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Danielle Ponter (born 8 January 2000) is an Australian rules footballer playing for Adelaide Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She played for St Mary's and Essendon in her junior career, typically as a forward. Ponter was selected with pick 48 in the 2018 AFL Women's draft and made her debut in round 2 of the 2019 season. She was nominated for the 2019 AFL Women's Rising Star award in round 4.
| Danielle Ponter | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Ponter playing for Adelaide in January 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth | 8 January 2000 | ||
| Place of birth | Darwin, Northern Territory | ||
| Original team(s) |
St Mary's (NTFL) Essendon (VFLW) | ||
| Draft | No. 48, 2018 AFLW draft | ||
| Debut | Round 2, 2019, Adelaide vs. Carlton, at Ikon Park | ||
| Height | 161 cm (5 ft 3 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Adelaide | ||
| Number | 15 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2019– | Adelaide | 58 (66) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2023. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Source: AustralianFootball.com | |||
Ponter was born in Darwin, Northern Territory.[1] She had a strong footballing background as part of the noted Rioli–Long family;[2] she is the niece of former Essendon player Michael Long and the cousin of former Hawthorn footballer Cyril Rioli.[3] Ponter began playing for St Mary's at 11 in the under-16 female division of Northern Territory Football League (NTFL), in the 2011–12 season.[3][4] She won the Sharyn Smith Medal, the division best and fairest, in four consecutive seasons.[4]
"The things she can do with a footy are phenomenal. I don't know if I've seen any other young player like her."
Aasta O'Connor, AFLW talent manager[3]
Ponter competed at the 2014 AFL Women's Under 18 Championships for the Thunder Devils (a combined Northern Territory–Tasmania team) at 14.[3] She competed at the next three championships[3] and additionally played for the Central Allies in a state of origin match in 2017[5] and 2018.[6] Ponter attended the 2018 AFLW draft combine[7] and was a member of the 2018 AFLW Academy, one of twenty-nine seventeen-year-old prospects.[8] She played for Essendon's VFL Women's side in 2018, kicking six goals in six matches.[3] Ahead of the 2018 AFLW draft, prospects nominated a state or region they wished to play in; Ponter chose South Australia, meaning Adelaide, as the only South Australian club, was the only team with an opportunity to select her.[3]
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Ponter was drafted by Adelaide with pick 48 in the 2018 AFLW draft, their fifth selection.[7] She continued to play in the NTFL prior to the 2019 AFL Women's season. She was not selected for the opening round of the 2019 season; coach Matthew Clarke acknowledged she was "pretty stiff to miss out".[9] Ponter made her debut the next round, playing as a defender in contrast to her usual position of forward in her junior career.[10] This made her the first member of the Rioli–Long family to play top-level women's Australian rules football.[7] She returned to the forward line in round 4 and received a nomination for the 2019 AFL Women's Rising Star award after kicking two goals.[10]
Ponter became a premiership player in 2019 and again in 2022 (season 6). She kicked two of Adelaide's four goals in the 13-point victory over Melbourne in the 2022 season 6 Grand Final.
In 2023 AFL Women's season, Ponter kicked 20 goals including the finals series, the most memorable of which was a goal from the centre square against Richmond.[11] This tally allowed her to overtake Erin Phillips as the Crows' all-time leading goalscorer. In the same year, Ponter earned her first All-Australian selection. She kicked a career-best five goals in 2024 against Hawthorn at Unley Oval.[12]
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