Nat Housed is chased down by Annie-May Jannings. Photo: Bill Cutten.
The Esperance District Football Association has named its strongest squad possible to attend the Nutrien Ag Services Women’s Country Football Championship in Mandurah early next month.
The squad features 22 players from the sides that played in this season’s EDFAW grand final with Gibson providing 13 and Ports nine.
Farrin Parker, who was captain of the EDFAW representative side at the last two Championships, takes over the lead coaching role from Brett Crawford.
Parker said she was humbled to have the opportunity to take the reins of coaching the side this year and excited about the team’s prospects.
“This is set to be one of the best teams Esperance has plated up at an Association level,” she said.
“The skill level has really picked up the last couple of years and the girls have the momentum.”
Parker said she was excited to see what would solidify over the next few weeks as they prepared for the carnival.
“The assistant coach is Josh Sullivan and Justine Quinlivan is our team manager,” she said.
“It is a group effort supporting these players in preparation to play at the Championship in October.”
Gibson’s Tahlia Smart has been announced as captain, and Ports defender Ellen Clark is the team’s vice captain.
“They are outstanding players and leaders both on and off the field, bringing a wealth of knowledge, playing exciting football themselves,” Parker said.
“They have been exceptional players in their clubs this season so we are excited to see the leadership they bring on field to the team.”
Parker said she was excited about the quality of the new members added to the squad from last year, including the return of reigning Crawford medallist and this season’s grand final best on ground, Alysha Castelli.
“She (Castelli) took out our Association fairest and best and is returning back after a season away from the Championships,” Parker said.
“It is exciting to have the youth of Chloe Seivwright leading our ruck division as she has a huge potential as a footballer.
“Hayley Hill, Sophie Podmore and Annie-May Jannings have joined our Association this year.
“Jannings comes from a pretty good stock of footballers as she is Patrick and Hamish Jannings’ younger sister from Gibson.”
The squad has been training together once every three weeks since the start of the EDFA season, a move Parker sees as beneficial to the team’s success at the Championships.
“For us in preparing for the Championships, whilst we played competitive football last year it really was about starting early in the season to give the team the best opportunity to develop as a squad and gel, rather than leaving it till later in the season,” she said.
“It has allowed our senior players who have represented our Association previously to have time to gel with newer players coming in, giving everybody an opportunity to develop their football and giving us momentum leading into the carnival.
“Our coaching team have run high intensity training sessions, centring around establishing early team cohesion, whilst allowing players opportunity to display their full abilities throughout the sessions.”
Newtown-Condingup product Chloe Gidgup played at last season’s Championships for Esperance before moving to Perth.
Gidgup rose through the ranks with Canning South Perth to appear in this seasons WAFLW Rogers Cup grand final for Subiaco against West Perth.
“That is the most exciting thing about this carnival,” Parker said.
“It really is a pathway for our up and coming football players to have an opportunity of being scouted as well as playing at the highest level in country football.
“Chloe Gidgup, Nat House, and Rani Smart have all been success stories from the previous Championships.”
The EDFA Women’s team finished third at last year’s Championships in Division 2 after defeating the Goldfields by four points in the playoffs 3.7 (25) to 3.3 (21).
Esperance will meet the GFL first up this year before a meeting with Great Southern on Thursday afternoon and North Pilbara on the Friday.
Depending on its performances in the pool matches, the EDFAW side will then meet one of these teams again in a playoff final on the Friday afternoon.
Nutrien Ag Solutions, Women’s Country Championships
2024 EDFA Squad
Coach: Farrin Parker
Assistant Coach: Josh Sullivan
Team Manager: Justine Quinlivan
Trainer: Shelby Andrews
Esperance
Joy Ferguson
Gibson
Mikalya Barty
Alysha Castelli
Lilly Dalton
Chelsea Exell
Clara Graham
Ruby Hodges
Annie-May Jannings
Kathryn Jennings
Michelle O’Brien
Hannah Palmer
Tahlia Smart (C)
Annika Stone
Tegan Sullivan
Newtown-Condingup
Demi-Lee Barker
Sophie Podmore
Ports
Joy Chau
Ellen Clark (VC)
Shelby Garnett
Hayley Hill
Natalie House
Rachel Minett
Casey Rowe
Chloe Seivwright
Devyn Wills
Infographic Two.
Nutrien Ag Solutions Women’s Country Championships Division 2
Rushton Park, Mandurah
Match 1 v Goldfields 1.00pm Oct 03
Match 2 v Great Southern 3.00pm Oct 03
Match 3 v North Pilbara 11.00am Oct 04
