ONE of the biggest off-season moves this year was former AFLW leading goalkicker Ash Saint (nee Woodland) moving from Adelaide to cross-town rivals Port Adelaide.
It is a homecoming of sorts for Saint who, despite spending the last three seasons with Adelaide and playing a key part of the club's season six premiership, has always been a passionate Port Adelaide fan.
"I grew up a mad Port supporter, wearing my guernsey under my primary school top, trying to hide it from the teachers every day," Saint told womens.afl.
"I always just tried to hide it under my school uniform and go out on the oval and kick the ball with the boys," Saint laughed.
That guernsey was signed by Gavin Wanganeen, but now she wears her very own version of the famous teal, black and white.
Since those primary school days Saint has become one of the most dangerous forwards in the competition, kicking 35 goals throughout the 2022 seasons.
Initially signed to Melbourne's list as an undrafted free agent in 2019, Saint played four games as a defender before stepping away and moving back to her home state. A strong 2020 season in the SANFLW as a forward saw her drafted to the Crows with pick No.47 the following year.
It has been an off-season of big moments for Saint, the move to the Power just one significant life change.
"I got married, I changed my last name. All these new things were happening, so I said, 'why not?'," Saint said.
"I was given a really good opportunity and I just took it with both hands. I'm so excited to be at Port Adelaide and obviously I'm a middle-aged player, so to come into a team with a lot of younger girls to hopefully bridge that gap a bit between the older and the younger girls, bring out some of my leadership skills."
In a strange twist of fate, Saint's new coach, Lauren Arnell, was on the winning side of Adelaide's losing 2021 Grand Final appearance.
"She's a great coach for me so far, and I've learned a lot. But I did play against her in my losing Grand Final, so we go way back," Saint laughed.
Despite the new environment, Saint felt at ease walking into the club thanks to her time in the SANFLW recently.
"I played with a few of the girls at SANFLW level, at North Adelaide. So, Hannah Ewings, Jade de Melo, Katelyn Pope, there's a lot of them on the list actually that I've played with," Saint said.
"Then of course Erin Phillips, Ange Foley, Justine Mules from the Crows. So, honestly, it felt really easy."
Being reunited with Phillips, with whom Saint formed a handy attacking partnership in the Crows' season six flag, is an exciting prospect for Power fans.
"She's always been a role model for me. I followed her when she played for the (Adelaide) Lightning in basketball," Saint said.
"But just the way that we work together on the field, she's always probably a bit higher than me so she takes most of the marks outside 50, and she knows the way that I lead and the way that I move, so I think we work well in that sense.
"And she's always looking to hit me up on the chest, so that's always good too."
Hannah Ewings and Abbey Dowrick are another pair of names Saint points to as neat kicks into the forward line, while Port Adelaide looks likely to enjoy an unpredictable forward line with a fit Gemma Houghton and Justine Mules training alongside Saint.
If they can find their groove, the Power has the potential to improve on its inaugural one-win season, and that all starts with a round one Showdown against her old side.
A Port Adelaide AFLW membership guarantees access to the match, as well as all of the club's home-and-away matches in 2023.
