Danielle Ponter, Jasmyn Hewett among top 60 NTFL women’s players of the past 20 years
The NTFL women’s competition came to life 20 years ago and in that time plenty of stars have become league icons. We’ve ranked 60 of the best from the past two decades here.
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The NTFL Women’s Premier League turned 20 this year and many exceptional players have put their hands up as league icons in the time since.
The WPL became a serious competition just before Christmas in 2004-05 and has had many great players grace the green fields of Darwin in the 20 years since.
The two decades since St Mary’s won the inaugural 2004-05 grand final with a 44-point win over the Darwin Buffettes have seen an acceleration in skill and athleticism.
St Mary’s in the WPL’s formative years, Waratah mid-term and three-time premier PINT in the last four seasons have been the dominant clubs.
Whether local born or from interstate the league is full of success stories, and it’s little wonder why the women’s competition continues to grow year on year.
The NT News has selected 60 of the competition’s best including those who have been drafted, some of who have mountains of success in the NTFL and exciting prospects for the years to come.
Naming the elite players of the 20-year-old comp is no easy task with a large number deserving of a spot in the top bracket.
Despite the ranking all 60, and many more, should be celebrated for their efforts growing the game up here and the exciting skills they show off every week.
OUR BEST PLAYERS
No.60: Sharona Bishop (Tracy Village/Waratah)
Blessed with very good foot skills and a big appetite for the football, Bishop was a shining light at the Villagers before moving to Waratah where she played in premiership sides.
No.59: Freda Puruntatameri (Waratah/Tiwi Bombers)
Has the evasiveness and leg speed associated with the island’s football and an uncanny goal sense that sets her apart from other players.
No.58: Megan Craufurd (Southern Districts)
A born leader at Southern Districts who gives her all year after year for the side to succeed.
Craufurd was part of the Crocs premiership upset win and has been a leader ever since mentoring plenty of young up and comers with the intention of climbing back to the top.
No.57: Lauren Motlop (Wanderers/PINT)
Capable of big marks and clever disposal by hand and foot, Motlop has carried on her family’s fine football tradition in a long career at the top level.
No.56: Shakaila Gardiner-Dunn (St Marys)
One of the many rising stars of the WPL, Gardiner-Dunn’s run and carry and clean skills have laid the foundations for a big future in the game where she can play forward and back.
No.55: Kylie Duggan (Darwin)
A regular representative player, Duggan has overcome persistent soft tissue injuries to become one of the competition’s most consistent players with her ability to read the game and ability to find teammates by hand and foot.
No.54: Lateesha Jeffrey (Southern Districts)
A clever defender possessed with marking and kicking skills, Jeffrey was rarely beaten in one-on-one contests in a club and representative career that came from the top shelf.
No.53: Jamie-Lee Puautjimi (St Mary’s/Tiwi Bombers)
A clever goalsneak and running midfielder who still plies her trade in the WPL with all the evasive and running skills Tiwi players produce in the twinkling of an eye.
Continues to be one to watch for the Bombers as they work their way up the table in no small part due to her scoring ability.
No.52: Laquoiya Cockatoo-Motlap (Palmerston)
A surprise pick in the top echelon of WPL players, but one that is full of merit. Possessed with tremendous leg speed and a bagful of evasive and disposal skills, her bloodlines include former Essendon and Port Adelaide on-baller Che Cockatoo-Collins.
No.51: Marika Carlton (Palmerston)
Has all the skills needed to play at the top level after dominating in the junior grades at the WPL Magpies.
Has a big goal sense and the ability to play four quarters at full pace, big assets in the competitive world of women’s football.
No.50: Erin Hetherington (PINT)
Plays a key defensive role at the three-time premier where her strong bodywork and ability to run the ball out of the backline.
Rarely beaten in one-on-one contests, Hetherington has been an important part of PINT’s resurgence in women’s football.
No.49: Cassie Henderson (PINT)
A premiership player and hard working defender who never gave her opponents a centimetre, Henderson’s longevity and popularity in the game made her a WPL icon.
Highly rated by all she’s played alongside and for and rated as one of the best leaders in the women’s competition.
No.48: Tatyana Perry (Palmerston)
Winner of the Rising Star award and was recognised for her talents from an early age winning everything she could in Territory football.
Already boasts a playing and leadership resume that includes senior representative football and holds all the promise of a player destined to play at the top level.
No.47: Pip Cox (Waratah)
A livewire utility who shared the 2008-09 league best and fairest medal with St Mary’s rival Sandra Easton.
Both players were big ball winners and racked up possessions almost at will in a competition beginning to find its legs back then.
No.46: Machaelia Roberts (Darwin)
A key player in the double blue jumper for several seasons, Roberts is a one-touch player who can turn a game with her pace and anticipation in front of goals.
The Groote Eylandt product and WPL premiership player was drafted to AFLW club Collingwood on the basis of her great skills.
No.45: J’Noemi Anderson (St Mary’s)
Another young gun with the skill and leg speed who made a fleeting appearance in the WPL with St Mary’s before AFLW club St Kilda drafted her in 2022.
Already a regular with the Saints women, Anderson’s strength in the clinches is a big plus for her.
No.44: Bella Clarke (Sthn Districts)
A hard working, long kicking midfielder who was a key player in the Crocodiles’ 2019-20 premiership side.
Has captained the NT rep side and played with South Fremantle in Perth’s WAFL competition, as well as South Melbourne and Essendon in the VFL.
No.43: Maria Rioli (Tiwi Bombers)
Has the magical skills of the Rioli family, a big appetite for the football and kicking goals. Her role across half forward embraces pace and an uncanny ability to read the play, and she made national acclaim with a huge torpedo earlier this season.
No.42: Sophie Hatzismalis (Nightcliff)
Can play a variety of roles, though behind the ball in a defensive position seem to be her forte.
A strong mark and accurate kick, Hatzismalis has played rep football for the Territory and been a major part in an era of significant growth for the Tigers.
No.41: Annabel Kievit (Waratah)
The rising star winner recently penned a contract extension with the Gold Coast Suns, and from the talent she showed in the NTFL it’s easy to see why.
She often showed off her talent across the ground whether in the ruck or around the contest, while her elite athleticism played a major role in scoring chances.
No.40: Amy Chittick (Waratah / PINT)
A player with a real hunger for goals, which is a good thing when you know how to kick them or set them up in the way she does.
Impressed a lot in her formative years with Waratah and continues to work through the middle or up forward in what has been a hugely successful period for PINT.
No.39: Lucy Louis (Darwin)
A league best and fairest winner in 2017-18 when she tied with Waratah’s Lisa Roberts, a real testament to her ability.
Louis has been a key figure in the Buffettes side with her clean skills and strong leadership quailities.
No.38: Mattea Breed (Darwin / Southern Districts)
Now at AFLW club Hawthorn, Breed was a prolific possession getter with the Darwin Buffettes as an oustanding junior and later a clever, footy smarts senior player.
She also made appearances for Southern Districts annd junior NT rep sides where she always showed her ability.
No.37: Tabitha May (Palmerston)
A player with plenty of leg speed and an ability to read the play and was always a leading light for the Magpies, even when they struggled as a side.
A born leader from an early age, even at 161cm (5ft 3in), May is also very strong at the contested ball.
No.36: Hannah Turnbull (Nightcliff)
A no-nonsense defender who can take a contested mark or two when left one out and will turnover the ball in her side’s favour.
Turnbull’s strength in a contest and ability to find teammates further up the ground by hand or foot are big assets to her game.
No.35: Michaeline Brown (Palmerston)
Won the WPL’s best and fairest medal in 2013-14 as a utility player who could find the ball and do something with it.
Brown was still playing in the WPL seven years after winning the medal where her experience and advice to the young Magpies were invaluable.
No.34: Kahlisha Rioli (St Mary’s)
An outstanding possession winner in contested situations or when left unmarked by rivals, Rioli has all the characteristics of the famous football family.
Can deliver the football lace up to teammates, complemented by her creative handball skills while being a standout in the CAFL as well.
No.33: Tayla Hart Aluni (Darwin)
Made the switch from netball with a minimum of fuss where the contact sport of Australian football was no problem for the pacy youngster with sublime ball skills.
Already kicking goals career wise having earned a place in the Essendon VFLW side and continues to impress whenever she pulls on the Double Blues.
No.32: Jemma Iacono (Darwin/St Mary’s)
Strong in the clinches and a smart user of the football, Iacono has been a revelation at former club Darwin and now St Mary’s.
A representative player with NT Thunder, Iacono’s determination to succeed combined with a big engine make her an important part of the Saints side.
No.31: Janet Baird (Palmerston / St Mary’s)
The league’s youngest best and fairest winner when she claimed the 2018-19 award in a cliffhanger from Waratah utility Lisa Roberts.
Stints at AFLW clubs Gold Coast and Hawthorn have added experience and footy smarts to her resume, which she has since brought back to Saints.
No.30: Stacey Lovell (Nightcliff/St Mary’s)
A busy utility player who could play in most positions where her strength in the clinches and clean skills made her a standout player.
Won the 2006-07 league medal in convincing fashion in another reminder of her ability as one of the early stars of the competition.
No.29: Alannah Kelly (Nightcliff)
Another player who sprang to notice with her ability to find the football right across the ground.
A tough, uncompromising player, 2012-13 WPL best and fairest Kelly made sure her opponents never got an easy possession while she went about winning the ball.
No.28: Casey Morris (PINT)
If consistency and determination count for anything in football, PINT centre half-forward Casey Morris would be at the front of the queue.
A strong mark and accurate kick, Morris is part of a high class Queenants forward line that has found success after success.
No.27: Kristy Irvine (Nightcliff/T’Village/St Mary’s)
A hard running utility who never stopped running and working in all four quarters of football to the betterment of those alongside her.
Highly rated by teammates and opposition players for her skills and a big engine that ensured she played a key role for her side.
No.26: Stephanie Lawrence (PINT)
A clever forward who needs minimal opportunity to kick goals with her pace off the mark, strong marking and ability to convert from short and long distances.
Always threatening to top the goal scoring count in PINT’s era of dominance and looks on to threaten for it again.
No.25: Abbey Holmes (Waratah)
An Adelaide Crows AFLW premiership player, Holmes kicked 100 goals in the 2013-14 WPL season, making her the first women to kick a century of goals in a senior competition across Australia.
Helped by a Tahs midfield of Colleen Gwynne, Angela Foley and Lisa Roberts presenting her with the football, Holmes’ strong marking and accurate kicking combined with her physical strength were a full forward’s delight.
No.24: Ashanti Bush (Darwin / Nightcliff)
One of the most talented players to come out of the Top End winning best on ground medals in Arnhem Crows premiership win and playing a massive role in the Buffettes run to the 2020-21 final.
An exciting player who enjoys hunting down the ball and can kick goals with the best of them as proven by her AFLW Goal of the Year winner during her stint with the Suns.
No.23: Jenna Singh-Lippo (Waratah/Tiwi Bombers)
A wizard in front of goal and through the middle with her elite kicking, untouchable evasive skills and ability to create scoring opportunities.
Singh-Lippo also plies her trade with the Arnhem Crows in the Big Rivers competition, where she has collected frequent accolades.
No.22: Billie Byers (St Mary’s)
A ball magnet in a green and gold jumper, Byers makes the weekly 600km round trip from Katherine to pursue her WPL dream.
An accomplished midfielder with St Mary’s and Big Rivers club Eastside, she is rated very highly by teammates and coaching staff in both competitions.
No.21: Reni Hicks (PINT)
An explosive midfielder who is a three-time premiership player in the Queenants’ golden era, which she now leads.
Her hardness at the ball, footy smarts and creative handball are keys to her game at club and representative level.
No.20: Eliza Morrison (Nightcliff)
The Tigers’ captain and a regular representative player, Morrison leads from the front with her hard running and ability to closely read the play.
An attacking on-baller with superb kicking and handball skills, while also being a huge driver in Nightcliff’s rise to frequent finals contenders.
No.19: Candis McLennan (Darwin/Waratah)
A skilful midfielder who won the WPL’s best and fairest award in only its second season, 2005-06.
McLennan had all the skills required to be an elite player and she is still talked about today as a true pioneer of the women’s game.
No.18: Samantha Barnett (PINT)
The quintessential midfielder who made winning the football and doing something with it her main priorities.
A representative player with NT Thunder, Barnett won the 2016-17 league best and fairest medal following a brilliant season with the mid-table Queenants who were still finding their way in the WPL.
No.17: Sarah Webb (St Mary’s)
The inaugural winner of the WPL’s best and fairest award, Webb was a big leaping, big kicking ruck-utility with the 2004-05 premiers.
Still rated the longest kick women’s football has seen in its 20-year history, Webb was a constant thorn in opposition sides with her hardness at the ball and effective disposals.
No: 16: Ebony Abbott-McCormack (Darwin / Districts / Palmerston)
The Centralian is a star of Territory footy whether it’s playing in the NTFL or the CAFL and has the accolades to show for it.
Abbott-McCormack can play with authority up forward, in the ruck or down back, and played a key role in Southern Districts premiership win.
No.15: Danielle Chisholm (St Mary’s)
One of the competition’s elite players in the league’s formative years with her high possession rate and clean disposal.
Still a high profile figure at the Saints, Chisholm coached the club when her playing days were over.
No.14: Rhiannon Busch (Palmerston/Districts/Nightcliff/Tiwi)
Won the 2009-10 league best and fairest medal after an outstanding season at Palmerston and continued to be a league standout for years with her superb kick and powerful mark.
Busch made the midfield her own in an era when the Magpie women played in three grand finals and won one, and again later for Districts inaugural flag.
No.13: Mickayla Ward (Nightcliff)
Ward is a big marking forward who can play down back as a key position player if and when required.
A regular in the Tigers’ best player list on matchdays, Ward’s footy smarts and expansive style of play makes her one of the first players picked in NTFL rep sides.
No.12: Steph James (Waratah)
James was a prolific ball winner who could be relied on to set up goals, kick them herself or run the ball out of defence if the opposition threatened to score.
The league’s first back-to-back league best and fairest winner and still well remembered for her abilities in the top grade.
No.11: Natasha Medbury (Darwin/Palmerston)
Medbury won the league’s best and fairest award in 2007-08 when wearing the double blue of the Darwin Buffettes.
Still playing the game she loves, Medbury’s career in the vertical stripes of Palmerston has taken her across the centre, up forward and down back where she always leads from the front.
No.10: Molly Althouse (Darwin)
Back-to-back league best and fairest medals is proof of Althouse’s ability in the ruck, as a goalkicker or big marking defender.
Althouse is possessed with the footy smarts and a big desire to succeed, she has also starred at representative level with her contested marking and accurate kicking.
No.9: Dominique Carbone (Darwin)
Carbone’s playing career began as a prolific midfielder with the Darwin Buffettes before progressing to the VFLW and AFLW with the Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn.
Her hardness around the ball and allround skills make her a natural for the Australian game and elite competitions where only the best players shine, proven by a recent VFLW BnF win.
No.8: Stevie-Lee Thompson (Wanderers)
A multi-skilled player who dominated for the WPL Eagles until drafted into the Adelaide Crows AFLW squad in 2016.
Her leg speed and attack on the football played a big part in all three Crows flags as a defender and goalkicker.
No.7: Heather Anderson (Waratah)
A multi skilled player who made it all the way to the AFLW with the Adelaide Crows after impressing selectors watching her at club level with Waratah.
Could turn on a five-cent piece and her disposal by hand and foot was immaculate, big assets for a player who made the transition to elite football with ease.
No.6: Lisa Roberts (Waratah)
Always superbly fit with a big appetite for the football, Roberts won two league best and fairest awards in a glorious career for the red and whites.
A big game player at club and representative level out of defence or through the middle, Roberts’ trophy cabinet contains five WPL premiership medallions and a host of other awards.
No.5: Katie Streader (PINT)
A classy footballer who was struck down by injury at crucial times in her career but still found plenty of success, most notably helping PINT blossom into its golden era.
A hard nut who had a ferocious appetite for the football, Streader’s allround game was from the top shelf.
Many pundits who played with and against her and watched from the beyond the boundary line rated her highly in a career that secured two premiership medals and representative honours.
No.4: Colleen Gwynne (St Mary’s/Waratah)
Gwynne was a brilliant midfielder with both clubs and a successful coach after walking into TIO Stadium in search of a game of football in the early noughties.
Six WPL premierships as a player and seven as a coach, plus one with the Arnhem Crows in the Big Rivers competition, together with a big workrate and bagful of skills only partly covers the major influence Gwynne has had on a generation of NT footballers.
No.3: Angela Foley (Waratah)
The second player and third overall to win back-to-back league best and fairest awards, Foley’s achievements in the game have been phenomenal.
She won three premierships with Waratah before joining AFLW club Adelaide where she won two more flags.
Essentially a defender, she can play up the ground where her high possession rate makes her an important piece of new club Port Adelaide’s playing list.
No.2: Jasmyn Hewett (PINT)
A big leaping, hard running ruck-forward who made an immediate impact on the WPL when she kicked six goals for St Mary’s in her first game.
Hewett’s athleticism and powerful contested marking has been a revelation in the game of Australian football around the country and the Darwin competition, where she is a two-time league medallist and an AFLW player with Gold Coast and the Adelaide Crows.
No.1: Danielle Ponter (St Mary’s)
The Northern Territory’s greatest export in women’s football with a long skill set and ability to win the hard ball.
Ponter was identified as a future star at an early age and following a stellar junior career at St Mary’s and VFLW club Essendon, developed into a player of extraordinary skill.
Her dad Shane was a fine defender in the glory years for the St Mary’s men and her uncle is Michael Long, the two-time Essendon premiership player and Norm Smith medallist. Goalkicking is Ponter’s main trait, from marking to opportunism and kicking for goal, making the cousin of Hawthorn star Cyril “Junior Boy” Rioli one of the very best.
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