After months of training and competing in drills against teammates over the summer, the GIANTS’ AFL Women’s team will get their first crack at taking on another team in 2020 when they meet Adelaide for a match simulation session on Saturday.

The GIANTS will compete against the reigning premiers in a series of match situations at Adelaide’s Richmond Oval from 10:30am local time.

For first-year GIANT Annalyse Lister, it’s her first chance to get a taste of AFL Women’s football even if it’s not the real thing just yet.

“I’m definitely super keen to get started, I think it’ll be a good test to see where I am at personally and where the team is at,” she said.

“Obviously you’re a bit limited by your numbers at training so you can only really do small match simulation, so it’ll be a good indication of where we’re sitting.”

“There hasn’t been a lot of focus on the opposition at this point in time, we’re more focussing on our own strategies and game plan and seeing how we can implement that.”

I’m just looking forward to getting stuck in and seeing what I can do this season.

- Annalyse Lister

Selected by the GIANTS with pick 29 of the 2019 NAB AFLW Draft, and from VFLW side Darebin Falcons, the 29-year-old has settled into life in orange and charcoal smoothly. 

“I’ve really enjoyed it, it’s really nice to be in an elite environment that has the time and resources to invest in a program,” she said. 

“It was a bit of a shock to the body at first, but it seems to have held up okay which is good. 

“I thought it was going to be harder than it was to pick up and move to Sydney and leave my friends and family behind, but I’m really enjoying it so far and everyone’s been really accommodating. 

“Now I’m just looking forward to getting stuck in and seeing what I can do this season.”

A tough tackling half-back who can also play as a midfielder, Lister has been training alongside some of the competition’s elite.

While she has been impressed by some of the club’s senior players there has been one young GIANT who has stood out over the pre-season.

“Your more senior players like Alicia and probably players like Elle Bennetts and Nic Barr certainly put in their hard work at training,” Lister said.

“One of the young players that I’m looking forward to seeing is Parks (Alyce Parker), she’s a really level-headed player. 

“I haven’t had the opportunity to play alongside her yet, so I’m looking forward to that.”

The GIANTS will play their first and only practice match against the Brisbane Lions at Tom Wills Oval on Sunday, January 26 from 9:00am. Entry is free.