Northern Territory women celebrate milestone after milestone in historic football year
NT News sports editor Marc McGowan picks his top 10 moments from 2016 for females in Territory footy
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THERE was plenty to celebrate in a historic 2016 for women’s football — and the Northern Territory went along for the ride. NT News sports editor Marc McGowan picked his top 10 moments from last year for females in Territory football
1. Nine Territorians to play for Crows in AFLW
Shepparton-raised midfielder Ange Foley — the winner of every senior individual honour in Top End women’s football — was the first cab off the rank, as an Adelaide Crows priority selection in August. Jasmine Anderson, the sister of North Melbourne’s Jed and ex-Carlton footballer Joe, followed as a Category B rookie. The Crows then ended up selecting Heather Anderson, Sally Riley, Sophie Armitstead, Stevie-Lee Thompson, Abbey Holmes and Tayla Thorn in a draft day bonanza in October. Lauren O’Shea was the final one via free agency. Never before had so many NT footballers joined elite ranks in one off-season.
2. The NT-Adelaide Crows are in
AFLNT boss Michael Solomon was at the MCG in June to hear AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick historically announce the Territory-affiliated Adelaide Crows as one of the eight clubs in the new AFL Women’s competition set to start in February 2017. The fixture came out months later and there will be one game at Darwin’s TIO Stadium on Saturday, March 11 to coincide with NTFL Women’s Premier League grand final day.
3. Three women on AFLNT board
Any chance of the AFLNT board retaining a “boys’ club” reputation was shattered when Colleen Gwynne, Di Borella and Kathy Sadler scored berths on a new 11-person body in late February. They are all long-time Territorians and bring a wealth of experience in and outside the game. Borella is the first indigenous female to serve on any AFL-sanctioned state body board.
4. Melbourne Demons debuts for Tahs pair
Waratah teammates Ange Foley and Amy Chittick represented Melbourne in an AFL women’s exhibition match against the Brisbane Lions at the MCG in May. Foley kicked a goal and Chittick also impressed. Foley was even better at her next opportunity for the Demons at that level. She booted another major and picked up 15 touches in the women’s All-Stars clash with the Western Bulldogs in September to stamp herself as a legitimate national star.
5. Waratah win the NTFL women’s premiership … again
The Tahs shook off new archrivals Wanderers to win 6.14 (50) to 4.8 (32) — after leading by only two points at the last break — to seal a fifth straight premiership and second undefeated campaign in a row. Abbey Holmes won the Brenda Williams Medal as the best player on the ground.
“That’s a record I don’t think will ever be broken, especially the way women’s footy is played nowadays,” Waratah coach Colleen Gwynne said.
6. NT Government joins the party
Labor promised $3 million to upgrade TIO Stadium for women’s sport, namely for new change rooms specifically for female use, before dislodging the Country Liberals at the Territory election. That was a major announcement for the credibility of the women’s game. The Government later further evidenced its commitment to female football when it doubled its commitment across two years to $300,000 for the Adelaide Crows.
7. Gwynne inked in female footy history
Colleen Gwynne’s mighty playing and coaching contributions at NTFL and national level, including being part of nine flags, saw AFLNT make the overdue decision to name the Women’s Premier League best-and-fairest medal in her honour from season 2016-17 on.
“I am very proud to have a lifetime link to the NTFL; it is something that will carry on with my children,” Gwynne said.
It capped a huge year for Gwynne, who stepped down as Waratah coach after accepting an AFLNT board spot, then later joined the Adelaide Crows’ AFLW club as an assistant coach.
8. Women’s Lightning Series arrives
The overall player support for the four-team dry season series was lukewarm but the concept was sound. Territorian women now had the chance to play football at the same time as the rest of Australia, removing another potential disadvantage. AFLNT officials have already elected to revamp the competition for 2017 to be a more elite series with only two teams involved. The dangling carrot is obvious: if you’re invited to play, then you’re in the Crows’ AFLW mix.
9. Territory trumps Tasmania
Northern Territory kicked seven goals to none in the last quarter to erase a three-quarter time deficit and beat Tasmania by 36 points in Melbourne in April. The victory came two days after going down to the AFL Victoria Women’s Academy. Ange Foley and Morgan Johnston — a shock Crows exclusion — were the standouts. An NT side co-coached by Andrew McLeod and Wally Gallio also lost by 27 points to South Australia in the 16-a-side format at Adelaide Oval in May.
10. Standalone NT Youth Girls success
The Territory sent a stand alone team to the Youth Girls Nationals for the first time in May after previously joining forces with Tasmania. The move proved a wise one, with the NT pipping the Apple Isle by four points and cruising past the indigenous Woomeras team by 47 points.
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