Lisa Steane impressed by rising talent in Hunter region: AFLW

The Sydney Swans defender is among only a handful of Hunter players to have earned contracts since AFLW began in 2017.

Steane played two seasons with the Giants before joining the Swans in their maiden campaign last year.

Newcastle City's Sarah Halvorsen (2019-20) and Steane's former Nelson Bay teammate Pippa Smyth (2018) also played with Greater Western Sydney.

Steane is one of Sydney's most experienced players as the eighth-placed side eye minor premiers Adelaide in a semi-final showdown in Adelaide on Saturday night, but the 28-year-old is confident it won't be long before more Hunter players area also playing AFLW.

Newcastle's Holly Cooper, a Swans Academy player, was a stand-out at the AFLW Draft Combine in September with top-10 results in four events.

"I got to train and play alongside Holly in the autumn series, and she comes and does train-ons with us," Steane said.

"She just went to the Combine and absolutely crushed it. I've been saying it for years, there is so much talent in the Hunter region.

"It's just that in comparison to Melbourne, the pathways in NSW aren't as good. They're getting better ... [but] it takes a lot of work and it's harder for girls who are not in Melbourne to make it to that elite level. But the talent is there."

Steane overcame a knee complaint to play in the Swans' 9.4 (58) to 6.5 (41) win over the Suns on the Gold Coast in an elimination final last weekend while the Crows lost 5.7 (37) to 6.3 (39) against Brisbane in their qualifying final.

The Swans, who were winless in their first campaign, are on a four-game winning run but face another tough test in the high-flying Crows.

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