2022 AFLW S6

Games Won 11

Ladder Position 1

Premiership position: 1st (11 wins, 1 loss)

Coach: Matthew Clarke

Captain: Chelsea Randall

Adelaide’s response to the disappointment of losing the 2021 AFLW grand final was near perfect.

The Crows lost only one game – by one point – on the way to winning the club’s third AFLW flag, in the sixth season of the competition.

It was a remarkable achievement in another challenging season affected by COVID-19, with travel restrictions, fixture changes, postponed games and players and staff in isolation during the ten-round competition.

Adelaide’s season opened on January 9 with an ominous five-goal win over reigning premiers Brisbane, which kicked its lone goal in the final term.

North Melbourne, West Coast, Melbourne and Carlton were next on the hit list but then Adelaide was upset by the Western Bulldogs at Norwood Oval, the visitors hanging on for a tense one-point win.

The Bulldogs skipped out to a four-goal lead in the first half but the Crows persisted and closed the gap to one point with a late goal to Stevie-Lee Thompson. Erin Phillips failed to score with a shot from about 30 metres out with one minute to play and then every player was squeezed into the goalsquare area as Adelaide desperately sought a goal to win or point to draw.

The following week Adelaide bounced back to hold GWS to just five behinds and win by 40 points, Ebony Marinoff (22 disposals, 16 tackles) becoming the first AFLW player to record a career total of 1000 disposals.

The Crows then secured the minor premiership by defeating Fremantle, Collingwood and St Kilda in the last three minor rounds. Adelaide had slipped down to second on the ladder the night before the Collingwood clash but the nail-biting two-point win in its final home match of season six lifted the Crows back to the top. Adelaide’s defence was brilliant, holding off many shots on goal by the Magpies in the dying minutes of the final quarter.

The finals were pushed back one week as COVID forced the league to reschedule a game between Collingwood and Brisbane.

But a three-week break did not appear to harm the Crows in the preliminary final against Fremantle. They reached their fourth AFLW grand final with a 14-point win at Adelaide Oval. Skipper Chelsea Randall, who missed several games earlier in the season with a hamstring injury, led the way in defence with 12 intercepts.

The Crows took on Melbourne in the flag decider at Adelaide Oval on April 9 and prevailed over the Demons by 13 points. Adelaide dominated play in the first half but did not convert enough opportunities to secure the game. Melbourne’s second goal during the final term reduced the margin to seven points but Danielle Ponter’s late goal secured the Crows’ third flag.

Star midfielder Anne Hatchard won the best-on-ground medal after collecting 26 disposals, nine marks and six tackles. She was one of seven Crows to have played in each of the 2017, 2019 and 2022 premierships, alongside Marinoff, Justine Mules, Erin Phillips, Randall, Sarah Allan and Thompson.

Coach Matthew Clarke, who had led the Crows into three AFLW grand finals for two titles, said: “To win was massive for this group but the reality of getting that third premiership in a pretty short space of time sets a benchmark there and cements the legacy of those that have come before us.”

>> More 2022 S6 Grand Final details, photos

Hatchard capped a magnificent team and individual season by winning her second club best and fairest award in season six. The midfielder, who was also crowned Club Champion in 2020, averaged 24 disposals, seven marks and almost four tackles per game throughout Adelaide’s regular season and delivered again in the grand final.

Hatchard claimed the gold jacket by just nine votes from Marinoff, with defender Sarah Allan placed third. She was also runner-up (by one vote) to Brisbane’s Emily Bates in the AFLW best-and-fairest award, with Marinoff finishing third. Hatchard, Marinoff, Allan and leading goalkicker Ashleigh Woodland were named in the All-Australian side.

Woodland made a bright start to 2022 with four-goal hauls in the first two games and kicked multiple goals in eight games to finish with a league-high 21 goals for the season.

The grand final was Phillips’ last of 46 games in Crows colours. The basketball star’s move to play in the AFLW from the first season left a remarkable legacy. She won the AFLW best-and-fairest award in 2017 and 2019, was best on ground in Adelaide’s 2017 and 2019 premierships wins, won the Crows’ Club Champion award in these seasons, and was a three-time All-Australian. Phillips kicked her 50^th AFLW goal in the grand final.

Awards and Achievements

All Australians: Sarah Allan, Ebony Marinoff, Anne Hatchard, Ashleigh Woodland (coach Matthew Clarke)

Players’ Player award: Sarah Allan and Anne Hatchard

AFC Leading Goalkicker: Ashleigh Woodland

Defensive Player of Year: Sarah Allan

AFLW Leading goalkicker: Ashleigh Woodland

Other news

For the first time in Adelaide’s history, all three Crows teams – AFL AFLW and SANFL – wore an Indigenous guernsey with the same design, by Eastern Arrernte man Pat Caruso. The AFLW version was worn as a yellow jumper.
Adelaide was one of four AFLW clubs featured in a six-part Disney+ docu-series Fearless: The Inside Story of the AFLW.
Marinoff became the first Crow to play 50 AFLW games, in round nine against Collingwood. Sarah Allan and Stevie-Lee Thompson were next to the milestone, in the preliminary final.

List changes

In: Jasmyn Hewett (Gold Coast), Jasmine Simmons (rookie, basketball), Zoe Prowse (Sturt), Brooke Tonon (Glenelg), Abbie Ballard (West Adelaide), McKenzie Dowrick (replacement player, West Coast).

Out: Chloe Scheer (Geelong), Renee Forth (delisted), Angela Foley (inactive list), Rhiannon Metcalfe (inactive list), Jessica Sedunary (inactive list), Deni Varnhagen (inactive list).

First game players

Jasmine Simmons, v Brisbane at Flinders University Stadium (Noarlunga), 9/1/22, (debut order 54)

Abbie Ballard, v West Coast at Punt Road, 22/1/22 (55)

Brooke Tonon, v GWS at Henson Park, 19/2/22 (56)

McKenzie Dowrick, v St Kilda at RSEA Park, 13/3/22, (57)

Zoe Prowse, v St Kilda at RSEA Park, 13/3/22, (58)

Season gallery

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 13: Chelsea Randall of the Crows and Justine Mules of the Crows celebrate after the Crows defeated the Saints during the round 10 AFLW match between the St Kilda Saints and the Adelaide Crows at RSEA Park on March 13, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 13: Ashleigh Woodland of the Crows celebrates after scoring a goal during the round 10 AFLW match between the St Kilda Saints and the Adelaide Crows at RSEA Park on March 13, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 09: Chelsea Randall of the Crows and Erin Phillips of the Crows celebrate during the 2022 AFLW Grand Final match between the Adelaide Crows and the Melbourne Demons at Adelaide Oval on April 09, 2022 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 02: Teah Charlton of the Crows and Ebony Marinoff celebrate the win during the 2022 AFLW First Preliminary Final match between the Adelaide Crows and the Fremantle Dockers at Adelaide Oval on April 02, 2022 In Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos)

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 06: Ailish Considine of the Crows celebrates a goal during the 2022 AFLW Round 05 match between the Carlton Blues and the Adelaide Crows at Ikon Park on February 6, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 13: Elizabeth Snell of the Bulldogs tackles .Hannah Munyard of the Crows during the 2022 AFLW Round 06 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Western Bulldogs at Norwood Oval on February 13, 2022 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos)

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 19: Players contest the ball in front of goal during the round five AFLW match between the Greater Western Sydney Giants and the Adelaide Crows at Henson Park on February 19, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 19: Brooke Tonon of the Crows is showered in Powerade by her team mates while the Crows sing their team song as they celebrate victory during the round five AFLW match between the Greater Western Sydney Giants and the Adelaide Crows at Henson Park on February 19, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 06: Teah Charlton of the Crows celebrate their win during the 2022 AFLW Round 09 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Collingwood Magpies at Norwood Oval on March 6, 2022 In Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 09: Jasmine Simmons of the Crows and Montana McKinnon celebrate their first game and first win during the 2022 AFLW Round 01 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Brisbane Lions at Flinders University Stadium on January 9, 2022 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 16:Erin Phillips of the Adelaide Crows tackled by Jenna Bruton of the Roos during the round two AFLW match between the Adelaide Crows and the North Melbourne Kangaroos at Norwood Oval on January 16, 2022 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 22: Sarah Allan of the Crows in action during the 2022 AFLW Round 03 match between the West Coast Eagles and the Adelaide Crows at the Swinburne Centre on January 22, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos)

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 29: Adelaide Crows sings the club song after winnin the round four AFLW match between the Adelaide Crows and the Melbourne Demons at Norwood Oval on January 29, 2022 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 06: Anne Hatchard of the Crows in action during the 2022 AFLW Round 05 match between the Carlton Blues and the Adelaide Crows at Ikon Park on February 6, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos)

The 2022 squad (Season Six)

Back row (from left): Dayna Cox (31), Nikki Gore (7), Hannah Munyard (20), Brooke Tonon (28), Teah Charlton (25), Najwa Allen (8), Maddi Newman (17), Ailish Considine (16), Hannah Button (6), Justine Mules (23). Second row: Abbie Ballard (27), Chelsea Biddell (12), Zoe Prowse (4), Anne Hatchard (33), Jasmyn Hewett (19), Montana McKinnon (21), Jasmine Simmons (11), Caitlin Gould (1), Ashleigh Woodland (24), Marijana Rajcic (32), Lisa Whiteley (22), Rachelle Martin (5). Front row: Ange Foley (3), Erin Phillips (13), Sarah Allan (39), Chelsea Randall (26), Matthew Clarke (senior coach), Ebony Marinoff (10), Stevie-Lee Thompson (14), Eloise Jones (2), Danielle Ponter (15).

2022 S6 Jumpers

Adelaide’s AFLW Crows were the first to wear the Club’s new Indigenous design on their new yellow-based away/clash guernsey in 2022. The same design was to be used by the AFL and SANFL teams. Adelaide also wore a commemorative guernsey for AFLW Pride Round and then the following home game. It again featured the rainbow flag colours on the front and this time also had these colours on the shoulders.

Stevie-Lee Thompson in the 2022 women’s home guernsey; Danielle Ponter in the new Indigenous/away jumper; Ailish Considine celebrates a goal with Justine Mules and Hannah Button (6); Anne Hatchard in the Pride Round Crows guernsey; Erin Phillips in the 2022 grand final jumper.