2021 AFLW

Games Won 8

Ladder Position 2

Premiership position: 2nd (8 wins, 3 losses).

Coach: Matthew Clarke

Captain: Chelsea Randall

Adelaide returned to the AFLW grand final stage for the third time in 2021 but did not add to its premiership cup collection.

The Crows moved on from their 2020 struggles to rise to minor premiers before losing the grand final to Brisbane at Adelaide Oval.

There was some COVID disruption to the season, with a short lockdown in Western Australia, team bubbles and some games transferred or played at empty venues. But after the abrupt end to the 2020 season, the competition pushed through to an exciting finish with four teams locked on seven wins after the nine minor rounds.

Adelaide regained its high-scoring ways and benefited from seeing more of two of its outstanding leaders.

Standalone captain Chelsea Randall returned from a torn ACL and Erin Phillips – having stood down as co-captain – was fit after an injury-plagued 2020. However, Adelaide lost a few senior players over the off-season with Courtney Cramey, Jessica Foley, Courtney Gum and Sophie Li retiring.

Adelaide won its opening round for the first time under coach Matthew Clarke, crushing West Coast in Perth by 38 points in an early warning to rivals. A 47-point away win against GWS was also impressive but the Crows then suffered a 30-point loss to Fremantle at Norwood Oval.

Phillips gave a reminder of her best form in round four against Brisbane. Playing primarily forward, she tore the game apart with four goals from 21 disposals, taking five marks and finishing with the three AFLW best and fairest votes.

Adelaide was ruthless in its next two home games. It thumped St Kilda by 53 points in round five and then kicked its highest score (13.7) but fell one point short of the AFLW record with a 70-point drubbing of Gold Coast at Norwood Oval in round 6. Danielle Ponter kicked four goals in the win.

Melbourne dominated the Crows in round seven, winning by 28 points under lights at Casey Field. But Adelaide secured its AFLW finals spot with a comprehensive 56-point win over the Western Bulldogs the following week and then finished the minor round on top of the ladder after a 14-point win against Collingwood. With a home preliminary final berth on the line, Anne Hatchard and Ebony Marinoff dominated in the midfield.

After a week off, Adelaide sealed its place in the 2021 grand final with an 18-point victory over Melbourne at Adelaide Oval.

Marinoff and Hatchard were again the stars but Randall copped a heavy knock in the first quarter and missed the rest of the match with concussion, ruling the inspirational captain out of the grand final.

Ange Foley took over as captain for the decider, Adelaide’s third AFLW grand final. After a tight start the Crows led midway through the second term but the Lions kicked the next two goals to lead by five points at half-time.

Three more unanswered goals to Brisbane in the third quarter, including two in the last minute, stretched the margin to 22 points as the Crows lost Foley with a ruptured ACL.

Eloise Jones kicked an early goal for Adelaide in the final term but Brisbane held firm to win its first AFLW title by 18 points.

Marinoff was crowned the 2021 Club Champion. Her stellar season was rewarded with 265 votes to finish ahead of Hatchard on 251.

Marinoff was also named in the All Australian side, alongside Phillips and Sarah Allan.

Recruit Ashleigh Woodland impressed in her first year with the Crows, kicking nine goals, and first round draftee Teah Charlton also played every game.

Season gallery

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 10: Teah Charlton of the Crows on the move during the 2021 AFLW First Preliminary Final match between the Adelaide Crows and the Melbourne Demons at Adelaide Oval on April 10, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 21: Erin Phillips of the Crows celebrates her goal with Justine Mules and Eloise Jones during the 2021 AFLW Round 08 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Western Bulldogs at Norwood Oval on March 21, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 17: Stevie-Lee Thompson of the Crows celebrates a goal during the 2021 AFLW Grand Final match between the Adelaide Crows and the Brisbane Lions at Adelaide Oval on April 17, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 14: Rachelle Martin of the Crows handballs during the round three AFLW match between the Adelaide Crows and the Fremantle Dockers at Norwood Oval on February 14, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 17: Anne Hatchard of the Crows gets her kick away from Lions players Jessica Wuetschner, Isabel Dawes, Belle Dawes during the 2021 AFLW Grand Final match between the Adelaide Crows and the Brisbane Lions at Adelaide Oval on April 17, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 28: Justine Mules of the Crows celebrates a goal during the 2021 AFLW Round 05 match between the Adelaide Crows and the St Kilda Saints at Norwood Oval on February 28, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 17: Sarah Allan of the Crows reacts after their loss during the 2021 AFLW Grand Final match between the Adelaide Crows and the Brisbane Lions at Adelaide Oval on April 17, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 17: the Crows run out during the 2021 AFLW Grand Final match between the Adelaide Crows and the Brisbane Lions at Adelaide Oval on April 17, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 06: Crows’ head of football, Adam Kelly, running water during the 2021 AFLW Round 06 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Gold Coast Suns at Norwood Oval on March 6, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos)

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 13: Angela Foley of the Crows marks the ball ahead of Tegan Cunningham of the Demons during the 2021 AFLW Round 07 match between the Melbourne Demons and the Adelaide Crows at Casey Fields on March 13, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 28: Ruby Schleicher of the Magpies gets tackled by Chelsea Randall of the Crows during the 2021 AFLW Round 09 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Collingwood Magpies at Norwood Oval on March 28, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos)

PERTH, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 30: Chelsea Randall of the Crows and Ashleigh Woodland of the Crows celebrate a goal during the round one AFLW match between the West Coast Eagles and the Adelaide Crows at Mineral Resources Park on January 30, 2021 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 07: Eloise Jones of the Crows celebrates with Ailish Considine of the Crows after kicking a goal during the round two AFLW match between the Greater Western Sydney Giants and the Adelaide Crows at Blacktown International Sportspark on February 07, 2021 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

PERTH, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 30: Eloise Jones of the Crows in action during the round one AFLW match between the West Coast Eagles and the Adelaide Crows at Mineral Resources Park on January 30, 2021 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 21: Hannah Munyard of the Crows celebrates with her team mates after her teams win during the round four AFLW match between the Brisbane Lions and the Adelaide Crows at Hickey Park on February 21, 2021 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Glenn Hunt/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 28: Teah Charlton of the Crows celebrates a goal during the 2021 AFLW Round 05 match between the Adelaide Crows and the St Kilda Saints at Norwood Oval on February 28, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 10: Ebony Marinoff of the Crows hugs Anne Hatchard as the team does a lap of the oval to greet fans after the win during the 2021 AFLW First Preliminary Final match between the Adelaide Crows and the Melbourne Demons at Adelaide Oval on April 10, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos)

PERTH, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 30: Ashleigh Woodland, Lisa Whiteley and Teah Charlton of the Crows celebrate after winning the round one AFLW match between the West Coast Eagles and the Adelaide Crows at Mineral Resources Park on January 30, 2021 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 17: The Crows pose for their team photo during the 2021 AFLW Grand Final match between the Adelaide Crows and the Brisbane Lions at Adelaide Oval on April 17, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos)

Awards and Achievements

All Australians: Sarah Allan, Erin Phillips, Ebony Marinoff

Players’ Player Award: Anne Hatchard

Leading goalkicker: Erin Phillips

Best Defensive Player: Sarah Allan

AFLW Goal of Year: Danielle Ponter

AFLW Players Association Most Courageous: Chelsea Randall

Other news

Chelsea Randall and Marijana Rajcic competed on The Amazing Race Australia 5 in episodes that aired in 2021. They entered as “stowaways” and finished in sixth place.

List changes

In: Jess Sedunary (St Kilda), Lisa Whiteley (GWS), Hannah Munyard (Western Bulldogs), Teah Charlton (South Adelaide), Rachelle Martin (West Adelaide), Ashleigh Woodland (North Adelaide)

Out: Courtney Cramey, Jessica Foley, Courtney Gum, Sophie Li, Nicole Campbell, Jaimi Tabb

First game players

Teah Charlton, v West Coast at Lathlain Park, 30/1/21 (debut order 50)

Lisa Whiteley, v West Coast at Lathlain Park, 30/1/21 (51)

Ashleigh Woodland, v West Coast at Lathlain Park, 30/1/21 (52)

Hannah Munyard, v Brisbane at Hickey Park, 21/2/21 (53)

The 2021 squad

Back row (left to right): Dayna Cox (31), Chloe Scheer (4), Renee Forth (27), Jess Sedunary (19), Najwa Allen (8), Teah Charlton (25), Madison Newman (17), Ailish Considine (16), Hannah Button (6), Justine Mules (23). Middle row: Hannah Munyard (20), Lisa Whiteley (22), Anne Hatchard (33), Chelsea Biddell (12), Montana McKinnon (21), Rhiannon Metcalfe (11), Cailtin Gould (1), Ashleigh Woodland (24), Marijana Rajcic (32), Deni Varnhagen (9), Nikki Gore (7), Rachelle Martin (5). Front row: Erin Phillips (13), Ebony Marinoff (10), Sarah Allan (39), Chelsea Randall (captain, 26), Matthew Clarke (coach), Ange Foley (3), Eloise Jones (2), Stevie-Lee Thompson (14), Danielle Ponter (15).

2021 jumpers

A new indigenous/away jumper was launched for the 2021 season. Adelaide also had a guernsey specially designed for the inaugural AFLW Pride Round. It featured the rainbow flag on the front. The Crows wore their home jumper (with a grand final badge) in the AFLW decider at Adelaide Oval.

The 2021 women’s guernsey; Ashleigh Woodland; Teah Charlton in the 2021 AFLW grand final jumper; Eloise Jones playing in the new Indigenous/away jumper; the Pride Round Crows guernsey.