The ThunderW team will make history when they run onto TIO Traeger Park in Alice Springs this weekend – the first time a VFL match has ever been held in the Red Centre.
The team will look to continue their winning form as they take on the Casey Demons, who are the Melbourne Football Club’s VFL W affiliate and currently sit 8th on the VFL W ladder.
ThunderW has made 13 changes to last week’s team for various reasons and will unveil a debut player in young gun Katelyn Rosenzweig.
Eighteen-year-old Rosenzweig is part of the Adelaide Crows Academy and was the leading goalkicker in the SANFL competition finishing the season with 15 goals. She is described as an athletic, hard-working player that can play at either end of the ground.
Also coming into the team is reigning Margaret Liddle Medallist (best and fairest in the TIO CAFL Women’s competition), Michelle Ellis, sisters Jessica and Sarah Allan, Jasmine Anderson, Kylie Duggan, captain Angela Foley, Tahlia Holtze, Jemma Iacono, Kristy Irvine, Jenna McCormick, birthday girl Machaelia Roberts and Tayla Thorn.
Sharona Bishop goes out of the team after receiving a concussion last week, along with Gemma Cusack with a sore knee, Ebony Marinoff who has been rested as a precaution after pulling up sore, Maijana Rajcic with a shoulder injury and Stevie-Lee Thompson with an ankle complaint.
Others to go out of the team are Samantha Barnett who will miss for the first time all her first game of the season with due to prior commitments, Jasmyn Hewett (illness), Rheanne Lugg, Ebony Miller, Lisa Roberts (commitments), Jessica Sedunary, Katie Streader (commitments) and Deni Varnhagen.
ThunderW Head Coach Tim Weatherald said the Casey game is another vital match from a finals perspective, but the squad is also keen to help its Alice Springs players secure a win for their local fans.
“We’ve had two games (in a row) in Melbourne and we now really look forward to playing our one and only game in Alice Springs this week and I’m actually really excited for the Alice girls who are involved there to play in front of their families” he said.
“We’re really excited to play at TIO Traeger Park this weekend in front of our home crowd and showing and to show them our exciting brand of football.
Weatherald said once again the large number of changes was not unusual given the need to rotate local and Adelaide-based AFLW players combined with injury and illness niggles.
“The changes are due to a mixture of reasons and as we get to the pointy end of the season we hope to be putting out a more consistent and settled team line up.”
“Casey may not be recording wins but they are known to push their opposition and to use space well, which will give them some confidence on a ground like TIO Traeger Park. In any case, we hope to continue our good form and come away with another win.
VFL W Round 12
NT Thunder vs Casey Demons
11:30am ACST
Saturday 28 July
TIO Traeger Park, Alice Springs
B: Madeline Keeble, Lauren O’Shea, Machaelia Roberts
HB: Jenna McCormick, Jessica Allan, Lateesha Jeffrey
C: Eloise Jones, Angela Foley, Sophie Armitstead
HF: Tahlia Holtze, Tayla Thorn, Abbey Holmes
F: Emma Swanson, Katelyn Rosenzweig*, Jordann Hickey
FOLL: Sarah Allan, Renee Forth, Jemma Iacono
INT: Michelle Ellis, Jasmine Anderson, Kylie Duggan, Kristy Irvine, Sue Nalder
EMERGENCIES: Ebony Miller, Tabitha May, Ebony Marinoff, Jasmyn Hewett
IN: Jessica Allan, Sarah Allan, Jasmine Anderson, Kylie Duggan, Michelle Ellis, Angela Foley, Tahlia Holtze, Jemma Iacono, Kristy Irvine, Jenna McCormick, Machaelia Roberts, Katelyn Rosenzweig, Tayla Thorn
OUT: Samantha Barnett, Sharona Bishop, Gemma Cusack, Jasmyn Hewett, Rheanne Lugg, Ebony Marinoff, Ebony Miller, Marijana Rajcic, Lisa Roberts, Jessica Sedunary, Katie Streader, Stevie-Lee Thompson, Deni Varnhagen
NEW: Katelyn Rosenzweig
*Indicates 23rd player