AFLW Welcome to TIGERLAND AFLW - #40 Sarah Sansonetti

[TigermanM2]

Height: 172cm
DOB: 02/08/01
Position: Defender
Past: Darebin Falcons / Northern Knights
Honours: 2019 Vic Metro U18 Representative

“Sarah is a natural half-back who reads the play well and looks to intercept and drive the attack out of the back line. She represented Vic Metro in 2018 and was positioned high up in our best-and-fairest across the last two years. We expect her to produce another quality season.” - Northern Knights Female Talent Coordinator Zoe Slatter


SARAH SANSONETTI (Northern Knights, Vic Metro)
Defender, 172cm, 18 years old

Recruiters say: "Played for Darebin (in the VFLW) late in the year and took some really composed overhead marks. Good with ball in hand,
she was solid at under-18 level but slotted in really well in the VFLW."

2019 AFLW Draft: Sarah Sansonetti - richmondfc.com.au

Sarah Sansonetti chats to Richmond Media after being drafted at Pick 40 in the 2019 AFLW draft.

www.richmondfc.com.au

 

[NimFromSudan]

Think we may have gotten a steal here. Will be damaging as a half back.

 

[TigermanM2]

Sarah Sansonetti is enjoying the football experience
OCTOBER 7, 2019 10:15 AM
BY TARA MURRAY

SARAH SANSONETTI HAS BEEN ONE OF THE STANDOUT DEFENDERS IN THE NAB LEAGUE THIS SEASON.
Northern Knights’ Sarah Sansonetti is taking in the experience as she continues to take steps closer to achieving her AFLW dream.
The defender has had a dream year, which has included a NAB League premiership, playing at a second national championships and making her VFLW debut.
Last week, Sansonetti was among the best players in the country at the AFLW draft combine.
She said it was crazy to think that she could soon be on an AFLW list.
“It’s a crazy feeling from where I was three years ago to where it is now,” she said at the combine.
“I dreamed about it but I never thought it was a possibility.
“These days come along, they show you are better than you thought and that people want you.”
Football has always been the dream for Sansonetti who started playing when she was eight.
She played with the boys for a number of years, before stepping into girls football.
Looking back, Sansonetti said playing with the boys was some of her best moments.
When the Northern Knights established a girls team three years ago, Sansonetti knew she wanted to be a part of that.
“From day dot, I wanted to get in there and play football at the highest level … and I got the chance.
“I’ve been at the Knights all three years and it’s pretty crazy to be there from the first year, especially now, when you look back at it.”
Sansonetti played a key role in the Knights’ premiership. She is one of four Knights girls who attended the combine.
“We’ve all trained for this, and we’re all training for the same thing,” she said.
“I’m just going to be so proud of the girls this week and when they test.
“I just want to enjoy it all, this experience doesn’t come around often.”
After finishing with the Knights, it was quickly into the Vic Metro set-up ahead of the national championships for Sansonetti.
“I was in it [Vic Metro] last year, but I was a late call-up,” she said. “Last year I was really nervous … this year I was more comfortable having already done it.
“It was surreal to bond with people that weren’t your NAB League teammates… How close we all got in such a short period of time is just crazy.”
Sansonetti said the experience had helped take her game to another level.
Sansonetti then got the opportunity to make her VFLW debut with the Darebin Falcons.
“They were so welcoming and so keen on developing us young girls, it was so crazy.
“It makes you feel pretty proud to play Darebin after all they’ve done for women’s football.
“It’s just a club you want to be at, a club you want to train at, a club you want to play at and you want to be there all the time.”
Sansonetti said the experience gave her a better idea of what to expect, should she land at an AFLW club later this month.
“I feel like I matched up well, sometimes it was tough with bigger bodies, but with a good pre-season under my belt, I think I will match up better.
“It makes you think what it will be like at the next level.
“The AFLW girls, you can see their leadership skills. They showed you what to expect, what AFLW cubs expect, so we can gain a bit of an inside knowledge.”
Sansonetti, who has also been juggling year 12 this year, said the hard part comes for both school and football is still to come.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Bernardi.
Conti.
Brancatisano.
Sansonetti.

Building a nice Italian foundation.

Welcome aboard SS.

 

[TigermanM2]

Sarah Sansonetti says she’s ready for AFLW after time with Darebin
Ben Higgins, Diamond Valley Leader
October 17, 2019 12:00pm

Sarah Sansonetti believes her time at VFLW club Darebin has her perfectly prepared to enter AFLW ranks.

The Northern Knights gun spent the back half of the season with the Falcons after fulfilling her NAB League and Vic Metro commitments.
The rangy defender played five games for Darebin, an experience that gave her a glimpse of what life will be like at the top level.

“Darebin was amazing. I was a bit nervous starting off because I’d never played against women and I knew they were a tight-knit group,” she said.
“They welcomed me in so well and drove what my expectations should be and really created an environment I wanted to be in.
“It was a step up, the bigger bodies that was the one thing I had to get used to … everyone is that little bit stronger.

“Playing against — especially some of the AFLW players — that makes you want to get back into it and play against them more.”
Sansonetti starred as Northern Knights romped to the NAB League Girls premiership before playing all four games as Metro claimed the Under-18 National Championships title undefeated.
The St Mary’s junior was named centre half-back in the NAB League Girls Team of the Year after averaging nine disposals and four tackles in 10 games.
Sansonetti said being drafted would be “a dream come true”.
“I feel like I’ve done everything I can, so this is just icing on the cake, to show them what else I’ve got,” she said.
“Footy’s been everything since I was eight or nine.

“I’ve had a linear pathway compared to most other players — I started in Auskick, played with the boys until I was 14 — so when AFLW arrived I was shocked.
“I didn’t think it would happen for another three or four years down the track, but when it did I knew it was going to take off.”
A Collingwood supporter growing up, Sansonetti believed she was ready to step straight into an AFLW team.
“I’d like to think I can but I can’t really look to far into the future. I’ve got to take every moment as it comes,” she said.
“I’ll potentially have to adapt if the team wants to play me in a position I haven’t played before and I’m open to that.
“Personally, I slot in really well on the half-back flank, but if they need to chuck me up forward or on the wing … I’m happy because that will help me develop as a player.”

 

[TigermanM2]

Consistency the key for Sansonetti
August 14, 2019 by Michael Alvaro
WHILE others travel far and wide, come into the game late, or are poached from other sports, Sarah Sansonetti has enjoyed a much more linear path on her footballing journey.
The Northern Knights key defender traded the monkey bars and slides for a kick of the footy during breaks at school after her dad introduced her to the oblong ball, and has loved the game ever since.
“At school I was getting around out at lunch – instead of being on the playground, I loved getting out and kicking the footy so then dad decided to try at Auskick,” Sansonetti said. “I had a year down there and then went straight into Under 10s at my local club (Bundoora) which was pretty exciting.”
Football proved a “relief” from normal life for Sansonetti, who continues to enjoy the camaraderie that comes with team sports.
“(I like) the community aspect, the way the community gets together and everyone just enjoys it. You get out there, and it’s sort of just a relief from all your schooling and all that,” she said.
The sport that started as a hobby has turned into an opportunity, with the reliable defender fast becoming a leader in her position.
After featuring five times for the Knights as a 16-year-old, Sansonetti backed up the feat by playing every game in 2018, while returning a 10-game season in her top-age season this year.
Sansonetti’s consistency and ability to play a role in the star-studded Northern side meant her name was constantly one of the first on the team sheet, and it is something she highlighted as a key area during pre-season.
“From a team aspect, playing as a team, getting a lot of run from half-back, our forwards playing their role – I think it’s just everyone getting out there and doing their role, that’s sort of what we’re focusing on,” Sansonetti said during the NAB League Fitness Testing Day hosted by Rookie Me in March.
“(Our goal is to) have a consistent year, be consistent week in, week out and I reckon if we do that, we can go one better”
Sansonetti’s “one better” prophecy came to fruition as the Knights claimed premiership glory with a relatively young side after going down in the 2018 decider.
Her role in the undefeated season came two-fold, proving a pillar in the back six while leading Northern’s bottom and middle-agers through all of the rigours of a year at the elite junior level. It was something Sansonetti touched on during pre-season as she outlined her on-field goals.
“I just try to be a role model at training, lifting expectations like lifting the intensity and showing (younger players) what it takes to be in the program because a lot of them haven’t been exposed to it yet,” she said.
With a fruitful NAB League season done and won, Sansonetti was also a key part of Vic Metro’s unbeaten National Championships campaign in Queensland and is in the midst of a solid VFLW campaign with Darebin Falcons.
While Sansonetti said she is looking to push into more “uncomfortable” areas as her journey progresses, winning is a comfortable aspect of the game she seems to bring with her everywhere – with the Falcons getting up in two of her three outings thus far.
It bodes well for a long, consistent career,

 

[TigermanM2]

Bernardi.
Conti.
Brancatisano.
Sansonetti.

Building a nice Italian foundation.

Welcome aboard SS.

Tesoriero

Shouldn't have any trouble cooking up the pasta for the carb loading.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Tesoriero

Shouldn't have any trouble cooking up the pasta for the carb loading.

I commented in Tesoriero’s thread after Sansonetti’s.

 

[Stan Judkins]

Really happy with picking up Sarah, will be a key in our backline for years to come

 

[TigermanM2]

Sansonetti: From Auskick to AFLW
Grace Kalac, richmondfc.com.au
Oct 26, 2019 12:58PM


Ever since Sarah Sansonetti started her football journey at Auskick a decade ago, playing the game at the highest level is something she has "always dreamed of".
On Tuesday, her dream beckoned, as she was being chosen by Richmond with pick 40 in the NAB AFL Women’s Draft, the club’s fourth selection.

"It was a rush of adrenaline. I was so happy, so proud, that Richmond called out my name," she said.
"To join Richmond, a pretty renowned, successful club…I’m excited to jump into next year."
"I was just pretty happy that a club called out my name, and I’m even happier that it was Richmond."
The 18-year-old found her way to Tigerland following three years in the NAB League Girls developing her craft, followed by a stint with Darebin VFLW.

It’s been a huge year for the Northern Knights half-back. She shone in the NAB League Girls Grand Final as the Knights claimed the premiership, before being named at centre half-back in the League’s Team of the Year.
She was also a consistent performer for the undefeated, premiership-winning Vic Metro side in this year’s Under-18 National Championships.
"(Playing big games) gives you the confidence that you can back yourself and you can go up against quality opposition…to know you can really do it," she said.
The hard-working 18-year-old is a reliable, team-oriented competitor. She tested well at the NAB AFLW Draft Combine last month, further pressing her claims for an AFLW contract.

Richmond Women's recruiter Lauren Tesoriero said she was impressed by Sansonetti’s football smarts and determination.
"Sarah reads the play really well. She’s quite a crafty back. She’s not quite a key or small, she’s sort of in-between," Tesoriero said.
"Her ability to read the play is what stood out the most and we’d love to see her across half-back for us."
Sansonetti cannot wait to reunite with fellow Tiger Maddy Brancatisano, the pair having played at the Northern Knights together in recent years.
"It’ll be pretty fun to run out with her again," Sansonetti said.

 

[TigermanM2]

Sarah Sansonetti celebrates
OCTOBER 28, 2019 12:56 PM
BY TARA MURRAY

NORTHERN KNIGHTSNAB LEAGUE

Sarah Sansonetti knows it’s an exciting time to be joining the Richmond Football Club.
With the men’s side coming off AFL and VFL premierships and now the introduction of an AFLW side, there are plenty of things happening at the club.
The Northern Knights defender will be part of the first AFLW squad, having her named called out by the Tigers on Tuesday morning.
The Tigers took Sansonetti at pick 40.
Speaking after the draft, Sansonetti said it was the best feeling in the world.
“It’s pretty cool,” she said.
“I was alright, just concentrating on what I can control, and what I’ve done.
“Just amazing to hear Richmond call out my name, pretty surreal feeling.
“I’m really grateful they’ve given me this opportunity.”
Sansonetti spoke to the Tigers at the draft combine, but had no clue that they were going to pick her.
She said it was pretty special to be part of the first Tigers team.
“They’re riding a wave of momentum.
“It’s pretty exciting considering what they’ve done with their men’s team, even their women’s VFLW team.
“It’s just such a privilege to put on a black and yellow polo.
“It is pretty exciting and hopefully I can snap up an early game, show them what I can do and pay them back for giving me this opportunity.”
Sansonetti was one of five Knights players drafted on Tuesday.
Number one pick Gabby Newton, Nell Morris-Dalton and Britney Gutknecht are all headed to the Western Bulldogs.
Ciara Fitzgerald, who was taken at pick 87, joins Sansonetti at the Tigers.
Former Tiger Maddy Brancatisano is already at Tigerland, having been signed by the side earlier this year.
She spent last year at Melbourne.
There were five Northern Knights taken in this year’s draft.
Sansonetti said it was exciting to see the others also realise their football dreams.
She praised the work of the Knights for getting them to this point.
“They are the reason why we’re just as good as we are today and if we didn’t have those foundations if would be a lot harder.
“I can’t wait to see them play and get their opportunity, so happy for them as well.
“I’m so proud of what they’ve achieved.”
There wasn’t much time for Sansonetti to celebrate, having to return to studying ahead of her VCE exams.

 

[TigermanM2]

AFLW Pocket Profile: Sarah Sansonetti
Get to know a little more about AFLW Tiger Sarah Sansonetti...
By richmondfc.com.au

Guernsey number: 18
Position: Defender
Height: 172cm
D.O.B.: 02/08/2001
Nickname: Zinga
Instagram handle: @_sarahsanso_
Occupation: Student
Local club: Bundoora Thunderbolts/St Mary's
Club supported growing up: Collingwood
Hidden talent: Mini golf (but it’s not so hidden)
Pre-game meal: Pasta
Favourite holiday destination: New Zealand
Favourite TV show: Rick and Morty is a close second but I can’t go past Kath and Kim as my number one.
Most-used app: Facebook
Cats or dogs: Dogs!
Favourite type of kick: Torpedo
Favourite pump up song to listen to before a match: Any 80s song
Greatest inspiration and why: Ellyse Perry because she’s just the perfect athlete, she performs consistently at an elite level and is the ultimate role model for any young female athlete.
Which AFL/AFLW player do you model your game off and why: Jeremy McGovern as he has incredible ability to read the play and take intercept marks to help set his team up to attack.

 

[Phar Ace]

Last two games were quieter than her first two and not doing the repeat efforts as much, but that can be circumstance as as much as opportunity. I do think she will become one of those very dependable backs.