AFLW AFLW Season 6, Mega Thread

[Mad_Hatter]

That was as bad a game of footy as I've seen.
Honestly our skills are on par with school grade quality, missing simple uncontested passes, absolute shanks with no pressure.
Dan has a hell of a lot of work to do to get them to a quality state to compete.

 

[cats_09]

 

[cats_09]

Further to the above

 

[goyoucatters]

In terms of a "list cull", it depends on how many players or what percentage of the list is turned over for one to deem it a cull - team lists are 30 active players & we have 3 players inactive this season for various reasons

We know that the new teams can sign up to 14 existing players already on lists, but no confirmation of how many players each existing team can lose or if there'll be a cap as there was with the previous expansion teams

Theoretically we could lose a number of players to the expansion sides and the players we do lose will likely impact further list management decisions. Higgins has only played one match, McWilliams will be 37, and Garing will be 34 returning from a year out due to pregnancy - from the outside, those 3 players may seem easy options to not renew contracts for next season, but if we lose 6/8 players to expansion teams, add in that there's likely to be retirement/s, we might not want to lose another 4 or 5 players on top of that and be looking at 10 - 15 new players being added to the list

There's going to be some tough decisions this off season, and a lot of it may be out of our control.

Agree completely. The worrying point from my perspective is that losing 10-15 players from this list doesn't look like the worst option at the moment, given how they're performing. That's a terrible sign of the state of our list overall.

 

[My Tilly]

That was as bad a game of footy as I've seen.
Honestly our skills are on par with school grade quality, missing simple uncontested passes, absolute shanks with no pressure.
Dan has a hell of a lot of work to do to get them to a quality state to compete.

Would have to surely rival the very first round of VFL/AFL footy AFL Tables - 1897 Season Scores
Give em another 25 years and we should see a vast improvement.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Would have to surely rival the very first round of VFL/AFL footy AFL Tables - 1897 Season Scores
Give em another 25 years and we should see a vast improvement.

Yup no doubt.
It's just painful getting there.

 

[Drunkcat]

Big mistake by the AFL putting 4 more sides in next year, going to fast, will put the comp 4 years back

 

[Cursed Cat]

Agree completely. The worrying point from my perspective is that losing 10-15 players from this list doesn't look like the worst option at the moment, given how they're performing. That's a terrible sign of the state of our list overall.

The issue goes right back to the club’s initial list build, which was questionable to say the least - the club was given a reasonable leg-up in terms of draft selections, but the pre-draft signings skewed way too old, with too many players already in their 30s with their best footy behind them. We’re still paying the price for those list management decisions.
On top of that we’ve had some bad luck in terms of draftees being injured (Morrison), jumping ship (Purcell) or opting to not play (Denby Taylor and Millie Brown).

With smaller list sizes than the mens comp, it only takes a handful of setbacks to rock our already-leaky boat; we’ve had Annabel Johnson go down with a season-ending injury, Barber barely available and the aforementioned absentees in Brown and Taylor not adequately replaced. Add in your standard weekly injuries and suspensions and it’s taken a toll on an already so-so list.

The club pruned as much as was prudent prior to this season, but it’s still 2 steps back for every step forward; Prespakis, Friswell and Featherston have all shown promise but they are too green to be leading lights at this stage.

My real worry in the short term is the possibility that others might ‘do a Purcell’ and bugger off to play in more competitive teams rather than sticking around to slog through the hard yards with Geelong.

 

[cats_09]

Agree completely. The worrying point from my perspective is that losing 10-15 players from this list doesn't look like the worst option at the moment, given how they're performing. That's a terrible sign of the state of our list overall.

This is where I disagree about losing 10 - 15 players; sure not everyone on the list is going to be an A-grade star, no matter how much we would want it to be the case, but I can't see any scenario where losing half the squad is anything but the worse option

We want to be keeping our younger players together, those under 27/28, and especially our under 23s - it will be helpful going forward as you're not only developing the group together, but there's also going to be that continuity of players from season to season & not just some rebuild every 1 to 2 seasons

But if we lose 10-15 players and the bulk of those are in our under 23/24 age group - so the likes of McDonald, Morrison, Prespakis , Friswell, Barber, VDH, Webster, then that is the complete worse case scenario & not a situation any club would want to be in, because you're just not going to be able to go close to replacing what would be lost with 4 new teams coming in

 

[Drunkcat]

The worse thing you can not get players in the draft next year to help, so it's all about getting the young ones better as there is no quick fix

 

[cats_09]

If they're going after big sis, guessing they'd like little sis also

 

[Drunkcat]

Think every Cat fan knew that was coming, we better get something for her if she does or we are stuffed

 

[Teen Wolf]

Also from that article:

Prespakis’ younger sister Georgie, impressing in her first season at Geelong, is considered by rival clubs as less likely than Madison to join Essendon.

 

[TheTassieHawk]

Think every Cat fan knew that was coming, we better get something for her if she does or we are stuffed

In past expansions clubs could lose 4 players to expansion teams before any compensation was granted.

As such it is in a clubs best interest to lose 4 nobodies early in the piece then if a top player gets tempted a transfer has to be via a trade.

 

[cats_09]

Also from that article:

Cheers - I didn't have access to the rest of the article (I really should subscribe to CODE Sports)

 

[PzBlinky]

Anyone else watch Lowther's press conferences?

They're a refreshing change - he doesn't mince words, points out what he thinks needs to improve, and is just a straight speaker.

While the season hasn't panned out the way we would've liked, and it's hard to judge a senior coach in their first season of what effectively is a rebuild, I've been happy with what he's saying publicly (good and bad).

AFLW Coach Press Conference | Round 9

Watch Geelong's press conference after the Round 9 match against St Kilda

www.geelongcats.com.au

 

[goyoucatters]

This is where I disagree about losing 10 - 15 players; sure not everyone on the list is going to be an A-grade star, no matter how much we would want it to be the case, but I can't see any scenario where losing half the squad is anything but the worse option

We want to be keeping our younger players together, those under 27/28, and especially our under 23s - it will be helpful going forward as you're not only developing the group together, but there's also going to be that continuity of players from season to season & not just some rebuild every 1 to 2 seasons

But if we lose 10-15 players and the bulk of those are in our under 23/24 age group - so the likes of McDonald, Morrison, Prespakis , Friswell, Barber, VDH, Webster, then that is the complete worse case scenario & not a situation any club would want to be in, because you're just not going to be able to go close to replacing what would be lost with 4 new teams coming in

I don't entirely disagree. I'd retain almost all of the names you've raised in this post. But I can still name 10 who I could live with letting go at this point.

Caris (not developing much at all for mine)
Higgins (near the end)
Ivey (not a really strong contributor this year, and has been around for quite a while)
Crockett-Grills (as for Ivey)
Maguire (don't see her developing much - limited opportunities, though)
Rankin (if Denby Taylor and/or Millie Brown get back, I don't see a place for Georgie)
Garing (not likely to be part of breaking new ground as a mid or forward)
McWilliams (time to move on, I think)
Van De Heuvel (hesitant to do so, but just not coming on as a player)
Prespakis (leaving anyway, I would imagine)

I get that Phoebe kicks 'all the goals' right now. But she can't go on forever, and I think Barber needs a chance to take on a key forward role full-time.

Yes, this is a brutal scenario, I know. But we are that far off it that I don't see a gentler approach to list management availing for much. Hard to get quality players in if you do this, of course. But, Prespakis aside, I don't see any of the names above being part of a truly competitive Geelong AFLW team in the future. That's why I would go for severe intervention now, and just about build the side from the ground up once again.

 

[goyoucatters]

The issue goes right back to the club’s initial list build, which was questionable to say the least - the club was given a reasonable leg-up in terms of draft selections, but the pre-draft signings skewed way too old, with too many players already in their 30s with their best footy behind them. We’re still paying the price for those list management decisions.
On top of that we’ve had some bad luck in terms of draftees being injured (Morrison), jumping ship (Purcell) or opting to not play (Denby Taylor and Millie Brown).

With smaller list sizes than the mens comp, it only takes a handful of setbacks to rock our already-leaky boat; we’ve had Annabel Johnson go down with a season-ending injury, Barber barely available and the aforementioned absentees in Brown and Taylor not adequately replaced. Add in your standard weekly injuries and suspensions and it’s taken a toll on an already so-so list.

The club pruned as much as was prudent prior to this season, but it’s still 2 steps back for every step forward; Prespakis, Friswell and Featherston have all shown promise but they are too green to be leading lights at this stage.

My real worry in the short term is the possibility that others might ‘do a Purcell’ and bugger off to play in more competitive teams rather than sticking around to slog through the hard yards with Geelong.

You are so right about the initial list build leaving us in a world of pain now. And I entirely take your point about Nina, Liv Purcell, Denby and Millie. Four genuine talents who we've missed greatly in recent seasons.

I can see Johnson, Barber, Taylor, Brown, Friswell and Featherston making it. So that's a decent chunk of emerging talent that is going to take time to fully emerge. But I don't see Georgie hanging on while the club slowly gets its act together in becoming a credible unit.

And I totally agree about the 'Purcell factor' being a worry at this point. It's not like you can sell a lot of compelling hope for success in the next few years, based on how we're tracking this season.

 

[Drunkcat]

I don't entirely disagree. I'd retain almost all of the names you've raised in this post. But I can still name 10 who I could live with letting go at this point.

Caris (not developing much at all for mine)
Higgins (near the end)
Ivey (not a really strong contributor this year, and has been around for quite a while)
Crockett-Grills (as for Ivey)
Maguire (don't see her developing much - limited opportunities, though)
Rankin (if Denby Taylor and/or Millie Brown get back, I don't see a place for Georgie)
Garing (not likely to be part of breaking new ground as a mid or forward)
McWilliams (time to move on, I think)
Van De Heuvel (hesitant to do so, but just not coming on as a player)
Prespakis (leaving anyway, I would imagine)

I get that Phoebe kicks 'all the goals' right now. But she can't go on forever, and I think Barber needs a chance to take on a key forward role full-time.

Yes, this is a brutal scenario, I know. But we are that far off it that I don't see a gentler approach to list management availing for much. Hard to get quality players in if you do this, of course. But, Prespakis aside, I don't see any of the names above being part of a truly competitive Geelong AFLW team in the future. That's why I would go for severe intervention now, and just about build the side from the ground up once again.

I disagree with 2 players Rankin it was her best year and is still young, and i also thought it was Van De Heuvel best year and again is still very young....and no way they will dump 9 players this year oh and prespakis is staying they say

 

[goyoucatters]

I disagree with 2 players Rankin it was her best year and is still young, and i also thought it was Van De Heuvel best year and again is still very young....and no way they will dump 9 players this year oh and prespakis is staying they say

Fair enough. I'm OK with Rankin staying (her hardness and team ethic are definitely present) and I'm just exasperated with Sophie, really. Doesn't seem to get involved remotely enough for a #2 draft pick. Sad as it is, I do judge her somewhat based on that 'ceiling', rather than simply as another name on the list.

Having said that, I don't see either of them being important players by the time this team eventually plays finals. So I'd still be OK with moving them on at this point.

And I'll believe Georgie is staying if/when she announces it. Until then, I see her as a supreme flight risk. And even more so, given the relative quality and foreseeable team trajectory of the GFC as it stands.

 

[cats_09]

The only thing surprising about this is that it's Kearns first offence -

Charges Laid:

Rachel Kearns, Geelong, has been charged with Engaging in Rough Conduct against Tilly Lucas-Rodd, St Kilda, during the fourth quarter of the Round Nine match between St Kilda and Geelong played at RSEA Park on Saturday March 5, 2022.

In summary, the player can accept a reprimand with an early plea.

Based on the available evidence, the incident was assessed as Careless Conduct, Low Impact, High Contact. The incident was classified as a $400 sanction as a first offence. The player can accept a reprimand with an early plea.

 

[cats_09]

In regards to this weeks opponent

Chloe Dalton, GWS GIANTS, has been charged with Engaging in Rough Conduct against Madeline Brancatisano, Richmond, during the third quarter of the Round Nine match between Richmond and GWS GIANTS, played at GIANTS Stadium on Saturday March 5, 2022.

In summary, the player can accept a one-match sanction with an early plea

Based on the available evidence, the incident was assessed as Careless Conduct, Medium Impact, High Contact. The incident was classified as a one-match sanction as a first offence. The player can accept a one-match sanction with an early plea.

 

[winty]

 

[Drunkcat]

Look forward to this game, 2 clubs that have both dropped off in form, I have a soft spot after watching all GWS games this year. A Parker if she played for a Vic club they would say how good is she, and watch out for staunton a 40yr old and still playing good footy, and they like to rough up players from the other side

 

[cats_09]

Teams out for our last match of the season, but before we get to that - thank you Dani Higgins for your contribution to the Geelong womens football teams, best of luck in retirement & likely not a bad teacher to have sticking around our VFLW program:


Inaugural Cat Dani Higgins has been named an emergency and needs a late withdrawal to make a farewell appearance at AFLW level.

Lowther confirmed Higgins, who has played 24 games and kicked six goals but only made one appearance this year, will retire.

However, the 31-year-old will likely play on at VFLW level.

“She’s indicated she’d like to be part of the VFLW program moving forward,” Lowther said. “They’ve got quite a few games still ahead in their season.

“But, she might be able to pick and choose games; have a bit of a rest first and continue on.

“She just loves having a kick and a catch.”

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