Crows vs. Lions, the Indigenous talent in this weekend's grand final

With 11 Indigenous footballers in the AFL Women's league, making up around 6 per cent of the total playing pool, we celebrate the deadly talent who have made it to the Grand Final.

(L - R) Ally Anderson, Brisbane Lions; Tayla Thorn, Adelaide Crows; Shaleise Law, Brisbane Lions Source: NITV

Adelaide Crows

Source: Facebook / Adelaide Crows AFLW

Originally tipped by the pundits for the first AFLW wooden spoon, coach Bec Goddard’s Crows team is already in the history books for making the first playoff for a national women’s football league trophy. 

While there were back-to-back losses to Brisbane and Melbourne this season, Adelaide finished the seven-week AFLW round-robin series ranking second to the Lions.

With the team split at two training bases (Adelaide and Darwin) the Crows have had to bond together during matches

Jasmine Anderson

Position: Mid-fielder

Jasmine Anderson was one of the first Indigenous women and the first mother to be selected to play in the AFL Women's competition. Source: Facebook / Northern Territory Young Achiever Awards

Coming from a famous Northern Territory football family, Warumungu woman Jasmine Anderson is the third of her siblings to play Australian Rules at the highest level. Her brother Joe played with Carlton from 2007 to 2010 and younger brother Jed plays with North Melbourne after debuting with Hawthorn in 2013. She is also the granddaughter of the Darwin Buffaloes stalwart and legend, Jimmy Anderson.  

The Adelaide Crows Rookie, 26, has been focused on both Australian Rules and soccer professionally, playing Hellenic Club A-grade women's as last years' top goal scorer and Most Valuable Player. However, she has always been a promising AFL star. In her junior season, she was the repient of the Best and Fairest medal whilst playing in a mixed competition, which she was awarded over her male teammates.

Outside of sport, Jasmine is a full-time student, studying a Bachelor of Teaching and Primary Education and is also the first Mum in Australian premier football, caring for her toddler Isaac.

Tayla Thorn

Position: Utility/tagger

The young talent from the small town of Humpty Doo, NT, was drafted by Adelaide as the club's twelfth pick in the Women's draft. At just 18, Tayla is the youngest player in the Crows inaugural AFLW team and has already impressed football enthusiasts as being one of the league's leading tacklers.

ESPN said Thorn was one of the competition's most promising talents, who has, 'demonstrated her fearless ability to run through the ruck against taller opponents, and has also impressed by scrapping her way to the bottom of packs'. 

When she's not on the field, Thorn works as an administrator for the AFL Northern Territory, specialising in an education centre for Indigenous Australians.

Brisbane Lions

The Lions celebrate the win on the final siren during the match between the Fremantle Dockers (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Media/Getty Images) Source: Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Media/Getty Images

The Lion's kicked off the season with a challenging start, playing their first opening rounds away. They were originally tipped to be one of this season's 'battlers', but have showed positive signs over the summer, winning four games in four weeks and sitting at the top of the table.  

Coached by former Collingwood premiership player, Craig Starcevich, who is known for nurturing grass roots talent and understanding diverse playing styles, the success of the Lions' womens have lifted the club's name.

Alexandra (Ally) Anderson

Position: Midfielder

The player from Brisbane with a mouthguard donned in Aboriginal colours, Ally is effective in getting her hands on the ball and out to the outside runners, and a valuable kick around the stoppages. 

Australian Rules has played a big roll in Ally's life. Not only is she a talented player, being the recepient of her former club's (Zillmere Eagles FC) Best and Fairest award (tying with Brisbane Lions marquee player, Tayla Harris), but for the past three years she has co-coached the female kick start team at the National Championship. Last year, she coached solo, mentoring her team to win the championship. 

Alongside her sporting career, Ally is studying a Bachelor of Paramedic Science.

Shaleise Law

Positon: Forward

Source: AFL Queensland

With an impressive speed and an ability to win the ball on the outside, the player from Cherbourg, QLD Shaleise Law was pick number 95 in last year's inaugural AFLW draft. The Lion's described her as, "small, lightning fast, has defensive pressure and kicks freak goals."

Her ball-handling skills began as a six-year-old, playing rugby league in awe of her grandfather Eric Law a former Wide Bay league representative. But that's not the only sporting pedigree in her family - Shaleise is the neice of Olympian and sporting icon, Cathy Freeman. 

 

NITV's Marngrook Footy Show is back! Tune in every Thursday from 23 March @ 7.30pm AEDT to catch all the latest AFL news.

Fremante's Kirby Bentley and Western Bulldogs' Nicole Callinan will be guests on the Marngrook Footy Show 23 March @ 7.30pm on NITV Ch. 34

The 2017 NAB AFL Women's Competition Grand Final is on Saturday, 25 March @ 1pm AEST