Crows utility Danielle Ponter the first female to play top-level footy in her family, which includes greats Michael Long and Cyril Rioli

She comes from exceptional football stock and now NT-based Danielle Ponter, 19, will make her AFLW debut when the Crows take on Carlton in Melbourne on Sunday.

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Like so many other female Aussie Rules football players, Danielle Ponter grew up immersing herself in every sport she could.

She shone at softball and basketball. But there was something about kicking the footy around that she just couldn’t stray from.

Perhaps it was in her blood. After all, her mother Susie’s brother is Essendon great Michael Long. Then there’s her cousin, the recently retired Hawthorn star Cyril Rioli.

And she has more cousins running around in the AFL: St Kilda’s Ben Long and Michael’s son Jake who is on Essendon’s list.

But, at only 19, Darwin-based Ponter makes history because she’s the first girl in the family to debut at football’s top level.

She will chalk up AFLW game No. 1 on Sunday when the Crows take on Carlton at Ikon Park.

“Obviously I’m very excited,” Ponter said after learning she’d made the Crows list after being an emergency the previous weekend.

“I was with the girls at the time and they really got around me, which helped settle the nerves a bit, but looking forward to the weekend.”

Adelaide Crows' Danielle Ponter plays in front of a home crowd during an AFLW trial game against the Fremantle Dockers in Darwin. Picture: Justin Kennedy

Ponter was drafted by the Crows with pick 48 at the 2018 AFLW draft and coach Matthew Clarke observed this week that while it seemed like Ponter would be playing her first game, in reality, she’s played far more senior games than that, after playing for Essendon in the VFLW and St Mary’s in her local NT league.

“We talked about it being her first game and then we said: ‘Well, actually it’s probably her 101st’ because she’s been playing footy in the NT since she was a toddler,” he said.

“Her skill level is really high, but now the pressure will be higher than it has been in those 100 other games, so we’ll see.

“We’re excited that she’s part of the group this week.”

Clarke praised her work ethic and enormous talent.

“She has elite skills,” he said.

”We’ve talked about the next crop coming through and she’s one of these who’s played footy her whole life.”

Ponter first donned the Crows tricolours in January in a trial game against Fremantle in her hometown of Darwin.

Danielle Ponter after being drafted into the Adelaide Crow's AFLW team with uncle Michael Long and mum Susie Long at TIO Stadium.

Uncle, Michael Long, was watching from the stands at TIO Stadium and said the best advice he could pass on to his niece for a successful football career was to work hard.

“You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don’t have the other parts — the attitude, training — your actual skill will only take you so far,” Long said.

“I think she’s really stepped up a lot and is training a lot harder.

“You can excel in the local league, but she’s starting again at this (AFLW) level and the work’s only just beginning.

“But she’s done a lot of work to get there as well.

“Danielle comes from a very proud family with a proud history … she’s the first of all the girls to play AFL.”

It was at this trial game in Darwin — which the Crows won by 20 points — that Clarke had somewhat of a surprising twist for Ponter, because he decided to trial her in the backlines.

More used to playing in the forward lines, this move was something Ponter wasn’t expecting.

“I was very surprised and I talked to my dad about it because he played down back in the local leagues and he helped me out there and he gave me a few tips and so did the girls,” Ponter said after January’s trial game.

“It was something new for me, but the girls and the coaches massive support and pushed me through that game and helped me through.”

After January’s trial, Clarke explained the decision to play her in the backlines was because of her “beautiful kick”.

Danielle Ponter at the Michael Long Centre in the Darwin suburb of Marrara on Friday, January 18, 2019. Picture: Keri Megelus

“We figured if we could get the ball in her hands she’d be really useful in terms of taking the ball forward and even though she hasn’t played down there before, sometimes with the ball and the game coming at you, it’s not a bad way to learn your craft,” he said.

“Overall, I think she did pretty well.”

This week, Clarke confirmed that Ponter would again play a role in the backlines.

“She’s going to play predominantly through the back half, but she’s also got the capacity to go forward and potentially midfield down the track,” he said.

But you get the feeling that it doesn’t really matter where she plays today: she’s just proud to be making her top level debut.

“I’m obviously very excited to run out with the girls,” Ponter said.

“I’m expecting a very fast game (against Carlton).

“We watched a bit of their game review at training and they move the ball very fast, but that’s something that we’ll adjust to.”

Carlton v Adelaide

Sunday, February 10

Ikon Park, 3.35pm

Originally published as Crows utility Danielle Ponter the first female to play top-level footy in her family, which includes greats Michael Long and Cyril Rioli