After winning the 2022 AFLW premiership earlier this year, Millicent’s Sarah Allan (pictured) has hit the ground running this year to help her teammates get over the line with strong performances.

The running tall defender and team vice-captain has stood tall and brought her all-Australian form this season as the team strives for back-to-back premierships.

“We have had a good preseason, we have not had much of a break … and have kept everything going, which has been good for us,” Allan said.

“We were able to maintain our fitness and take it to another level during the preseason and bring that into the season.”

Having come to the start of the seventh AFLW season fit and ready to go, coach Mathew “Doc” Clarke has introduced another game plan and style.

“He has maintained the same structure which is good and is consistent with coaching and with different conditions adapting to that also,” Allan said.

The Adelaide Crows women’s team has had four wins and one loss so far in the five games played and is looking to continue the match consistency.

“We are just training hard on the track and really making the most of it after that loss, knowing that we need to continue to win to make finals,” Allan said.

“It is going to be a remarkably close competition this year, so we have got to make the most of every game and training every week to get better at what we do.”

Allan had an uninterrupted start leading up to the season and hopes to continue that by not changing the way she goes about her football and planning.

“I am staying consistent with it as we did not get much of a break and our medical staff at the club have been great working with us,” she said.

“We made sure that everyone was ready to go come preseason and at the start of the season and all things look good at the start of each week.”

Allan said the atmosphere and morale around the club had been heightened by inclusions of fresh players.

“It is always great to have new players in, which continues our depth of players for the team and with that going forward with the best team each year,” she said.

“Every year AFLW gets harder and harder, so we have got to make the most of every game and try and get better.”

Allan wants to play her role as a leader every week and continually push the team to perform to their best, with her sights firmly set on finals and hopefully a premiership.