AFLW AFLW/VFLW 2024 - General Discussion

[Testekill]

It might just be that we were considering Keely Hardingham from our VFLW side already and Borg being out for the year made the swap like for like.

 

[MYOB]

All Australian squad announced.
Not one Dog in the squad

They clearly haven't been watching Dogs games if they couldn't fit Pritchard in the squad of 42.

 

[W W Biscuit]

All Australian squad announced.
Not one Dog in the squad

They clearly haven't been watching Dogs games if they couldn't fit Pritchard in the squad of 42.

Even with my Bulldogs glasses on, that's outrageous.

 

[MYOB]

Sounds like Alice Edmonds, who signed a new contract this year, wants out.

WTF is going on at this club.

 

[Thunderoad]

Sounds like Alice Edmonds, who signed a new contract this year, wants out.

WTF is going on at this club.

I get that there's an enormous variation between what AFLW players get payed and I get a sense that Edmonds has been offered significantly more elsewhere but she's under contract and contracts have to mean something.

If she is in demand, I don't mind adjusting the contract to add incentives and pay her more if she meets those levels but this is line in the sand stuff for the club and they simply can't fold to these types of demands.

 

[geoffjennings79]

I get that there's an enormous variation between what AFLW players get payed and I get a sense that Edmonds has been offered significantly more elsewhere but she's under contract and contracts have to mean something.

If she is in demand, I don't mind adjusting the contract to add incentives and pay her more if she meets those levels but this is line in the sand stuff for the club and they simply can't fold to these types of demands.

I agree with your stance. But since our flag, we are bordering on being a feeder club. The only top liners we've retained (so far) are Blackburn and Edmonds, and Pritchard probably now in that category.

We've lost a captain (Brennan), a reigning AFLW MVP (Kearney), a GF BOG who went on to become AFL MVP (Conti), our three best forwards at the time (Huntington, Toogood, Lochland), a fast-developing all rounder (McCarthy) then last year our long-term ruck (Moody), second best onballer (Lamb) and #1 draft pick who looks ready to get to the level we hoped she would (Newton), plus a host of others. (As I've posted previously, Kearney and Toogood were probably inevitable, given job offers and captaincy of their new clubs, but others?)

With zero top liners arriving the other way. We usually get fringe players to plug holes - created by departures of far better players.

We've just delisted our backup ruck in Borg. So how far do we accommodate Edmonds (if at all) beyond her current contract, before that line in the sand? Do we match other offers, or offer slightly less but more than she's on now hoping that's enough? Or offer more than external offers just to ensure she stays?

Atm, we are like 1970s Footscray. A steady stream of top tier departures, some late season wins to give supporters false hope, before another end-of-season rumour of more departures.

If Edmonds leaves, or wants to leave, that's bad enough. If Blackburn shows any inclination that she wants out (hard to know if rumour has any substance though), may as well hand the AFLW licence back... ☹

 

[Thunderoad]

I agree with your stance. But since our flag, we are bordering on being a feeder club. The only top liners we've retained (so far) are Blackburn and Edmonds, and Pritchard probably now in that category.

We've lost a captain (Brennan), a reigning AFLW MVP (Kearney), a GF BOG who went on to become AFL MVP (Conti), our three best forwards at the time (Huntington, Toogood, Lochland), a fast-developing all rounder (McCarthy) then last year our long-term ruck (Moody), second best onballer (Lamb) and #1 draft pick who looks ready to get to the level we hoped she would (Newton), plus a host of others. (As I've posted previously, Kearney and Toogood were probably inevitable, given job offers and captaincy of their new clubs, but others?)

With zero top liners arriving the other way. We usually get fringe players to plug holes - created by departures of far better players.

We've just delisted our backup ruck in Borg. So how far do we accommodate Edmonds (if at all) beyond her current contract, before that line in the sand? Do we match other offers, or offer slightly less but more than she's on now hoping that's enough? Or offer more than external offers just to ensure she stays?

Atm, we are like 1970s Footscray. A steady stream of top tier departures, some late season wins to give supporters false hope, before another end-of-season rumour of more departures.

If Edmonds leaves, or wants to leave, that's bad enough. If Blackburn shows any inclination that she wants out (hard to know if rumour has any substance though), may as well hand the AFLW licence back... ☹

You're absoletly right that it's a delicate balance.

I guess that I favour adding further incentives into a contract so that if they are met then both the player and the club benefit.

I also think that it sends the right message to other players on the list and to potential recruits, not that there are many top line recruits joining as you point out.

I'm dismayed and disillusioned that the club is still seemingly in this doom spiral.

I had hoped that we had turned something of a corner after a better than expected season and putting in place an entirely new coaching and administrative set up.

Weighing up all the factors, I think that letting a player like Edmonds leave at this point would only result in continuing to send a message to other clubs that our playing list is there for the taking.

 

[X_box_X]

All Australian squad announced.
Not one Dog in the squad

They clearly haven't been watching Dogs games if they couldn't fit Pritchard in the squad of 42.

What about Sherar not making the squad?

She should be in the team let alone the squad.

 

[W W Biscuit]

Sounds like Alice Edmonds, who signed a new contract this year, wants out.

WTF is going on at this club.

Do we have any further confirmation of this other than the article on afl.com a few days ago?

Edmonds is contracted. If WCE, Geelong or GWS wants her (as reported), that will cost them their first round draft pick. But if our club continues to be a revolving door, what is that truly worth?

 

[W W Biscuit]

I agree with your stance. But since our flag, we are bordering on being a feeder club. The only top liners we've retained (so far) are Blackburn and Edmonds, and Pritchard probably now in that category.

We've lost a captain (Brennan), a reigning AFLW MVP (Kearney), a GF BOG who went on to become AFL MVP (Conti), our three best forwards at the time (Huntington, Toogood, Lochland), a fast-developing all rounder (McCarthy) then last year our long-term ruck (Moody), second best onballer (Lamb) and #1 draft pick who looks ready to get to the level we hoped she would (Newton), plus a host of others. (As I've posted previously, Kearney and Toogood were probably inevitable, given job offers and captaincy of their new clubs, but others?)

With zero top liners arriving the other way. We usually get fringe players to plug holes - created by departures of far better players.

We've just delisted our backup ruck in Borg. So how far do we accommodate Edmonds (if at all) beyond her current contract, before that line in the sand? Do we match other offers, or offer slightly less but more than she's on now hoping that's enough? Or offer more than external offers just to ensure she stays?

Atm, we are like 1970s Footscray. A steady stream of top tier departures, some late season wins to give supporters false hope, before another end-of-season rumour of more departures.

If Edmonds leaves, or wants to leave, that's bad enough. If Blackburn shows any inclination that she wants out (hard to know if rumour has any substance though), may as well hand the AFLW licence back... ☹

Just when I think I have come to terms with and/or repressed this childhood defining trauma, you had to go and mention it

 

[weltschmerz]

https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/goal-of-the-year Berry's up for GOTY

 

[Thunderoad]

Do we have any further confirmation of this other than the article on afl.com a few days ago?

Edmonds is contracted. If WCE, Geelong or GWS wants her (as reported), that will cost them their first round draft pick. But if our club continues to be a revolving door, what is that truly worth?

There are pay walled articles in both The Australian and The West Australian today.

West Coast and Geelong are interested according to the first paragraph in The Australian.

 

[TBOW]

We did go pretty hard at Morphett last year.
Maybe Alice didn't appreciate that?
Or maybe her papers are stamped and we are again looking for a more mobile ruck?

 

[MYOB]

We did go pretty hard at Morphett last year.
Maybe Alice didn't appreciate that?
Or maybe her papers are stamped and we are again looking for a more mobile ruck?

She signed a contract in April this year to take her to 2026

 

[Bulldogs85]

 

[Bulldog1954]

I agree with your stance. But since our flag, we are bordering on being a feeder club. The only top liners we've retained (so far) are Blackburn and Edmonds, and Pritchard probably now in that category.

I think Pritchard signed for one year last offseason and is now out of contract. We have to get her on a long term contract.

 

[Bulldogs85]

 

[Testekill]

That's a big signing.

 

[Bulldogs85]

That's a big signing.

sure is now onto Pritchard

 

[Bulldogs85]

 

[Oliver G]

A week of decent signings, which takes the number of players signed for 2025 onwards to 15 and I imagine we'll continue to drip-feed the signings over the coming weeks.

Grigg, Pritchard and Weston-Turner are the big 3 names yet to sign on. Grigg is from SA but from all accounts loves it here, Pritchard and Weston-Turner are both lifelong Dogs supporters which you'd imagine works in our favour, but nothing surprises me with our list management these days. Carlton and Collingwood came after Pritchard last season and no doubt they will again, along with pretty much every other club considering the season she had.

I know we don't have the full story, but I have to say the handling of the Borg delisting has really made me question the club’s priorities and how it values its players. It doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence going into the trade period, especially with the talk around Blackburn and Edmonds, who only signed contract extensions six months ago. Something doesn’t add up. We saw a mass exodus last season, and we can’t afford that to happen again. But again, nothing surprises me anymore.

Signed For 2025 Onwards
Barwick - 2025
Berry - 2026
Blackburn - 2027*
Buttifant - 2025
Carruthers - 2025
Edmonds - 2026*
Ferres - 2025
Fitzgerald - 2026
Georgostathis - 2026
Gorham - 2026
Grant - 2026
Gutknecht - 2025
Hartwig - 2026
Kimber - 2025
Wilcox - 2026

Unsigned/Unknown Contract Status
Ahrens
Bennetts
Brown*
Farquharson
Gavalas
Grigg
Laloifi
McFarlane
McKee
Pritchard
J. Smith
Weston-Turner
Woodley

Delisted
Borg
Coyne
A. Smith
Snell

Trade Talk/Rumours
Blackburn - Despite interest from West Coast, Blackburn is expected to stay with the Bulldogs.
Brown - GWS is confident about signing Brown, who is exploring a possible move to NSW.
Edmonds - Despite her contract, Edmonds is exploring trade options with interest from West Coast, Geelong, and GWS; Bulldogs keen to retain but open to a trade if the offer is substantial.

 

[Bulldog1954]

Pritchard signed on until 2027

 

[MYOB]

I don't believe any start date has been confirmed yet, happy to be corrected, but I know clubs were asked about the possibility of starting in R21 of the men's season, which would be around the first week of August.

If that eventuates that would be approx 11 months after Laloifi did her ACL, so it would still be touch and go. I'm certainly hoping she is fit for the season.

 

[weltschmerz]

Pritchard signed on until 2027

Could not get a more important signing. Our next captain.

 

[Bulldogs85]