AFLW 2024 AFLW season - Geelong & the greater league...

[ToreadorMarch]

Two injuries we really couldn't afford this year were Amy and Chloe. Both of them missing huge chunks of the season really does cruel our chances of being anything this season.

Along with a couple of games lost from Prez. We just don’t have a list that can cover this and also losing a possible ruck to unavailability in Fuller and then injury now to Pearce.

 

[winty]

You're right, of course. The disturbing reality is that, of the three home games we have to come, two are against the Lions and the Crows...

We've also played 3 of last season's top 5 and this season's biggest improver in the first 5 weeks. Easily one of the toughest draws thus far this season.

 

[cats_09]

Good point.
Who are our defensive minded midfielders?
Thorne was given the role last week and did a decent job but for some inexplicable reason was dropped.

We have mids who all hunt the ball. When our rucks (and I use that term lightly) can’t put the ball down their throats, we’re already on the back foot.

Morrison is our leading tackler, averaging 7 tackles per game but she’s not necessarily a defensive minded midfielder, especially at stoppages

In past seasons I would have said Crockett-Grills - in the past I’ve described her as our version of Atkins, players who have their limitations (and know them), but get the best out of themselves with the way they attack the game & opposition. This year we haven’t really used JC-G at the contest as much with her starting more on the wing or on the outside at stoppages, but she’s definitely one we could run through the guts a bit more at times from that defensive midfielder perspective


Another player I think we could look at in that type of role is Darcy Moloney. She’s one I’m not sure where she’s necessarily at development wise, as there’s time where she clearly looks in our best team as she has shown an ability to be involved & make something happen (especially up forward) when we need a spark. Then there’s times where she just don’t have the involvement that we’d want to see from someone in her 5th season & with 43 games under her belt, and just looks a few steps behind where Morrison, A. Mac & Pres are at in terms of her being part of that midfield rotation

We’ve seen that she does have a bit of agro to her, she doesn’t mind the contest & getting in the opponents face, so wonder if instead of seeing Moloney as an attacking midfield option, we make adjustments to her role to be more of a defensive option at stoppages, because she looks the type of player who’d take to the role if you told her to hunt the oppositions best mid & make their life hard

 

[cats_09]

Here’s a copy of our 2024 Squad

1. Mikayla Bowen
2. Bella Smith
3. Amy McDonald
4. Darcy Moloney
5. Jackie Parry
6. Julia Crockett-Grills
7. Kate Surman
8. Kate Darby
9. Nina Morrison
10. Georgie Rankin
11. Meghan McDonald
12. Kate Kenny
13. Olivia Fuller (Inactive)
14. Chloe Scheer
15. Shelley Scott
16. Chantel Emonson
17. Lilly Pearce - injured, ACL out for the season
18. Anna-Rose Kennedy
19. Brooke Plummer
20. Zali Friswell
21. Becky Webster
22. Rachel Kearns
23. Bryde O’Rourke
24. Chantal Mason
25. Caitlin Thorne
26. Claudia Gunjaca
32. Gabbi Featherston
39. Abbey McDonald
41. Georgie Prespakis
44. Melissa Bragg
45. Aishling Moloney



This is our 30 player squad whom the MC are trying to select the playing 21 from each week - we know heading into our next couple of matches that we’ll be without Pearce (ACL - season), Scheer (toe), Surman (concussion) & McDonald (hamsting), which brings us down to 26 players to choose from

From those who didn’t play tonight, the choices to come in for Tuesday night will be between - Bella Smith, Brooke Plummer, Bryde O’Rourke, Chantal Mason, Caitlin Thorne, Abbey McDonald & Mel Bragg

Would think that Thorne is straight in for A. Mac (and probably should keep her spot for the rest of the season), and then it may be bit of a coin toss who replaces Surman; we’ve seen both Plummer & Abbey McDonald given games recently so do we revert to them or do we give an uncapped player like O’Rourke a chance?

Rankin didn’t have a great night and Hawthorn did well to identify the weakness & have her opponent take her to the goal square as our deepest defender - do we have the player/s on the sideline to step into her spot? We’ve seen Featherston play in defence in previous season, but not sure that’s necessarily an option this year with her playing as our #2 ruck option. The other potential option on the list is Bragg, who has also had experience in the ruck

There’s definitely more than a few questions that the coaches need to sit down & discuss after last nights match - because there’s some things that worked, and more than a few things that didn’t work, especially from a defensive perspective. Not sure we need to see wholesale changes, but we do need to shake things up a bit

 

[winty]

Rankin didn’t have a great night and Hawthorn did well to identify the weakness & have her opponent take her to the goal square as our deepest defender - do we have the player/s on the sideline to step into her spot? We’ve seen Featherston play in defence in previous season, but not sure that’s necessarily an option this year with her playing as our #2 ruck option. The other potential option on the list is Bragg, who has also had experience in the ruck

There’s definitely more than a few questions that the coaches need to sit down & discuss after last nights match - because there’s some things that worked, and more than a few things that didn’t work, especially from a defensive perspective. Not sure we need to see wholesale changes, but we do need to shake things up a bit

The Hawks also made sure Gunjaca wasn't able to be a factor in the game too. She didn't have a touch in the first half and only had a handful for the entire game.

In terms of our next game, I'd like to see these changes

In: Plummer Thorne O'Rourke
Out: A.McDonald Surman Rankin

B: Gunjaca Kearns
HB: Emonson M.McDonald Plummer
C: Bowen Prespakis Friswell
HF: Thorne Parry D.Moloney
F: A.Moloney Scott
Foll: Darby Morrison Webster
Int: Featherston Kenny Crockett-Grills Kennedy O'Rourke

 

[tommy2011]

Good point.
Who are our defensive minded midfielders?
Thorne was given the role last week and did a decent job but for some inexplicable reason was dropped.

We have mids who all hunt the ball. When our rucks (and I use that term lightly) can’t put the ball down their throats, we’re already on the back foot.

Mids need to lift their defensive effort but our actual key defenders are just too slow, both physically and in decision making. Not sure what can be done, but I would like to see Meg Mac tried up forward in a role just to compete and at least bring the ball to ground. Just don't get in Lingy's way!

 

[winty]

 

[cats_09]

The Hawks also made sure Gunjaca wasn't able to be a factor in the game too. She didn't have a touch in the first half and only had a handful for the entire game.

In terms of our next game, I'd like to see these changes

In: Plummer Thorne O'Rourke
Out: A.McDonald Surman Rankin

B: Gunjaca Kearns
HB: Emonson M.McDonald Plummer
C: Bowen Prespakis Friswell
HF: Thorne Parry D.Moloney
F: A.Moloney Scott
Foll: Darby Morrison Webster
Int: Featherston Kenny Crockett-Grills Kennedy O'Rourke

We look at our best when it's Gunjaca or McDonald at FB, the other at CHB and then using the likes Kearns, Kennedy, Webster & Emonson as outlet options. Before last year I wouldn't have suggested this, but watching her development over the past 1.5 seasons, Kearns is the other I'd be comfortable to see playing defensively from the goal square with the way she's developed into a 1-on-1 defender

I wonder if we'll try Thorne in Webster's (or Rankin's) role in defence - reading about her QAFLW & VFL, seems she's developed her game playing across the half-back line, through to midfield & wing, and at 172cm she's listed at the same height as both Webster & Rankin, so we wouldn't be losing any height down back and it's position she does have experience with


It was only during the GC clash that I learned Rankin was originally from that region and was playing in front of family - it was one of the reasons I thought we must have given her a game because I was doubtful she had earned a recall and after last night she surely has to be in the firing line again as it just wasn't a good match and she got caught out of position alll too frequently. I'm also curious about her trying to play innocent in the last quarter when she tapped the ball straight over the boundary beside the behind post, it was the most obvious insufficient attempt and not sure who she was trying to fool. Even if she was able to get the ball to cross the behind line instead, it would have been called a deliberate rushed behind

 

[cats_09]

Not sure if you remember the commentary during our Carlton clash, and I'm pretty sure it came from one of the current players but when it was mentioned that we hadn't played Carlton for like 3 seasons, the payers response was along the lines of, "that's one of the great things with the AFLW, because we don't play every team regularly it makes it exciting when we do play them"

I listened to that and thought WTF - that's not a good thing by any means and it's totally stupid how you can go multiple seasons without playing a team, or like we saw with us & Melbourne it took about 5 seasons or something stupid

They need to correct the fixture because it's way too lopsided with being this short and not playing each team once

 

[cats_09]

Frustrating to be on the wrong side of the ledger last night, but last night was the 2nd highest scoring game so far in the AFLW, unfortunately for us it was the highest losing score




The final scores in the other 4 matches on the above list:

• Ade 106 def GWS 37
• Syd 96 def Bulldogs 39
• Gee 102 def Syd 27
• Melb 107 def Freo 19 (round 9, not 8)

And universally the match is being called one of the best AFLW matches in the history of the comp - acknowledgement that our injuries took the gloss off things but high praise for the skills on show

 

[Willo_]

Is it just me or do we seem a much smaller side than other teams? Not just limited to the ruck, but other sides we've come across seem to have much bigger Key position players.. And Gunj and Meg Mac have battled on hard but dare I say it Meg is on the edge of the cliff and because they are so tied up with larger opponents we aren't getting as much out of intercept marks as they are just scrambling to halve contests.
Again Rankin was no good and shouldn't be even in the side, my views on here I've made clear before but if we are to be any good, she shouldn't be near the team.
Our midfield was battling the moment AMac went down, I love Nina and Pres but Nina doesn't seem to be able to play a high intensity full game she oftwn burns early then does little in the 2md half, Pres for all her good undoes so much with her constant outside of the footy banana kicks forward to no one.

The chance to actually impact the season is probably done now, with the condensed nature of the fixture /injuries and opponents coming up personally I'd prefer to see no Rankin, no JCG and potentially no Shelly Scott (Darcy Moloney probably on the edge of getting dropped as well tbh) .. And start to test some other players like the 2 we drafted last year and also Becky Web to move into the guts IMO.. I get the want for her to give run and drive off half back but she's needed in the middle.

 

[cats_09]

Is it just me or do we seem a much smaller side than other teams? Not just limited to the ruck, but other sides we've come across seem to have much bigger Key position players.. And Gunj and Meg Mac have battled on hard but dare I say it Meg is on the edge of the cliff and because they are so tied up with larger opponents we aren't getting as much out of intercept marks as they are just scrambling to halve contests.
Again Rankin was no good and shouldn't be even in the side, my views on here I've made clear before but if we are to be any good, she shouldn't be near the team.
Our midfield was battling the moment AMac went down, I love Nina and Pres but Nina doesn't seem to be able to play a high intensity full game she oftwn burns early then does little in the 2md half, Pres for all her good undoes so much with her constant outside of the footy banana kicks forward to no one.

The chance to actually impact the season is probably done now, with the condensed nature of the fixture /injuries and opponents coming up personally I'd prefer to see no Rankin, no JCG and potentially no Shelly Scott (Darcy Moloney probably on the edge of getting dropped as well tbh) .. And start to test some other players like the 2 we drafted last year and also Becky Web to move into the guts IMO.. I get the want for her to give run and drive off half back but she's needed in the middle.

We're definitely feel shorter than other teams

It wasn't as bad last year when we had Hoare in the ruck, Darby would provide added height around the ground and then there was Parry & Moloney up forward. But noticeable this year that we are shorter than other teams and really don't have any significant height from those not playing

It's definitely something we need to address for next season, not just in terms of a ruck option but also more height in defence

 

[cats_09]

 

[winty]

Fair enough too.

MATCH REVIEW: Hawk cops hefty ban for rough conduct

The Match Review findings from Thursday night's week five game are in

www.afl.com.au

 

[cats_09]

Fair enough too.

View attachment 2123668

MATCH REVIEW: Hawk cops hefty ban for rough conduct

The Match Review findings from Thursday night's week five game are in

www.afl.com.au

Just coming to post this

And yet the umpire called it's fair and play on - pretty sure it started a forward drive for the Hawks that resulted in a score

The reality is that the ball should have been going into our forward 50 instead

 

[winty]

Fair chase down tackle this.

 

[catswhiskers]

What a great game to watch live ( v Hawks), even in defeat.

The skill levels have grown dramatically over the years. This game had samples of great ball movement from end to end, strong overhead marking, desperate defending, long kicking to targets and savvy forward moves.

Season 1 bears no resemblance.

AFL. GIve the women a meaningful season , that's the next big step forward. Just do it.

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