Women's Footy AFLW Fremantle - 2020 #1 Team - Season Cancelled

[masai]

Very impressed with skills on display today.

I knew that it would take a couple of seasons for the gals to get their skill packages together. The more professional training and coaching over a couple of seasons, is showing dividends.

Personally I feel the expansion of teams has been done too quickly, should have consolidated the teams and get the skills up to a high standard. Anyway what is done is done, just the talent has been diluted around the teams, maybe a bit early before we have a massive rush of young players.

I can see a lot of girls might have only picked the game up 3 years ago, so a bunch of 10 years old’s, will now be 13 and in another 4 years there will be a massive group of girls who will have a great footy knowledge, due to them playing it all the way through.

Thumbs up.

 

[Ben The Donkey]

Anyone know what happened to Courtney Hodder? Still in the mix or has she gone in another direction?

 

[freo_leo29]

Very impressed with skills on display today.

I knew that it would take a couple of seasons for the gals to get their skill packages together. The more professional training and coaching over a couple of seasons, is showing dividends.

Personally I feel the expansion of teams has been done too quickly, should have consolidated the teams and get the skills up to a high standard. Anyway what is done is done, just the talent has been diluted around the teams, maybe a bit early before we have a massive rush of young players.

I can see a lot of girls might have only picked the game up 3 years ago, so a bunch of 10 years old’s, will now be 13 and in another 4 years there will be a massive group of girls who will have a great footy knowledge, due to them playing it all the way through.

Thumbs up.

I guess the upside is the more teams that are in it the more likely to get girls interested, a diehard eagles fan probably wasn't too keen on aflw when it was just the dockers, the interest of eagles playing may change their views and create even more young girls playing at an earlier stage.

Same could be said if we came into the comp second.

 

[wayToGo_]

Anyone know what happened to Courtney Hodder? Still in the mix or has she gone in another direction?

Think she chose to stick with rugby and is over in Queensland playing for them.

 

[Daddoo]

Roxy Roux had a very solid debut. Gonna be a a heck of a player.


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[BarbieITFC]

Roxy Roux had a very solid debut. Gonna be a a heck of a player.


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That goal - I know it was wind assisted but she was 40m out, off one step and it sailed through.

Also when she pinch hit in the ruck her vertical leap was incredible.

I think her, Houghton and Duffy are going to be a handful all year - so glad the Eagles have had the chance to plunder our squad and it's only really Hooker we'll miss. I reckon we're a prelim team at worst again.

 

[Dale147]

Duff and co

 

[wayToGo_]

Duff and co

Trent Cooper channelling Ross

"Today it was Sabs' turn for a lick of the ice-cream, next week it could Roxy's, it could be Gemma's, it could be Ebony Antonio's"

 

[wayToGo_]

Roxy Roux certainly announced herself yesterday (slightly helped by Schmooky with this article ):

AFLW Latest News - AFL.com.au/aflw

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[Scatter]

In the Geraldton junior league she was talked about for ages as to how good she was, was better than most boys her age.
There will be more from up here in the coming years

 

[GoFreo4eva]

Roxy Roux certainly announced herself yesterday (slightly helped by Schmooky with this article ):

AFLW Latest News - AFL.com.au/aflw

Latest breaking AFLW news from the official website of the Australian Football League.

womens.afl

She certainly gives the ball a roost!
One of the few times so far I have been at a AFLW game and really heard the compression of the ball when it hits her boot...

 

[wayToGo_]

Hopefully for Freo though. Contracts are only 6 months and she was in the WC academy. Will possibly be a toss up between club that drafted her/relationships built with the team this year + better short term on field results vs prior allegiance + better facilities/support networks

I'm not a gambler but I'd happily put a large sum of money on her staying at Freo

I've also heard the culture is a lot better at Freo. That's not a slight on WC, that's just a massive compliment to what Freo's AFLW team have created and invested heavily in. I've also heard Freo weren't exactly upset with some of the players changing colours (obviously does not include Hooker who they clearly wanted to stay). They didn't push them... just perhaps didn't fight too hard to keep them. And lastly the Freo AFLW players have access to better facilities and support currently - as you'd expect for a team that's in its fourth year vs one in its inaugural year.

Like you I have no beef with WC womens team and want them to succeed (to make the WA pool stronger) but if you think Freo haven't been very specific and strategic about who they've kept, who they've recruited and who they've delisted you aren't paying close enough attention. I'd be very surprised if they lose anyone they don't want to (or are fringe) in the coming few years.

 

[wayToGo_]

we shall see, but the bolded bit is incorrect according to the explayers/coaches that have been at both clubs. If it was one or two you could write it off as sour grapes etc. but it isn't.

Fair enough. I think I know who you've been talking to now... I reckon you might want to revisit your sour grapes theory I'm getting my info from people a little higher up that wouldn't have a reason to be biased one way or the other. The proof probably starts with who got the licence first. The feedback about WC's application was pretty scathing when compared to what Freo put up. I have no doubt WC have treated it with far more respect since then but the 'entitled' label was very accurate back then. Having said that I think Freo did make some poor choices in the early days. On reflection Michelle Cowan as inaugural coach was a really poor choice. I don't think it was all on her but there was definitely conflict (including amongst the playing group) that seems to have mysteriously disappeared since Trent Cooper came into the mix. I'm personally glad we don't have Nisbett nor Rosich as our CEO. I heard about some of the incredible frustrations at Lathlain over past years - it may well be much better recently though. Luckily they've got someone very strong involved (who I really wished we had lured over to Freo in the early days instead) and they will make sure women's football is always on the agenda for that club. Not hard to join the dots but Trent Cooper is a massive drawcard for the youngsters at Freo. He is an incredible coach not just because of his coaching. It also helps having Kara Antonio who is a future senior coach in development. I'm sure there is some truth to what you've heard but to my knowledge the things that were problems have now been resolved. Coincidentally the team has started winning since changes started happening.

 

[MadMundy]

Trent Cooper has been a messiah for our girls since joining, the guy knows exactly what he's doing and it's showing through our performances over the past couple of years. Hopefully all leading to a premiership this year

 

[wayToGo_]

Agree but I'd also be tempering expectations a bit for the moment. So far we've had one round and we've already had 2 (likely 3, depending on Cain's diagnosis) best 21 players with season ending ACLs. We've got good depth but there is a tipping point.

 

[showemhowtorock]

we shall see, but the bolded bit is incorrect according to the explayers/coaches that have been at both clubs. If it was one or two you could write it off as sour grapes etc. but it isn't. Hopefully Garlick changes things but Steve had little interest in the womens in the early days apparently and it filtered down. Nisbett is all over the womens at WC making sure it gets going as strong as possible as quickly as possible and they'll do just about anything within the tiny soft cap (with volunteers etc.) and their new facility at Laithlain to do that.

The womens is very different to the mens. They know they play second fiddle and get the scraps out of the softcap the CEO let them have. They hardly get paid much at all so cash doesn't keep them at a club like the bloke's big contracts. Much of the support staff have to pay their own way just to get to the interstate games. Compared to the mens its Kuta vs Byron Bay. They rely heavily on volunteers in support roles. The girls only play 7 games and the rest of the year have allegiance to their WAFLW clubs. Plus, because they get peanuts, they have to work and study, look after kids etc which is primary for them, whereas the men can just focus on their job as footballers first and everything else second. I was speaking with one of the players the other week who has been with both clubs and she was stressed because she was trying to get a job after finishing her trade but currently not getting enough hours in the coffee shop she works in to pay the bills. That's in addition to all the training she has to do to stay at the level. Finally, women as we know are generally more emotional as blokes and will make decisions based on how they feel they are being valued. The team that provides the better environment, not just for winning games of football, but for everything else, particularly in a 2 team town will score the choice of new recruits or drag them across before they get too settled.

Freo need to make the most of this headstart and score a cup in the next year or two or will find it tough going down the track IMO.

Steve is old news but he clearly cared more than Nisbett about the womens program when it started because he was in charge when we were approved for a womens team and eagles were rejected. Even if he didn't, Freo have nailed their support of the womens in the past few years. They have brilliant coaches, top of the industry s&c and we are constantly seeing the support of them through social media from the stuff that freo themselves put out, they are clearly valued highly there. It's pretty obvious how strong the culture that they have built is too, Mia-Rae who has played for 2 other teams has made comment a few times publicly on how much of a family it is and she said yesterday that when the siren went it was the happiest moment of her life.

You said you're talking to people who have left freo so duh they are going to be talking up the eagles program... you have wc women in your bio and support whoever you like im not butting you for that, but it is pretty clear you are coming from the perspective of a wce womens supporter here

 

[wayToGo_]

Freo with three (the most) players in the AFLW team of the week.

Bowers, Duffy and Houghton. No surprises there.

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[jatz14]

They can now sign 2 year contracts.

Hopefully for Freo though. Contracts are only 6 months and she was in the WC academy. Will possibly be a toss up between club that drafted her/relationships built with the team this year + better short term on field results vs prior allegiance + better facilities/support networks

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[wayToGo_]

nah, I'm Freo through and through but have someone at WC so currently a Frweagle. But it means I have seen a lot of both girls clubs and can take my purple glasses off to compare.

Yes we had a better application and program set up whereas WC I think just assumed they would be given the first WA license - you can tell that by the shock they showed when they didn't (see doco last Sat). But after that Freo certainly didn't throw much money or focus on the girls for a few years and it showed. Much better now but most have no idea how much WC is throwing at this new team. WC are doing everything in their power to pull in the best players asap and score a cup before Freo. And as I said, unlike the men's we will see (until they play as much and earn something closer to the men's) more movement between Freo and WC. It will be a big fight for the up and coming future WA stars, for example like Roux - a WC supporter from Gero who was in the WC academy and wanted to be picked up by WC before Freo drafted her. But, as with any recruit, Freo have the chance to turn her so she doesn't want to leave (i.e. in the next 6 games or so, remember 6 month contracts which started last Oct). But IMO, Freo really need to score a cup in the next year or two to hold their position as an attractive place for the girls to come and stay.

Where did you get the info that Roxy wanted to be drafted by WC? By the time of the draft I was told her preference was actually Freo - despite her family obviously being keen WC fans (not sure she even told her parents her preference though - ha ha). Think about who she is learning off at Freo vs who she would be if she was drafted to WC - if you were her, which would you choose? I think supporters far too often assume the club a player supported in their childhood has a massive bearing on where players want to be drafted (or will be willing to move to). I think most aspiring elite sporting people are just happy to get an opportunity (especially at 17/18yo).

You also can't just buy good culture with $s. Money is rarely the primary motivator and if it is, it can attract the wrong types of people into an organisation. Like players who have switched clubs a few times in only 4 years for instance Someone who would probably know better than almost anyone was saying (a few months back - not directly to me but a very reliable source) that WC were really struggling with it and felt they had made a bunch of poor choices and were now spending a lot of time and energy trying to get things back on track. They were actually glowing of what Freo had done in regards to AFLW and said WC had a lot of catching up to do. The things they spoke about certainly had nothing to do with $ investment.

If you look at the Freo players who moved to WC given the advantage of extra $s etc I think it paints a very clear picture that Freo has created something that players that fit the culture want to be a part of. Hooker struggled with the decision a lot from what I have heard as well. Most of the others are not people that have shown great loyalty or strong cultural characteristics, so if anything I think they show the opposite of your perspective. Quite a few rejects (harsh I know) with possible chips on their shoulders on their list at the moment. In time I expect they will turn it around - Bowen will be a good player and leader in time for instance. I think they made a huge mistake not investing more in WA u18s in the draft, instead grabbing mature State players who the Melbourne teams didn't want. They built one of the oldest lists in the AFLW... are they seriously expecting to challenge for a premiership with their current list? Meanwhile Freo could have topped up with mature agers having reached the finals last season but instead invested heavily in the u18s and therefore the future.

Take your purple glasses off sure but all the logical analysis suggests Freo deserve a fair bit of credit for their AFLW progression (in recent times). Take away the pressure of parents and families (wanting their kids to play for the team they support) and I think most female players in WA would be over the moon to be on Freo's list.

 

[Purple_Turtle]

Cain out for season.

AFLW: Stephanie Cain injury update

Fremantle’s Stephanie Cain will miss the remainder of the NAB AFL Women’s season

www.fremantlefc.com.au

Who comes in for her?

 

[Biggie]

Cain out for season.

AFLW: Stephanie Cain injury update

Fremantle’s Stephanie Cain will miss the remainder of the NAB AFL Women’s season

www.fremantlefc.com.au

Who comes in for her?

If I may, Bianca Webb

Tore through the girls on Saturday morning on ball at the Jan Cooper Cup. Head and shoulders above the rest.

 

[Purple_Turtle]

If I may, Bianca Webb

Tore through the girls on Saturday morning on ball at the Jan Cooper Cup. Head and shoulders above the rest.

Forgot she didn't make the team on the weekend. Sounds like a good replacement.

 

[freo_leo29]

Wow sucks for Cain, huge loss for the team

 

[wayToGo_]

We complain about the WA media being pro-WC and anti-Freo but I have to say I thought the pre AFLW derby press conference was a bit disrespectful to the WC girls and their coach. Emma Swanson handled herself well given some of the ordinary questions thrown at her (mostly by Barich unsurprisingly). I find Trent and Kara are always pretty good in front of the camera and they were again.

Freo can't afford to lose games like this weekend and given I'll have some WC supporters with me at the game it's going to be awkward if we somehow manage to lose it but I do hope it is a cracking game and the WA community get behind them all (just no injuries though please).

 

[footyknut]

Roxy was desperate to go to Freo. She was in both academies (as quite a few of the girls were) but didn’t enjoy it at West Coast and told her East Freo teammates that she hoped Freo would use their first pick on her.