THE AFLW's premiership-winning model – one that might soon have a carbon copy in North Melbourne's union with Tasmania – is set to have a different look in 2018.
Adelaide's left-of-centre working partnership with AFL Northern Territory saw nine Darwin-based players feature on the Crows' inaugural list but live and train in the top end.
That number has dropped to one ahead of the AFLW Draft on October 18, with premiership players Stevie-Lee Thompson, Sally Riley and Abbey Holmes planning to relocate to South Australia.
Andrew Hodges is likely to again be the Crows' senior assistant coach, on top of being NT Thunder's NEAFL coach.
AFL.com.au understands Thompson, who represented the Allies in the State of Origin match on Saturday night, will stay in Adelaide for the duration of the AFLW season then return to Darwin.
Riley is from Victorian country town Buninyong and wants to be closer to home, while Holmes hails from Adelaide and travels often to Melbourne for her media roles.
AFLNT chief executive Michael Solomon told AFL.com.au the number of Territory footballers in the squad would not impact on the arrangement with the Crows.
"The relationship with the Crows is different to that of the relationship with the playing group," Solomon said.
"Our job is to get females onto AFL lists from here, so that's completely independent of the commercial commitments in Darwin, which is having the camps, the events, the games, the partnerships.
"That's going to happen whether there's a national draft in five years – or whenever it will be – where girls just go where they're told to go."
The Crows had already elected not to re-sign Darwin pair Heather Anderson (shoulder) and Sophie Armitstead (knee) because of repeat injuries, but they are a good chance of being redrafted if they prove their fitness.
Tayla Thorn, Jasmine Anderson and Lauren O'Shea also did not receive new contracts
Ange Foley, an Adelaide vice-captain alongside Riley last season, is the sole Darwin-based footballer guaranteed to be on the Crows' list.
That could change in the AFLW Draft, with several NT players in the mix beyond Anderson and Armitstead, while Thorn's situation is unclear.
Athletic ruck-forward Jasmyn Hewett, a former netballer who grew up in regional South Australia and moved to Darwin only last year, seems certain to join Adelaide.
Among the other contenders are Ashley Fitzpatrick, Alicia Stanley, Amy Chittick, Sam Barnett, Katie Streader, Calista Boyd, Morgan Johnston, Crystal Browne and Maddie Keeble.
Michael Long's niece, Danielle Ponter, is part of the inaugural NAB AFL Women's National Academy and the NT's most outstanding prospect, but can't play until the 2019 season.
