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

[cats_09]

Reckon Friswell played tonight under a bit of duress - left boot off and iced up on the outside of the ankle to the lower calf area

That kinda sums up our season - 10 players confirmed unavailable due to injury, at least one more out there tonight was maybe doesn't play if we had senior replacements available


We've battled injury concerns since our preseason matches with players out ill or injured and it's continued all season - outside of a genuine #1 ruck option for 2025, the biggest help will a healthier list to choose from

One benefit though from the issues we've had this season is that we've got to see all bar 2 players get their opportunities and we've been able to see who grabbed those chances and those who maybe didn't quite look up to it

 

[winty]

Was interested to see Bragg only had 29% game time tonight, but then had a look at the game time she's had over the rest of the games she's played this year. It wasn't pretty reading.

• vs Fremantle: 23% game time
• vs Sydney: 41%.
• vs Richmond: 36%
• vs Brisbane: 41%
• vs West Coast: 53%

Staggering that she's playing so little game time week in, week out. Wonder if that's why we've had so many injuries over the last month or so as we've basically been one player down for most of the match since Bragg has been on the pine for so long each match so other players are being more fatigued as they're forced to be on the ground for longer.

 

[ToreadorMarch]

All the female comm box people seem to dislike the cats .

Yeah, ive been noting that for last two seasons, but really prevalent this year. Where does this come from?

 

[ToreadorMarch]

Not good in general.... can never win a 1 on 1

Not true, often wins and generally halves. Had a poor night tonight, not at all indicative of her season though

 

[joe444]

Because I don't watch many full AFLW games except Geelong ones, I didn't have much of a read on what was the sort of standard to expect. Surely, I've thought all year, it can be possible to find girls who run faster, kick longer and mark better.

It is - they're called Adelaide.

For all our obvious deficiencies, we've had an okay year. But it should be non-negotiable that if you struggle to handball without looking like an under-12s, you can't get a game.

 

[rocker_oz33]

Yeah, ive been noting that for last two seasons, but really prevalent this year. Where does this come from?

I don't know but it really stands out.
But they bais against the cats W team.
I doubt any of the comm box woman have any media training.

 

[goyoucatters]

I understand that some injuries to key players have been very unhelpful this season. But the brutal reality is that our bottom six are just not at the level. That's always a factor when the heat goes on in the men's game. And it's even more of a factor here, where you've got less players on the field in the first place.

6/16 is nearly 40% of your team. That's a truckload of players to carry if they're really not up to speed.

 

[cats_09]

Was interested to see Bragg only had 29% game time tonight, but then had a look at the game time she's had over the rest of the games she's played this year. It wasn't pretty reading.

• vs Fremantle: 23% game time
• vs Sydney: 41%.
• vs Richmond: 36%
• vs Brisbane: 41%
• vs West Coast: 53%

Staggering that she's playing so little game time week in, week out. Wonder if that's why we've had so many injuries over the last month or so as we've basically been one player down for most of the match since Bragg has been on the pine for so long each match so other players are being more fatigued as they're forced to be on the ground for longer.

Would be interesting to compare her game time with Darby, because at times it does feel that Bragg's primary role is just to provide a break for Darby in the ruck and that we're maybe but utilising both players as well as we could

We've looked on the shorter side all season, so wonder if we could have played both a bit more and using the extra height as a spare behind the ball like we've seen Parry do late in quarters

Altlternatively, Darby started her career as a forward and Bragg played forward in our VFLW team ahead of us drafting her - considering our struggles up forward at times this season, why not try either/both at times and see what they have to offer

 

[cats_09]

In good news, down in the rooms after the game and just before kicking us out there was a little group of us having a chat with Darby & A. Moloney

Darby is the absolutely nicest Cats player I've met - she'll always sign autographs, take photos and make time to talk to the fans, even when her daughter is hanging around her feet

And good to chat with Moloney also. Since she came out here last season, she's had a total of 2 weeks downtime - 1 week after the end of our season last year and 1 week before starting pre-season this year

She returns to Ireland in December, they were obviously hopeful of playing finals, so now she's get a few weeks off before going home and getting into Gaelic football season

I asked about next year (cheeky I know) and she said she'll be back, that there's a definite Irish feel at the club and will be great to see Cillian coming out here

 

[OzeSparky]

Pretty nice down in the warm up area

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Have you just captured Rohans last time in the Geelong rooms?
Just going by Rumour he might be signing on at north

 

[cats_09]

Have you just captured Rohans last time in the Geelong rooms?
Just going by Rumour he might be signing on at north

Maybe - could be a special moment

 

[cats_09]

This is a pretty good read for AFLW fans - good to hear things from the perspective of a player who's still involved and not just those on the sidelines