Jess Sedunary
{{Short description|Australian rules footballer}}
{{Use Australian English|date=May 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Jess Sedunary
| image = Jessica Sedunary 2018.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Sedunary playing for Adelaide in 2018
| fullname = Jessica Sedunary
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|11|10|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| originalteam = Morphettville Park (SAWFL)
| draftpick = No. 119, 2016 AFL Women's draft
| debutdate = Round 1, 2017
| debutteam = {{AFLW|Ade}}
| debutopponent = {{AFLW|GWS}}
| debutstadium = Thebarton Oval
| height = 168cm
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = {{AFLW|WC}}
| guernsey = 10
| years1 = 2017–2019
| club1 = {{AFLW|Ade}}
| games_goals1 = 15 (5)
| years2 = 2020
| club2 = {{AFLW|StK}}
| games_goals2 = {{0}}4 (2)
| years3 = 2021–2022 (S6)
| club3 = {{AFLW|Ade}}
| games_goals3 = {{0}}2 (1)
| years4 = 2022 (S7)–
| club4 = {{AFLW|WC}}
| games_goals4 = {{0}}8 (0)
| games_goalstotal = 29 (8)
| statsend = 2022 (S7)
| sooyears1 = 2017
| sooteam1 = The Allies
| soogames_goals1 = 1 (0)
| repstatsend = 2017
| careerhighlights =
- AFLW premiership player: 2017
}}
Jessica Sedunary (born 10 November 1990) is an Australian rules football Premiership Player. Retired in 2023 playing for the West Coast Eagles in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She has previously played for the Adelaide Football Club from 2017 to 2019 and 2021 to 2022 (S6) and the St Kilda Football Club in 2020.
Early life
Sedunary grew up in Minlaton on the Yorke Peninsula. Originally her sport of choice was hockey, which forced her to drives to Adelaide and back every week for games and training. Her family moved to Adelaide when she was in high school, and she switched to cycling within weeks when the South Australian Sports Institute saw her potential.{{cite web|url=http://www.afc.com.au/news/2016-11-09/jessica-the-accidental-footballer|title=Jessica, the accidental footballer|last=Conlon|first=Matilda|date=9 November 2016|access-date=5 February 2018|work=AFC.com.au|publisher=Bigpond}} She went on to represent Australia in the 2007 Australian Youth Olympic Festival in cycling.{{cite news|url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/messenger/sport/adelaide-crows-womens-recruit-one-step-closer-to-making-a-career-out-of-football/news-story/3830544ac163716eb64b8a7b70852de6?nk=c12855ad84e52edb48b553d4a7bcdebc-1517829160|title=Adelaide Crows women's recruit one step closer to making a career out of football|last=Abbracciavento|first=Daniela|date=19 October 2016|access-date=5 February 2018|work=Messenger Community News|publisher=News Corp Australia}} After a year of study at university Sedunary was forced to drop her studies and her cycling due to financial constraints.
Sedunary first played football accidentally. She went to a friend's football game to spectate, but when a player was injured she had to replace them on the field, having never kicked a football before. With no professional Australian rules football competition for women existing yet, Sedunary briefly signed with a lingerie gridiron club as it was similar to football. The competition was disbanded before a game had been played and, rather than pursuing gridiron further she quit and returned to football. In 2016 she joined Morphettville Park Football Club and won the South Australian Women's Football League premiership with them.
AFLW career (2017–)
Sedunary was drafted by Adelaide with their fifteenth selection and 119th overall in the 2016 AFL Women's draft.{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/collingwood/collingwood-recruit-nicole-stevens-says-womens-game-will-get-bigger-and-bigger/news-story/79c9158dc5121ced6f09a91bddb9bf79|title=Collingwood recruit Nicole Stevens says women's game will get bigger and bigger|last=Williams|first=Rebecca|date=12 October 2016|work=Herald Sun|publisher=News Corp Australia|access-date=24 May 2017}} She made her debut in the thirty-six point win against Greater Western Sydney at Thebarton Oval in the opening round of the 2017 season.{{cite news|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/aflw-teams-round-1-full-sides-named-for-inaugural-round-of-afl-womens-competition/news-story/2074512b6a2a374781cb5f3a23447d70|title=AFLW Teams Round 1: Full sides named for inaugural round of AFL Women's competition|date=3 February 2017|work=Fox Sports|publisher=News Corp Australia|access-date=24 May 2017}} She was a part of Adelaide's premiership side after the club defeated {{AFLW|Bri}} by six points at Metricon Stadium in the AFL Women's Grand Final.{{cite news|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-03-23/aflw-grand-final-teams-revealed|title=AFLW: Grand Final teams revealed|date=23 March 2017|work=AFL.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=24 May 2017}}{{cite news|url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/afl/aflw/adelaide-crows-defeat-brisbane-lions-by-six-points-in-aflw-grand-final/news-story/ae171dd26875b828bc74ac7cc5728238|title=Adelaide Crows defeat Brisbane Lions by six points in AFLW grand final|last=David|first=Greg|date=25 March 2017|work=The Courier-Mail|publisher=News Corp Australia|access-date=24 May 2017}} She played every match in her debut season to finish with eight matches,{{cite web|url=https://australianfootball.com/players/player/jessica+sedunary/19873|title=Australian Football - Jessica Sedunary - Player Bio|access-date=5 February 2018|work=AustralianFootball.com}} and she came fourth in Adelaide's Club Champion award.{{cite web|url=http://www.afc.com.au/player-profile/jessica-sedunary|title=Jessica Sedunary|access-date=5 February 2018|work=AFC.com.au|publisher=Bigpond}}
Adelaide signed Sedunary for the 2018 season during the trade period in May 2017.{{cite web|title=AFLW: All the clubs' full lists after trade period|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-05-26/aflw-all-the-clubs-full-lists-after-trade-period|website=AFL.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=26 May 2017|date=26 May 2017}}
In April 2019, Sedunary joined expansion club St Kilda,{{cite web|url=https://www.saints.com.au/news/2019-04-18/saints-aflw-squad-takes-shape|title= Saints AFLW Squad takes shape|first=David|last=O'Neill|work={{AFL StK}}|publisher=Telstra Media|date=18 April 2019}} but returned to play with the Crows after playing only one season with St Kilda.
Sedunary was placed on the list of inactive players for 2022 season 6 while she trained with Cycling Australia's Olympic Fast Track Program in an effort to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics.{{Cite web|title=AFLW: Adelaide confirms list changes|url=https://www.afc.com.au/news/934899/aflw-adelaide-confirms-list-changes|access-date=2021-09-26|website=afc.com.au|date=13 May 2021 |language=en}}
In June 2022, Sedunary was traded to West Coast in exchange for Niamh Kelly and Amber Ward.{{cite web|url=https://www.afc.com.au/news/1145303/aflw-crows-complete-trade-deals|title=AFLW: Crows complete trade deals|publisher=Telstra|work=Adelaide|date=8 June 2022}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{Adelplayer}}
- {{AustralianFootball|ref=Jessica%2BSedunary/19873}}
{{West Coast AFL Women's player squad}}
{{2017 Adelaide premiership players (AFLW)}}
{{Inaugural Adelaide AFL Women's team}}
{{Inaugural St Kilda AFL Women's team}}
{{2016 AFL Women's draft}}
{{2017 The Allies women's State of Origin players}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sedunary, Jess}}
Category:Adelaide Football Club (AFLW) players
Category:Australian rules footballers from South Australia