Danielle Ponter (born 8 January 2000) is an Australian rules footballer playing for Adelaide Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She played for St Mary's and Essendon in her junior career, typically as a forward. Ponter was selected with pick 48 in the 2018 AFL Women's draft and made her debut in round 2 of the 2019 season. She was nominated for the 2019 AFL Women's Rising Star award in round 4.

Early life

Ponter was born in Darwin, Northern Territory.[1] She had a strong footballing background as part of the noted Rioli–Long family;[2] she is the niece of former Essendon player Michael Long and the cousin of former Hawthorn footballer Cyril Rioli.[3] Ponter began playing for St Mary's at 11 in the under-16 female division of Northern Territory Football League (NTFL), in the 2011–12 season.[3][4] She won the Sharyn Smith Medal, the division best and fairest, in four consecutive seasons.[4]

"The things she can do with a footy are phenomenal. I don't know if I've seen any other young player like her."

Aasta O'Connor, AFLW talent manager[3]

Ponter competed at the 2014 AFL Women's Under 18 Championships for the Thunder Devils (a combined Northern Territory–Tasmania team) at 14.[3] She competed at the next three championships[3] and additionally played for the Central Allies in a state of origin match in 2017[5] and 2018.[6] Ponter attended the 2018 AFLW draft combine[7] and was a member of the 2018 AFLW Academy, one of twenty-nine seventeen-year-old prospects.[8] She played for Essendon's VFL Women's side in 2018, kicking six goals in six matches.[3] Ahead of the 2018 AFLW draft, prospects nominated a state or region they wished to play in; Ponter chose South Australia, meaning Adelaide, as the only South Australian club, was the only team with an opportunity to select her.[3]

AFLW career

Ponter was drafted by Adelaide with pick 48 in the 2018 AFLW draft, their fifth selection.[7] She continued to play in the NTFL prior to the 2019 AFL Women's season. She was not selected for the opening round of the 2019 season; coach Matthew Clarke acknowledged she was "pretty stiff to miss out".[9] Ponter made her debut the next round, playing as a defender in contrast to her usual position of forward in her junior career.[10] This made her the first member of the Rioli–Long family to play top-level women's Australian rules football.[7] She returned to the forward line in round 4 and received a nomination for the 2019 AFL Women's Rising Star award after kicking two goals.[10]

Ponter became a premiership player in 2019 and again in 2022 (season 6). She kicked two of Adelaide's four goals in the 13-point victory over Melbourne in the 2022 season 6 Grand Final.

In 2023 AFL Women's season, Ponter kicked 20 goals including the finals series, the most memorable of which was a goal from the centre square against Richmond.[11] This tally allowed her to overtake Erin Phillips as the Crows' all-time leading goalscorer. In the same year, Ponter earned her first All-Australian selection. She kicked a career-best five goals in 2024 against Hawthorn at Unley Oval.[12]

References

  1. ^ O'Connor, Callum (19 May 2018). "VFLW: Back home". essendonfc.com.au. Telstra Media. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  2. ^ Cherny, Daniel (20 October 2018). "A Long story with a new footy twist". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Black, Sarah (19 October 2018). "Rioli-Long lineage set to continue in AFLW". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  4. ^ a b "AFLW: Adelaide call NT talent Danielle Ponter". afc.com.au. Telstra Media. 23 October 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  5. ^ Arnold, Caitlin (25 August 2017). "AFLW State of Origin U18s Allies squad confirmed". aflnswact.com.au. AFL NSW/ACT. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  6. ^ "Central Allies". womens.afl. Telstra Media. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  7. ^ a b c Morris, Grey (23 October 2018). "Danielle Ponter gets the thumbs up from AFLW club Adelaide after her No.48 draft selection". Northern Territory News. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  8. ^ "AFLW: 2018 Academy prospects revealed". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  9. ^ Morris, Grey (8 February 2019). "St Mary's young gun Danielle Ponter to make her AFLW debut for the Crows against Carlton". Northern Territory News. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  10. ^ a b Black, Sarah (26 February 2019). "Great footy bloodlines in round four Rising Star nominee". womens.afl. Telstra Media. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  11. ^ "Adelaide Crows go top of AFLW ladder with 29-point win over Richmond at Princes Park". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 8 September 2023.
  12. ^ Clark, Jackson (16 September 2024). "Ponter's record-breaking haul steers Crows to emphatic win". National Indigneous Times.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danielle_Ponter
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