Chelsea Biddell and Sarah Goodwin have bought into Adelaide's future, with the duo committing to the Club until at least 2030.
As the Crows prepare for a season-defining clash with Melbourne, the pair reflected on the belief that remains within the group, the reasons behind signing their new deals and the prospect of a fresh start at Thebarton.
They also shared their excitement about the direction of the program and the next chapter that awaits.
The catalyst for re-signing
Biddell, a premiership player who has played 86 games since debuting in 2020, said the Club's direction and the opportunity to be part of its next phase were factors in her decision to recommit
“I'm incredibly excited, (and) incredibly grateful to sign for as long as I have,” Biddell said.
“I feel as though the Club's heading in a pretty good direction. We’ve got a lot of new staff and new young players that are really coming through nicely.
“It was a pretty easy decision in the end. I am excited for the future, and moving to Thebarton, hopefully we can make that into a bit of a fortress.”
Goodwin said the opportunity to remain at the Club she supported growing up, while helping drive the next chapter of its AFLW program, made re-signing a natural choice.
“Similar to Chelsea, it was a pretty easy decision in the end,” Goodwin said.
“I've grown up being a Crows supporter, and it's really exciting with the new young talent we've got coming through.
“Heading over to Thebarton in the new facilities will be an exciting time in the next few years.”
Still in the finals race
Adelaide’s finals hopes still hang in the balance with just one minor round game remaining.
The Crows head into this weekend’s clash against Melbourne in ninth place, one win outside of the top eight.
Adelaide needs to beat the Demons, and have the eighth-placed Hawks lose to West Coast to earn a finals spot.
Biddell said the group remained focused on finishing the season strongly, while acknowledging missed opportunities, including last weekend's clash with North Melbourne.
“We've got a lot to play for, whether we win or lose, so we're really excited for this weekend,” Biddell said.
“When we’ve played our best footy, we've been able to take it up to the best teams in the competition.
“North Melbourne has been the benchmark of the competition for such a long time, and we feel as though we probably let it slip. We felt like we were in the box seat, and just couldn't quite get it done.
“Melbourne is another really good team, so it'll be another really good test.”
Goodwin said the Crows had backed themselves to challenge for finals throughout the season, but acknowledged a few missed opportunities had ultimately hurt their chances.
“You never go into a season without aiming for finals, it was definitely the aim, and we had that belief all the way through,” Goodwin said.
“We let a couple games slip here and there that might come back to bite us.”
Being part of a new era
The Crows entered a new era of their AFLW chapter this season with first-year Coach Ryan Davis leading the charge with Executive General Manager Women’s Football Bree Brock.
Nine new players also arrived at the Club ahead of this season, adding to the new feel
Biddell, who’s part of the Leadership group, said the influx of young talent and the team’s progress under a new game plan had created plenty of excitement.
“It's been nice to be honest, I feel we haven't really had a big group of young players come through,” Biddell said.
“We've had nine new players (this year) and they've all shown really good signs, so it's been really exciting.
“With a new game plan we've shown some pretty good signs this year, and hopefully we can carry that moving forward.”
Goodwin said Davis had made a strong impression in his first season as Senior Coach
“He's (Ryan) been really good,” Goodwin said.
“He’s added fresh energy to the group and new ideas.”
What moving to Thebarton means
Adelaide’s world-class home is nearing completion, with Members, supporters and the wider community set to be welcomed there in early 2027.
The Thebarton Oval Precinct will also give the Crows’ AFLW team a permanent home base, with the team to play all its home games there from next year.
“We have had a couple of walkthroughs (at Thebarton) over the time, it just looks incredible,” Biddell said.
“We have our own changerooms and it’s the same size as the men’s, so that’s really exciting.
“Our locker rooms are massive.
“Hopefully we can get some fans down there and just make that our own.”
Goodwin said the Club's upcoming move to Thebarton added to the excitement around what the next few years could hold for the AFLW program.
“Heading over to Thebarton in the new facilities will be an exciting time in the next few years,” Goodwin said.
“It will be a nice, refreshing start heading into pre-season next year.”
Adelaide faces Melbourne in its final minor round match at Unley Oval on Sunday at 2.35pm
Get your tickets here.
