Women's Footy AFLW Season 2024 - GWS Giants - Rd 10 vs Port Sun 3/11

[Andre the Giant]

This competition is woeful and frankly embarrassing. This is not a criticism of the women who are applying themselves and no doubt still inspiring young ladies for the future but the fact is in its current format this sport is largely unwatchable.

They just expanded way too soon and have really sullied the product. Hard to be too critical of the Giants with the shambolic drafting conditions but they are particularly awful.

It’s a shame as this could be so much better but the race to be virtue signalling Premiers claims the AFL again.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

For those interested, this is our AFLW history. We are an inaugural AFLW club, and are one of just 8 clubs that have played in all 9 AFLW seasons. 2020 is our only winning season, and the one and only occasion we made the final series (the final 8 series only started on 2020 - in the first two seasons there was no finals with the top 2 teams going straight to the grand final, and 2019 had a top 4 final series). Unlike our AFL side which came last twice (in our first two years in the competition), our AFLW side has only come last once.

• 2017: 1 win- 1 draw- 5 losses finishing position = 8th from 8 teams
• 2018: 3 wins- 1 draw- 3 losses finishing position = 4th of 8 teams
• 2019: 2 wins- 5 losses with our finishing position = 8th of 10 teams
• 2020: 4 wins- 3 losses with our finishing position = 6th of 14 teams
• 2021: 4 wins- 5 losses with our finishing position = 9th of 14 teams
• 2022: 4 wins- 6 losses with our finishing position = 9th of 14
• 2022 (season 7): 4 wins- 6 losses finishing position = 11th of 18 teams
• 2023: 2 wins- 8 losses with our finishing position 16th of 18 teams

 

[dlanod]

This competition is woeful and frankly embarrassing. This is not a criticism of the women who are applying themselves and no doubt still inspiring young ladies for the future but the fact is in its current format this sport is largely unwatchable.

They just expanded way too soon and have really sullied the product. Hard to be too critical of the Giants with the shambolic drafting conditions but they are particularly awful.

It’s a shame as this could be so much better but the race to be virtue signalling Premiers claims the AFL again.

I hear this talking point a lot online but ultimately we need to face up to reality. We can't change the past. The AFL can't change the past. They're not going to abolish a third of the teams so where we are now is what we can work with.

Ultimately do we, as an organisation, want a competitive AFLW team? Some teams seem to be treating theirs as a nothing that they're obliged to field (cough, Collingwood). The club says all the right things, the women seem very invested, but each season we seem to leave it in a holding pattern hoping something fundamentally changes.

The scene has been shaken up with proper contracting this year so maybe there's an opportunity there for us to get some quality players in, and ideally bring in some coaching talent that actually sets us up in a sustainable fashion - seeing Fremantle have multiple free players at every stoppage is embarrassing, and our continued poor disposal - especially handballing - put us under pressure constantly. Both are coachable. I can't fault their effort at least but I can fault the execution.

 

[captainMyCaptain]

Well done to Eva in getting to 75 games and hopefully next season will have the HC title next to her name.

 

[captainMyCaptain]

 

[captainMyCaptain]

Not long until this trainwreck of season is over and will have a top 3 pick in the draft and we can go fishing

 

[dlanod]

I'll be curious to see who's nominating nationally this time around.

 

[captainMyCaptain]

I'll be curious to see who's nominating nationally this time around.

Apparently fully national this time. Which is the only thing that gives me hope with our women's program.

the 2024 Telstra AFLW Draft will be the first time in the competition's history that all players will be eligible to be drafted to any club across the country.

AFLW trade and draft dates locked in for 2024 season

Trade and draft details for the 2024 AFLW player movement period have been locked in

www.afl.com.au

 

[dlanod]

Apparently fully national this time. Which is the only thing that gives me hope with our women's program.

AFLW trade and draft dates locked in for 2024 season

Trade and draft details for the 2024 AFLW player movement period have been locked in

www.afl.com.au

Getting a few early women's picks would have a real impact then - fewer people on the field and real stars can make a bigger impact because of the larger difference between the top players down to the replacement levels in the womens vs the mens.

 

[captainMyCaptain]

Happy Eva is staying but rather see her as HC. So unbelievably the Bernasconi nightmare might continue

 

[dlanod]

Happy Eva is staying but rather see her as HC. So unbelievably the Bernasconi nightmare might continue

Unlikely she'd go straight from a player to a HC, and I hope she doesn't. That very very rarely works out well because of the transition from being one of the mates to suddenly not. I know she's at least got some experience being assistant coach of the boys.

 

[Giant Strides]

The GIANTS will unveil their fifth AFLW debutant of the season in the club’s final game this weekend, with teenager Indigo Linde set to take on the Power in Adelaide on Sunday.

Hailing from Victoria, Linde was taken by the GIANTS with pick 40 in the 2023 NAB AFLW Draft following three years in the Coates Talent League where she helped lead the Eastern Ranges to a runner-up finish in the 2023 season.

Coming from a high-level swimming and athletics background, the 19-year-old switched her focus to football at the age of 16 and following her strong form as both a winger and inside midfielder for the Ranges was picked up by the GIANTS in last December’s draft. The strong 171cm midfielder has had a tough run with injury in her debut season, with Linde missing the club’s VFLW campaign earlier this year with a calf injury before re-injuring her calf during the AFLW season and spending six weeks on the sidelines.

Now fully fit after returning to the field via a club scrimmage last week in Melbourne, Linde will realise her AFLW dream in the club’s final game of the season against Port Adelaide on Sunday. The talented teenager was notified of her upcoming AFLW debut by coach Cam Bernasconi to a huge applause in a team meeting at the club on Thursday afternoon.

“That’s no surprise that reception,” he said following the cheers. “Over the last few weeks…staff and players are so excited to get you back [from injury]. You’ve trained yourself into it and you played really well last week [in the scrimmage], but the best part is when players come asking me ‘Is Indi going to play, is Indi going to play?”. The players want you to play and we want you to play, and you’ve done an incredible job to come back and get yourself fit and available and it’s going to be awesome to see you make your debut on Sunday. Well done legend.”

Linde, who has already signed a one-year contract extension to see her through until the end of next season, will join Kaitlyn Srhoj, Eilish O’Dowd, Courtney Murphy and Jemma Ramsdale as those to make their AFLW debuts for the GIANTS this season.

The Victorian teenager will make her AFLW debut on Sunday afternoon when the GIANTS clash with the Power at Alberton Oval at 5:05pm (AEDT).

 

[Giant Strides]

AFLW TEAMS: Docker in, Lions' boost, Dogs drop No.1 pick

The week 10 teams are in for Sunday's games

www.afl.com.au

Draftee Indigo Linde will make her debut with Greater Western Sydney, having been sidelined with a calf complaint for most of the season, replacing Claire Ransom.

Yartapuulti v Greater Western Sydney at Alberton Oval, Sunday 4.35pm ACDT

YARTAPUULTI

In: Nil
Out: Nil

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

In: I.Linde
Out: C.Ransom (omitted)