Norwood the first club to bring up 100 SANFLW matches

Inaugural SANFLW club Norwood will be the first to notch up 100 SANFL Women’s matches in the League’s history when the Redlegs take to Coopers Stadium this Saturday.

Saturday, March 22 is a significant afternoon for the Redlegs, as the club celebrates what is a landmark milestone for both Norwood and the SANFL.

Norwood plays another inaugural season club West Adelaide (which bring up the 100-game milestone later this season) from 12:30pm at The Parade’s Coopers Stadium in Round 2 of the 2025 SANFLW season.

Norwood played its first SANFLW match in the inaugural State League season back in 2017, taking on North Adelaide at Coopers Stadium on Friday, February 17 2017.

The game started at 6pm, with Norwood rounding out 40-point winners over the Roosters, 9.5-59 to 2.7-19 in the first ever SANFL Women’s match ever played.

The first ever goal kicker in Norwood’s SANFLW history was Ellen Maple, while Adelaide Crows premiership player Marijana Rajcic was named best on ground.

Norwood’s first coach was Steve Symonds and captain was Bek McMahon, with Whitney Benson and Leah Cutting rounding out the leadership group.

The Redlegs finished the six-game season second on the ladder, with a 4-2 win-loss record, and took on minor premiers North Adelaide in the Grand Final on Saturday, April 1 2017.

The Grand Final was played at Unley Oval, and after the scores were level at quarter time and just six points separated the two sides at the final break, Norwood kicked three unanswered goals in the final term to win 9.11-65 to 6.2-38 to be crowned inaugural SANFLW premiers.

Sophie Li won the best on ground medal.

Michale Reid won the 2017 Best and Fairest, with Rajcic as Runner Up.

Inaugural club captain Bek McMahon said it was exciting to be a part of the club’s first SANFLW season.

“To be a part of that journey in the first year, and see it flourishing now, it’s a really proud moment,” she said.

“I’m so grateful for the journey, it was the beginning for me and something I remember so fondly.

“I have my guernsey that sits in my room – me and my daughter cherish those memories. There are so many great memories and friendships.

“The competition has come so far, I remember running around Charles Campbell Oval in the early training sessions. Really high grass, really big pot-holes, Steve Symonds pulling out his hair as we missed kicks.

“We were a bit concerned with our skills but to think of where we ended up in 2017, and the progression of where the competition is now, the coaches and talented players, it shows the growth of the competition, Norwood and every club.

“The sky is the limit on how far it can go.”

Current club co-captain Sophie Armitstead said it would be a proud moment running out on Coopers Stadium this Saturday.

“We are all pretty excited, there’s a buzz around the group that we are the first to reach that milestone. When we run out there on Saturday it will hit us, the significance of this game,” she said.

“I’ve been at Norwood for all-but two seasons that the club’s been in the competition, so it means a lot to pull on the guernsey and be a part of this game.

“The game has grown so much over the past few years, to go from four teams to the full eight teams and a 14-round season is really positive, and the younger girls are so talented.”

Reflecting on the club’s introduction to the SANFLW, Norwood Football Club CEO James Fantasia said it was important for Norwood to be one of the four teams participating in the first SANFLW season, alongside North Adelaide, Glenelg and West Adelaide.

“When the League was looking to start the competition they went to all the clubs for a submission, and we thought this was a great opportunity,” he said.

“We worked hard to put together a sound submission in what we could offer.

“We were delighted to be a foundation club, I like to think our club is very progressive and history shows that we have been a leader in this competition from the outset. Norwood won the first Men’s competition, so it was fitting that our Women won the first SANFLW premiership as well.

“Our club embraced the competition from the outset and the first 100 games has been such a good ride.”

Since the first season, Norwood has continued to thrive as a SANFLW program, making finals seven of the eight seasons thus far, and the grand final on three occasions (2017 win, 2018 & 2024 losses).

Current listed player Ashlee Gould holds the games record at Norwood at 65, making her debut in the 2018 season. 2024 Best and Fairest Jade Halfpenny has played 61 matches, while Sarah Branford will this weekend become the ninth player to play 50 SANFLW matches for Norwood.