Classy St Mary’s utility Danielle Ponter poised to resume her playing career at Adelaide

Star Adelaide Crows AFLW midfielder Danielle Ponter set to cut short her NTFL commitments with St Mary’s

Danielle Ponter, left, with St Mary's women's coach Danielle Chisholm at a combined training session with the club’s junior and senior players. Picture: Grey Morris

ST MARY’S forward Danielle Ponter is two games away from calling a halt to her short NTFL Women’s Premier League season.

And it’s got nothing to do with injury or other commitments — the Adelaide Crows’ AFLW side has come calling.

That means the 20-year-old goalkicking midfielder will commence pre-season training with the Crows later this month for what will be her third season at the elite level.

“I’m heading down to Adelaide after the (Round 7 game against Waratah) to start pre-season, where the rest of the group have already started,’’ she said.

“I love it at the Crows and the AFLW, the first season was the best when we capped it off with a premiership, but just to be involved with an elite group of players has been great.’’

Ponter’s St Mary’s are expected to beat bottom side Tracy Village by a big margin in today’s 11am game at TIO Stadium, but she still found time to praise the Razorback women for their courage and commitment.

“They keep turning up to play and credit to them for that, I’m sure better times are ahead for Tracy Village if they continue to persist,’’ she said.

Saints have only dropped one game this season, an 11-point loss to unbeaten ladder leaders PINT.

“It was just in the last five minutes we dropped off against PINT that day, but we’ve added some girls into the team since and are playing some good footy,’’ Ponter said.

This weekend’s round of the WPL has some intriguing match-ups, with the unbeaten PINT tackling last season’s grand finalists Waratah immediately after the Saints-Village game.

The third-placed Buffettes face a big challenge against a Nightcliff side desperate to avoid three successive defeats at TIO 2 from 10am today.

And the Palmerston Magpies are at home to reigning premier Southern Districts in a 3pm game at the Magpies’ Cazaly’s Arena.