EIGHT Port Adelaide players have earned the opportunity to make their AFLW debuts on Saturday, in yet another historic moment for the club.
Abbey Dowrick, Julia Teakle, Liz McGrath, Olivia Levicki, Alex Ballard, Sachi Syme, Amelie Borg and Hannah Ewings will form part of the 21-player squad to take on West Coast in round one.
All eight debutantes have impressed throughout pre-season, particularly during match simulation against Adelaide and Essendon.
Dowrick and Teakle were both scouted from the WAFL and will return to their state of origin for round one this weekend, while Ewings, Syme and Borg were each picked up by the Power in this year’s NAB AFLW Draft.
Sturt defender Ballard, North Melbourne VFLW ruck McGrath and former WNBL basketballer Levicki (née Thompson) make up the remaining group of first-gamers.
Backliner Ebony O’Dea completed a full training on Thursday evening with medical staff deeming her fit for selection, after suffering a collapsed lung during a pre-season practice match.
Saturday’s game will be a particularly special moment for inaugural captain Erin Phillips as she leads her side for the first time, while Lauren Arnell will become the first head coach to have previously played AFLW football.
Port Adelaide's AFL side played its inaugural match in round 1, 1997 against Collingwood and now, 25 years (9282 days) later, the AFLW side will join them at the highest level of Australian football.
Interestingly, both Port Adelaide's AFL and AFLW teams played away in their first game.
Saturday’s game gets under way at 1:10pm AWST / 2:40pm ACST and will be shown live on 7mate and Fox Footy.
Round 1 Team Selection
B: A. Borg 21, A Ballard 19
HB: H Dunn 24, I Tahau 10, E O’Dea 2
C: A Foley 3, E Phillips 1-C, J De Melo 11
HF: J Mules 14, J Teakle 15, O Levicki 18
F: G Houghton 27, A Dowrick 5
Foll: E McGrath 29, J Yorston 6, M Moloney 9
I/C: C Hammond 28, S Syme 20, K Surman 26, H Ewings 12, M MacLachlan 16
Emergencies: S Goodwin 13, T Doumanis 8, J Halfpenny 4
