Adelaide Crows ‘deeply saddened’ by unexpected death of former AFLW star Heather Anderson, as 2017 premiership winner passes away at 28
The Adelaide Crows are mourning the sudden death of AFLW premiership Heather Anderson.
In a brief statement released on Monday, the club confirmed the 28-year-old passed away and expressed condolences to her family and friends.
‘The Adelaide Football Club is deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of Premiership player Heather Anderson,’ the Crows statement read.
Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends.’
In a separate statement, AFLW boss Nicole Livingstone added: ‘Words cannot express the deep sadness amongst the AFL and AFLW community at this time. Our sincerest condolences are to the Anderson family.
‘On behalf of the AFL, I would like to express my deepest compassion to Heather’s family, friends and colleagues.’
An army medic, Anderson was selected by the Crows with pick No10 in the 2016 AFLW draft.
Originally from the ACT but stationed in the Northern Territory, she became the first Northern Territory-based player drafted by the Crows in the process.
The defender had to overcome a serious shoulder injury in her debut season, when she ended up playing eight games as the Crows won their maiden premiership by beating Brisbane 4.11 (35) to 4.5 (29) in the Grand Final.
The premiership triumph, however, came at a cost for Anderson, who dislocated her shoulder and eventually had to undergo career-ending surgery.
Anderson became a popular figure within AFLW because of her trademark pink headgear, which she started wearing early in her career to help her vision-impaired mum spot her on the field.
Unbeaten Crows skip past Gold Coast in AFLW win
Adelaide have maintained their unbeaten start to the AFLW season and celebrated Danielle Ponter’s 50-game milestone with a 32-point thumping of Gold Coast.
Ponter shone in attack for the Crows with two goals from nine disposals in the 7.5 (47) to 2.3 (15) win at Unley Oval on Sunday.
The result gave Adelaide a perfect 5-0 record and set up a tantalising top-of-the-table clash with reigning premiers Melbourne in round six.
Prolific midfielder Ebony Marinoff was held to 18 disposals by Gold Coast tagger Lucy Single but the Crows had plenty of contributors.
Anne Hatchard (27 disposals, seven clearances), Rachelle Martin (15, four), Madison Newman (25 touches) and Chelsea Biddell (20) all found plenty of the ball.
Eloise Jones and Caitlin Gould both matched Ponter’s tally of two goals.
Adelaide coach Matthew Clarke was full of praise for his milestone player.
“In terms of a highlight reel from 50 games, Danielle Ponter’s is pretty good,” Clarke told reporters post-match.
“She’s been amazingly important for us in really big games over her whole time with us.
“Once again today it was a tight, contested game and she bobs up and finds those goals which are crucial.”
The Crows’ win came despite the best efforts of Gold Coast midfielders Charlie Rowbottom (29 disposals, seven clearances) and Claudia Whitfort (27, eight).
Jacqui Dupuy kicked two goals for the visitors, who had their three-match winning streak halted.
The Suns won the inside-50 and contested possession counts and split the clearances, but never seriously looked like challenging.
“We did a fair bit right in terms of our contest and making it difficult for them across the course of the day and getting enough ball inside 50m,” Gold Coast coach Cameron Joyce told reporters.
“But the reality is we weren’t able to complete enough plays and score and execute when we needed to.
“That’s become the difference in the game in terms of the four or five-goal margin, being unable to execute under Adelaide’s pressure.”
Gould set the tone in the first quarter with two majors and an assist for Martin to give the Crows an early three-goal buffer.
The home side had four on the board before Dupuy eventually found a response for the Suns midway through the second term.
Rowbottom (20 disposals, four clearances) and Whitfort (13, six) were busy for Gold Coast in the first half, but Adelaide were cleaner and led by 22 points at the main break.
Hatchard fired as the Crows controlled the third quarter, although they were wayward, kicking 1.4 for the term while keeping the Suns scoreless.
Gold Coast threw intercept defender Vivien Saad forward in the final quarter and kept their slim hopes alive when Dupuy kicked the first goal of the term.
But the Crows found a steadying goal through Ponter and cruised to their fifth straight win.
