AFLW West Coast Womens Discussion

[AlphaSheep]

We've got a small core of players who are either elite now, or will become elite soon enough. The problem is that there aren't anywhere near enough of them, and there's no choice but to wait until more become available through the draft -- which has now moved another year away.

So asking 'have we improved' is a difficult question to answer -- coaching? Not really, possibly gone backward. Individual player talent? Definitely. Depth? A little, but nowhere near as much as the teams we need to beat.

If we have a good run with injury we'll still improve next year, lots of kids getting better, plus Gooch, Gibson and Wakfer, and Davison if she can get into good form again like she supposedly did this pre-season.

But the reason Richmond suddenly shot up the ladder this year was they went from about six really good players to sixteen, a combination of good new recruits, plus existing players finally hitting form... and they've got a kid Charley Ryan waiting in the wings with an ACL who's supposedly a rocket. It'll be a long time until we look anything like that.

 

[Livin1989]

We've got a small core of players who are either elite now, or will become elite soon enough. The problem is that there aren't anywhere near enough of them, and there's no choice but to wait until more become available through the draft -- which has now moved another year away.

So asking 'have we improved' is a difficult question to answer -- coaching? Not really, possibly gone backward. Individual player talent? Definitely. Depth? A little, but nowhere near as much as the teams we need to beat.

If we have a good run with injury we'll still improve next year, lots of kids getting better, plus Gooch, Gibson and Wakfer, and Davison if she can get into good form again like she supposedly did this pre-season.

But the reason Richmond suddenly shot up the ladder this year was they went from about six really good players to sixteen, a combination of good new recruits, plus existing players finally hitting form... and they've got a kid Charley Ryan waiting in the wings with an ACL who's supposedly a rocket. It'll be a long time until we look anything like that.

We need a new coach ****ing yesterday.... With the crop of talent coming through in the next 3 years we will have a solid team that might be competitive in.....5/6 years time?

 

[AlphaSheep]

We need a new coach ******* yesterday.... With the crop of talent coming through in the next 3 years we will have a solid team that might be competitive in.....5/6 years time?

Yep, something like that. The big draft is now 2025, so 2 years at minimum to get those kids to a level where they can provide serious support for our core group... I'd be very surprised if we make finals before 2027.

 

[Dark Sharks]

Yeah I agree with old mate and our improvement being minimal compared to the rest of the comp.

We've imoroved yes, we're more competitive, our team looks fitter, our core leaders dig in more and are more consistent whilst some youngsters are also on the up..

And yet we're still going to finish 16th with 2 wins for the year with only 2 expansion clubs below us. We're still playing amateur level football compared to the (majority) of the rest of the competition. Our skills are still awful by comparison, as is our speed and fitness. Most damning is our game plan and actual game nouse. How to play football.

I can imagine further small improvement next year as we add more talent and roll the C grade list over, but until we get rid of Prior we won't be competing with the actual standard setters of AFLW and seeing meaningful, commanding improvement by this team IMO.

 

[Biggie]

AFLW: Injury Update: Round 10

AFLW Head of High Performance Wes Salisbury provides an update on West Coast’s injured players ahead of the Eagles’ round 10 match against Melbourne.

www.westcoasteagles.com.au

 

[Biggie]

Skipper and B Smith - ToW

 

[Livin1989]

Can Someone who can see behind the wall please post here?

Sibling rivalry driving breakout Shark as draft hopes rise

The Cleaver household could go from no AFL footballers to two in less than a year with Jack and Georgie both striving to make it at the top level.

thewest.com.au

 

[Biggie]

Can Someone who can see behind the wall please post here?

Sibling rivalry driving breakout Shark as draft hopes rise

The Cleaver household could go from no AFL footballers to two in less than a year with Jack and Georgie both striving to make it at the top level.

thewest.com.au

Not much in it Livin1989

The Cleaver household could go from no AFL footballers to two in less than a year with Jack and Georgie both striving to make it at the top level. East Fremantle utility Jack Cleaver, 18, has boosted his draft hopes with a strong back half of the season, capped off with a senior finals campaign as a lock-down defender.

His younger sister Georgie, 17, is part of the AFL Academy as well as the AIS netball program and is eligible for the next AFL Women’s draft. Both are gifted with multi-talented sporting ability with Jack captain Aquinas College’s title-winning basketball team and also showing promise in rugby league and union, but footy was always his ultimate goal. “She’s always been a good football player and netballer, both of us have always all sports,” Jack told The West Australian. “We’ve always done a bit of training together, running, gymming and it goes well together and it would be a dream come true for both of us to be playing in the AFL and AFLW.”

Jack said the siblings had always pushed each other to get better. “It makes it much easier when we’re living together and eating together and training together, we’re pushing each other every day,” he said. Cleaver has endured a rough run with injuries over the years with plenty of broken bones including collarbone - three times - thumb and most recently finger. But he at least had a clear run since the national under-18s carnival mid-year, forcing his way into East Fremantle’s league side and holding his spot for the final seven games of the season including all three finals alongside fellow draft hopeful Jed Hagan.

Spoiler

“It was really good to come in, it’s such a good environment down there as a young player,” he said. “From where we were last year, if you would’ve said that we would’ve made the prelim I would’ve definitely taken it. “You can’t help but think what could’ve happened without all the injuries and players going out but overall it was a really good season for us.” The 190cm talent, who’s got a booming left foot, hopes his experience in the seniors holds him in good stead for next month’s national draft. Among his opponents were Claremont leading goal-kicker Alex Manuel and enigmatic West Perth forward Rudy Riddoch. “I didn’t know how I was going to hold up playing against the bigger bodies, I’d never really done it before and I felt like I proved myself,” he said. Jack tested well at the WA draft combine on Sunday, finishing fourth in the 2km time trial on 6:44 and nearly breaking the three-second 20m sprint barrier with 3.013

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Amazing effort from Bel Smith to bring up her 50th AFLW game this weekend. She’s had to fight through some real adversity to get there and all the way she’s been professional and humble in her approach. The second best player the club has had in terms of consistency over the journey so far. Plus she's one of our best by foot, barely misses a target coming out of the busy backline. Very much the unsung hero of the women's programme at the club.



Legend. Great write up on the club website...

AFLW: Milestone Eagle ‘obsessed’ with footy

The 27-year-old has been blown away this season by her fellow teammates and couldn’t want a better group to share her milestone with this weekend against Melbourne.

www.westcoasteagles.com.au

Ahead of her 50th game of AFLW, West Coast fan favourite Belinda Smith is still rapt to be able to play footy at the elite level and hopes she can play 50 more in her beloved Eagles guernsey.

Coming out of the 2016 AFLW Draft, Smith spent time with both Fremantle and Western Bulldogs before returning home to join the Eagles at the start of 2020 prior to West Coast’s inaugural season in the competition.

Throughout her four seasons at the club the defender has brought high energy and passion to both her game and throughout the club, and she still finds it hard to believe that she is able to play in the blue and gold at such a high level.

“This is the club I grew up barracking for, I love this team, I love this club so much,” Smith told westcoasteagles.com.au

“There’s so much pride every game when I pull on the guernsey just to represent this club, I love it.”

During her time playing the game professionally Smith has had a career average of 10.6 disposals and 165.7 metres gained playing in defence and is having a career season in 2022.

Throughout her entire seven years in the league, Smith has seen what she says is an indescribable amount of growth not only at West Coast but for the entire competition as well.

“It’s grown so much, we came into AFLW in 2017 with eight teams and there was a lot of players in each side that had never played footy before,” she said.

“It was a very much a high-pressure situation, just kick the ball as far as you can sort of thing.

“For the skill level to evolve as much as it has in the last six years with an extra 10 teams added into the competition as well, It’s incredible.

“The skill and the talent now coming through from girls who have played since Auskick, it’s so exciting to see the next wave of athletes start to come up at the elite level.”

Smith’s love for the game has naturally led her to become a leader in this year’s young West Coast side using her passion to drive her teammates each week to get up for what can be a long season.

“Gameday is my favourite day of the week, it’s so much fun and I get super pumped up,” she said.

“I’m always having a boogie pre-game and I’ve got my group of girls that like me to pump them up ahead of the game, so I like to get up and about for them.

“I’ve found myself as a bit of a leader down in the backline this year, we’ve got such a young group so I’ve tried to bring that leadership aspect a lot more into my game this year, trying to be a level head down there."

It’s clear Smith’s passion for the game comes from the pride she has in her teammates, especially for her fellow backs.

Adjusting to a new group this season, her confidence in West Coast’s young squad is evident and she’s ecstatic to see what the future holds for the Eagles.

“It’s so exciting, you can really see the future of where we are going,” Smith said.

“Sasha Goranova has had such tough matchups each week and she’s completely grown in that role, you see Jessica Sedunary who’s also new to the backline and she’s flourishing.

“Sophie McDonald has taken her game to a whole new level and Charlie Thomas is not going to take too many games before teams are really going to have to start doing their homework into her.

“I’ve always had a lot of pride in my teammates and a lot of confidence in them to do their roles, but this year in particular is really exciting with the youth we’ve got on show.”

Arguably West Coast’s biggest challenge comes in the final game of the season facing Melbourne at Casey Fields this Saturday.

However, Smith believes her side will bring everything to their final game of the year.

“We are really excited to be honest, Melbourne are an absolutely quality opposition,” she said.

“There are well deserving of their top two spot and they are an outstanding outfit with players that area really good ball users in a decent structure.

“It’s a massive challenge for us to go up against the best and we will try and bring the heat as much as we can.

“We will certainly go over there and fight as hard as we can to make it a really great match and hopefully come away with a win.”

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

First unchanged lineup in club history (I think)

 

[AlphaSheep]

Biggie, who would you say are the most respected WAFLW coaches right now? Might be nice if our next coach actually had some track record of success with women's football...

 

[Biggie]

Biggie, who would you say are the most respected WAFLW coaches right now? Might be nice if our next coach actually had some track record of success with women's football...

Templeton from Sth Freo already got taken by Freo this year.

Claremont’s Jack Schwarze is good coach so potential is there.

Wouldn’t touch the others

Womens footy at the next level isn’t looking good in the short term tbh.

 

[Ochre]

Templeton from Sth Freo already got taken by Freo this year.

Claremont’s Jack Schwarze is good coach so potential is there.

Wouldn’t touch the others

Womens footy at the next level isn’t looking good in the short term tbh.

If only there was some sort of rich organisation, maybe one who would benefit from there being strong women's footy in WA, and had apparently tens of millions in the bank, who could put money into women's footy in WA.

 

[Dark Sharks]

Gina?

 

[Biggie]

AFLW: Demon’s result won’t dampen Eagles’ productive year

The Official AFL Website of the West Coast Eagles

www.westcoasteagles.com.au

 

[footyknut]

AFLW: Demon’s result won’t dampen Eagles’ productive year

The Official AFL Website of the West Coast Eagles

www.westcoasteagles.com.au

Prior would be gobsmacked if anyone besides Roberts won the Rising Star.
I doubt he could even tell you who Fleming or Ewings play for, let alone what number they wear.

 

[Eaglemaniac]

Templeton from Sth Freo already got taken by Freo this year.

Claremont’s Jack Schwarze is good coach so potential is there.

Wouldn’t touch the others

Womens footy at the next level isn’t looking good in the short term tbh.

The guy who set up the Claremont program and has success in women’s footy, is at WCE women’s team and was the backs coach, but has been relegated to background roles to bring in more female coaches for optics. Ryan Turnbull was removed for the same reasons. If we were serious about winning, these types of changes would not have happened.

 

[Biggie]

AFLW: ‘Unbelievable’: Roberts reflects on first season

The West Coast Eagles’ first selection in the 2022 draft recaps her debut season in the competition.

www.westcoasteagles.com.au

 

[Biggie]

AFLW: Building consistency is crucial: Lewis

The young West Coast midfielder is happy with the progress her side made this season but admits there's a lot more work to go to challenge the top teams in the competition.

www.westcoasteagles.com.au

 

[Winky]

Yeah would agree with this. You can see the improvement in individual players (Lakay, Thomas, Rowley, McDonald has got better as the season's gone on etc). We've brought in some good talent, Roberts was always going to be a star but Western has been awesome amongst others.

Yet at the moment we're still a team of individuals - and I don't think that's the players' fault. We've got the bricks but there's no concrete predictability or gameplan to hold them together. Does feel a bit like suburban footy where there's no real exit strategies leaving D50, no real movement plans or forwards leading away from each other - you just hope your players play better individual games than their players.

Teams like Adelaide/Brisbane are so well structured, half their side can have a bad quarter but their systems keep their scoreboards ticking over, and when it all gels they put the foot down.

Swanson seems like an unbelievable leader who'd be able to get the girls on board with a solid tactical plan if it was put to them. It just feels like the coaches are playing it safe and not trusting in the players to implement anything beyond 'go out there and give it your best'

If only it was as good as suburban footy. I’m very happy for the girls to have an outlet to play footy but sick to the back teeth of AFLW being force fed to AFL fans

 

[Livin1989]

If only it was as good as suburban footy. I’m very happy for the girls to have an outlet to play footy but sick to the back teeth of AFLW being force fed to AFL fans

No one is forcing you to support or consume AFLW mate

 

[jatz14]

If only it was as good as suburban footy. I’m very happy for the girls to have an outlet to play footy but sick to the back teeth of AFLW being force fed to AFL fans

Oh noes. Another person being forced to watch womens sport. Whatever will we do.

 

[Kegs15]

If only it was as good as suburban footy. I’m very happy for the girls to have an outlet to play footy but sick to the back teeth of AFLW being force fed to AFL fans

Garbage comment

For clarity I meant our coaching and strategy felt suburban compared to the top AFLW clubs (who all the men's teams could learn a lot from IMO).

My post was from about 2 weeks ago and wasn't debating AFLW in general - were you tunnelling through the thread looking for key words like 'suburban' that you could clamp down on, no matter the context? Given how much you've sought this out seems odd to say you're the one being "force-fed" anything

 

[Biggie]

If only it was as good as suburban footy. I’m very happy for the girls to have an outlet to play footy but sick to the back teeth of AFLW being force fed to AFL fans

You say you’re sick of it being force fed?

I’m sick of hearing how people think they are being force fed. Are you being cohersed into watching games, clicking on articles, listening to players or watching their social media?

To the point you have to post about it on this forum?

I think you just don’t like women playing sport. Just be honest.

****ing force fed. Get a grip.

 

[Winky]

You say you’re sick of it being force fed?

I’m sick of hearing how people think they are being force fed. Are you being cohersed into watching games, clicking on articles, listening to players or watching their social media?

To the point you have to post about it on this forum?

I think you just don’t like women playing sport. Just be honest.

******* force fed. Get a grip.

It is force fed and most people I speak to feel the same. I have tried to watch the game but just cannot take it therefore like many others, I don't.

That doesn't stop the fact that the draft has been delayed a couple of weeks so nothing distracts from the women's game and that annoys people.

Surely if the game is that good there shouldn't be a need to change things to try and put focus on AFLW. Add to that the sheer number of posts from the AFL and clubs trying to promote the game and you start to understand why some people get this impression.

I know you are involved in the game so good luck to you but it isn't something that is strongly supported hence the need for the AFL to push it.

FYO I have watched netball, womens', basketball, women's cricket, women's soccer and hockey for years and enjoy all of those.

You needn't worry. I'm not making a crusade of it and wont be back on this thread but a bit of reality is necessary at times.