.

Abbey Holmes, part of the team’s amazing journey to the first national women’s football title, said it marked the end of a landmark year for women’s football and women’s sport.

PARTY TIME: Stevie-Lee Thompson and Abbey Holmes try on dresses at the After Dark Boutique in Myrtle Bank. Makeup and Hair by “Makeup by Ali”. Picture: SARAH REED

The team began preparing for next season under coach Bec Goddard - and all title talk has been put aside.

Holmes said it will be another night of celebration and bonding, but then it’s back to the grind of a summer of training.

“We started pre-season again on Monday so it’s very exciting to start again,” Holmes said.

“The success that we had last season is now last season so we move on.

“Everybody starts from scratch again.

“It’s a bit nerve-racking but it’s exciting at the same time.”

The Crows women’s team, which is nominated for Team of the Year, has already been bestowed honours beyond winning the flag.

The team was in April presented with custom-made premiership rings, as well as the Key to the City, at a special reception held at the Adelaide Town Hall.

The rings featured a replica of the distinctive NAB AFL Women’s ‘W’ logo in 18ct white gold, with each shoulder of the ring featuring eight white diamonds.

“That’s a real honour ... but we now go back to the drawing board and we don’t use the term back-to-back. We can’t think about that.”

Originally published as Sport Star Awards: Adelaide Crows premiership winners enjoy it one last time