VFLW Game Day 2022 Season - Minor premiers! Undefeated, finals start next week!🎶 Our girls who play this grand old game 🎶

[CrowdedHouse]

Essendon v Casey at Windy Hill - Live from 11am Saturday on AFL.com.au

ESSENDON
B	25. I. Ayre	21. A. Morcom
HB	13. E. Hosking	14. D. Marshall	16. T. Crook
C	1. C. Ugle	5. G. Nanscawen	9. M.Anthony
HF	26. J. Doonan	44. G. Dicker	22. N. MacDonald
F	4. M. Clifford	24. R. Tierney
R	30. S.Nalder	23. A. Radford	42. J. Zanchetta
INT	34. E. Everist	18. K. Heil	45. B. Clarke
	28. A. Barba	17. F.Frew
EMG	7. J. Davies	36. R. Sutton	10. E. Cornish
	43. O. DiDonato	15. L.Caruso
INS	22. N. MacDonald	45. B. Clarke
OUTS	19. N. Julian	43. O. DiDonato

CASEY DEMONS
B	18. E. OConnor	39. T. Gillard
HB	12. A. Brown	14. M. Chaplin	4. S. Heath
C	17. I. Simmons	6. S. Johnson	38. A. Kirkwood
HF	25. M. Harasimiuk	15. C. McCrossan	8. S. Fairchild
F	24. M. Fitzsimon	36. G. Campbell
R	22. S. Wales	11. E. West	26. E. Horne
INT	34. C. Blair	45. M. Hogg	16. B. Woolcock
	58. C. Conroy	50. K. Angelis
EMG	7. C. Selleck	27. A. Laing
INS	36. G. Campbell	39. T. Gillard	12. A. Brown
	15. C. McCrossan	16. B. Woolcock
OUTS	29. A. Blair	30. R. Grant	9. L. Wales
	37. B. Borchard	23. Z. Mitchell

 

[Lore]

 

[Lore]

Essendon’s rise up the ladder in 2022​

AFTER being around the mark for several seasons now, Essendon is one of the teams to beat in the VFLW this season. But what has caused this improvement this year? Let us look at the stats and see whether they can tell us the answer.

The personnel​

Although the likes of Georgia Nanscawen and Mia-Rae Clifford are still there from last season, some of the inclusions the Bombers have brought in this season have just added another level to class to the Bombers side.

Down in defence, Danielle Marshall has come in and not only proven how versatile she is, but her booming kick has gotten Essendon out of sticky situations on a number of occasions. Her 50-60m kicks can get the Bombers from deep in defensive 50 out to someone like Nanscawen on the wing and then they can really get an attacking play going.

Moving into the midfield, and the inclusion of Jordan Zanchetta and Amelia Radford has helped Nanscawen and elevated that midfield. Radford actually has the highest average disposals per game (22.9) in the entire league, while Zanchetta is fifth on that list (21.3).

Finally moving into the forward line, and Renee Tierney has come in and created another dangerous element to an already star studded forward line. She currently sits fifth on the league goal kicking ladder with 13 goals for the season.

It’s not from winning the ruck battles, but clearances are another story​

With the team doing as well as it is, you would think that they would be dominating every stat, but that is not the case. They are being comfortably beaten in the hitouts. While Essendon have averaged 21.33 hit outs a game thus far this season, their opposition have averaged 32.3 hitouts.

However, the clearances are a very different story. So far this season, Essendon have averaged 26.8 clearances a game, compared to only 22 on average for the opposition.

This means that although Simone Nalder is not necessarily getting first to the ball in the ruck contest, the likes of Nanscawen, Zanchetta and Radford are, and with their pace they can burst out of packs and can get an attacking play moving quickly and really make the most of the clearance.

They are dominating the inside 50s​

Another stat the Bombers are dominating in is the inside 50 count. In the first nine rounds of this season, the Bombers have averaged 41.3 inside 50s a game, which is miles ahead of what oppositions have managed (17.1 inside 50s a game).

When you look at how easily the Bombers win it out of the middle at times with the likes of Nanscawen, Zanchetta and Radford, and the space they create and the quickness with which they can get it into that forward 50, it is no wonder there is such a disparity.

What did the Southern Saints get right that everyone else could not?​

Essendon has had dominant wins in eight of their nine matches this season. The one other match was against the Southern Saints back in Round 5.

What did the Saints get so right that they could match it with the Bombers, that no other side did? The Saints matched it with the Bombers in many of the key stats.

They only had 32 less disposals then the Bombers (the Bombers normally average over 100 more touches then their opponents), only three less inside 50s then the Bombers, and actually had more clearance then the Bombers did.

What does this mean for the rest of the season?​

Things could go one of two ways. In the last five rounds of the season, they have the Western Bulldogs, Darebin, Hawthorn, the Southern Saints and then a very enticing final round clash against Casey. Some of those games Essendon is likely to dominate in, but if teams look at the stats, they also have a blueprint for what to do to take points off the rampaging Bombers.

 

[faible]

2nd on the ladder with a percentage of 403...

At least one Essendon team is playing well

 

[Lore]

 

[Beerfish]

Might just watch this game instead of the blokes.

 

[CrowdedHouse]

Teams for Saturday. 2pm at Whitten Oval. Live (without commentary) on VFLW.TV

ESSENDON
B	14. D. Marshall	45. B. Clarke
HB	8. E. Ashley-Cooper	39. S.Oritt	35. T. Williams
C	26. J. Doonan	1. C. Ugle	21. N. MacDonald
HF	20. C. McIntosh	17. F.Frew	24. R. Tierney
F	27. M. Appleby	42. J. Zanchetta
R	30. S.Nalder	23. A. Radford	5. G. Nanscawen
INT	28. A. Barba	21. A. Morcom	46. G. Elarmaly
	44. G. Dicker	47. S. Asciak
EMG	19. N. Julian	4. M. Clifford	13. E. Hosking
	15. L.Caruso	10. E. Cornish	38. O. Manfre
	7. J. Davies

WESTERN BULLDOGS
B	53. E. Vale	65. T. Delgado
HB	16. N. Ferres	51. R. Christgoergl	9. J-L. Speakman
C	40. E. Morrison	45. M. Barnes	24. L. Elliot
HF	44. M. Marks	28. J. Woods	1. T. Meier
F	43. J. Webster	39. M. Sandral
R	38. J-L. Morrow	18. B. Gutknecht	56. L. Condon
INT	55. L. Schneider	36. P. Ryan	41. M. McCleod
	42. M. Purcell	35. T. Skenderis
EMG	46. B. Hards	31. N. Wright

 

[Lore]

Might just watch this game instead of the blokes.

Wouldn’t be the first one to form that conclusion.

I wish there was commentary though, it’s easier to follow when you don’t necessarily know names and numbers

 

[Beerfish]

Wouldn’t be the first one to form that conclusion.

I wish there was commentary though, it’s easier to follow when you don’t necessarily know names and numbers

Yeah there was last week. I think the WARF crew do a great job.

 

[Lore]

Let’s gooooo

 

[Lore]

2 points to us so far, Dogs haven't scored. few minutes left of the first quarter.

The Dogs haven't won a game all year so idk if this is them having their AFLW players back or if it'll open up later in the game and be a steam rolling, we'll have to see.

 

[Lore]

And as I say that, breakthrough! Frew kicks our first

 

[Lore]

Joanne Doonan kicks our second on the siren

WBD: 0.0 0
ESS: 2.2 14

 

[Lore]

Checking the player stats;

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Alana Barba is out there for us today

 

[Lore]

Renee Tierney with our third, early in the 2nd quarter. Cecilia McIntosh now lining up for another.....

 

[Lore]

And goal!

WBD 0.0 0
ESS 4.2 26



This is looking a bit like when we played them in Round 1

 

[Lore]

Half Time

WBD 0.0 0
ESS 4.3 27

 

[Lore]

Goal for Stephanie Asciak a few minutes ago, 0-35 now. She's a development listed player

 

[Lore]

Dogs have gone one better than Round 1. One point better – they just kicked their first behind of the day.

 

[yodellinhank]

Dogs have gone one better than Round 1. One point better – they just kicked their first behind of the day.

percentage intact

 

[Lore]

3QT

WBD 0.1 1
ESS 5.5 35

 

[yodellinhank]

Did the umpire try to pay that goal?

 

[Lore]

Psh, ruck infringement

 

[Lore]

Now they have two points!

 

[Lore]

Woohoo! nice goal. Mopped it up and straight on the boot from Doonan.

WBD 0.2 2
ESS 6.6 42

 

[Lore]

Heavy legs for the Dogs, we're peppering the goals now. One went through for a behind, the other was marked on the line and straight to a turnover and back into the 50 again...