When Annabelle Shirley was growing up, a footy was never far from her hands.

The daughter of former Adelaide midfielder Robert Shirley was introduced to the game at an early age and quickly fell in love with it.

Years later, she still enjoys looking back on old footage of her Dad playing for the Crows.

“I started playing footy when I was about five years old, I played minis alongside the boys in Cummins where we live and I’ve been playing ever since,” Annabelle said.

“I’ve watched some of Dad’s old games on YouTube and he wasn’t too bad.

“Playing footy for me had a lot to do with Dad, I didn’t really want to play netball, so footy was the only option.”

Now, Annabelle is following in her father's footsteps in more ways than one.

The talented youngster has been named as one of two recipients of the Adelaide Football Club’s 2027 Past Players and Officials Second Generation Academy Scholarship.

Harry Thompson, the son of former Crow Scott Thompson, is also a recipient of the scholarship.

For Shirley, whose father played 151 games for the Crows, the honour represents another chapter in a family story that has long been linked to Adelaide.

“I really wasn’t expecting this, it’s pretty special,” Annabelle, 16, said.

“It means a lot and is so exciting, I feel very privileged to be given this scholarship.”

Established in 2024, the scholarship aims to provide additional support for members of the Crows Academies program navigating through the talent pathway.

The scholarship’s aim is to support and promote talent and high performance for youngsters in the Crows Academies Second Generation program, which focuses on the sons and daughters of past players

Based in the Eyre Peninsula town of Cummins, Annabelle will continue to develop her game in 2027 when she joins Woodville-West Torrens' under-18 program.

Annabelle said she was looking forward to taking the next step in her footy journey and connecting with the Crows’ AFLW players as part of the academies program.

“I’m excited to gain more experience in footy and learn as much as I can and make more memories playing,” Annabelle said.

“I’m enjoying being part of Woodville-West Torrens and one day if I have a chance to play for the Crows, that would be great.”

Robert, meanwhile, said he was proud of Annabelle and encouraged her to continue to work hard and make the most of her opportunities.

“It’s such an exciting time for her, and to have an opportunity that gives her more experience and the ability to learn and grow football is fantastic,” Robert said.

“We are very thankful to the Club for allowing this to happen.

“She's always been a very determined girl, so we’ve always encouraged her with her footy, she’s really thrived in it and has really enjoyed playing.”

Former Crow Sam Jacobs, who is Chairman of the Club’s Past Players and Officials Board, said the scholarship would help both recipients continue their development.

“This is the first year we've given out a scholarship to a boy and a girl, which is great to support both groups in their pursuit,” Jacobs said.

“The scholarship is a way to help them on their high-performance career going forward, and with Annabelle living in the country, that provides unique challenges.

“Hopefully, we can play a little part in supporting their journeys.

“It’s also a great way to be able to help our past players and their kids feel connected and an opportunity for us to support them.”

Previous Scholarship recipients:

2024/2025 – Mitchell Stevens, son of Crows premiership player Mark Stevens
2025/2026 – Polly Turner, daughter of former Crow Peter Turner