The NT’s Danielle Ponter is expected to make her AFLW debut this Sunday when Adelaide play Carlton in Round 2 of the NAB AFLW in Melbourne.
Nineteen-year-old Ponter was named in the extended Crows squad that was released last night. Indications from Crows AFLW Head Coach, Matthew Clarke are that Ponter will play this weekend, but the final team of 21 and two emergencies will not be 100% ocnfirmed until later today.
Watch a video interview with Danielle, filmed today:
Ponter, who is the cousin of Cyril Rioli Jnr, niece of NT footy great Michael Long and also of strong footy bloodlines through her dad Shane, was selected with pick number 48 at the Draft last October.
She started playing footy with St Mary’s in the NTFL as an 11-year-old and went on to win the Sharyn Smith Medal for the best and fairest in the Youth Girls division in four consecutive seasons.
Since being old enough to play in the top division, she has accumulated 24 NTFL Women’s Premier League games for the Saints and kicked 22 goals.
The 171cm forward/midfielder was most recently tried in defence for her new team when the Adelaide Crows hosted Fremantle in a pre-season trial game in Darwin last month. Wearing the number 15 that her dad made famous on local footy fields she held down the defensive position with great composure and clean skills.