With us now halfway through the season, I thought I'd do a quick review of how our squad is going so far. I'll give each of them a rating out of 10, as well as either a -, = or + to indicate whether they've slipped backwards, held their form or gone forward based on previous years - obviously, I will skip that for first-year players. I'd be fascinated to hear any of your thoughts or differences of opinion.
#1 Caitlin Gould (6+) - Gould has continued her slow but steady rise to stamp herself as our lead ruck. Her actual ruckwork is passable without being a standout, but she's handy around the ground and has slotted a couple of goals in her four games so far.
#2 Eloise Jones (8+) - Jones is having an excellent season, having almost entirely cut out the brainfades without sacrificing any of the hardness of her game. She is using her pace excellently and has significantly increased her disposal count this year, up to an average of 14.2 (compared to 8.9 last year and around 8.0 for her entire career).
#4 Zoe Prowse (??) - Unfortunately Prowse hasn't been able to find a place in our side yet. By all reports she is performing well at SANFLW level. Hopefully she will get a taste soon.
#5 Rachelle Martin (7.5+) - Martin has now stamped her place in our engine room, seemingly only rotating out when Phillips comes in. She doesn't get a load of ball, but is a tackling and pressure machine in there. Also, in a midfield which can be one-paced at times, her pace is very important.
#6 Hannah Button (5-) - The emergence of some other young mids has probably seen Button go from being an automatic selection to a fringe player in the side, but so far she has held her place. She will probably need to develop another string to her bow if she wants to solidify her place in the side - up forward seems the best opportunity.
#7 Nikki Gore (6-) - Gore was probably our most improved player last year before her injury. This year she has been servicable and has flashes, but hasn't put it together as consistently as in 2021.
#8 Najwa Allen (6=) - Allen in 2022 seems very much like Allen in 2021, a clever player who reads the play very well, but is hampered somewhat by lack of pace. She's at her best in a contest when the ball is bobbling about.
#9 McKenzie Dowrick (??) - Was brought in to cover Varnhagen, but I've not heard a single thing about her since she arrived. Any word on her performances in SANFLW?
#10 Ebony Marinoff (9=) - Marinoff just keeps on racking up possessions, laying tackles, and creating enormous amounts of pressure. She is still just as guilty as ever at wasting her kicks and gives away a few too many free kicks for high contact, but she is nonetheless extremely valuable. It seems funny to say it given how many touches she actually gets, but the stat sheet doesn't show her full value. Her partnership with Hatchard is immense.
#11 Jasmine Simmons (2) - It's hard to know what to make of Simmons so far. She is tall but hasn't really used her height to advantage. She has had a bit of possession but mostly handballs, and has had several shots on goal without nailing one. She is lacking that footy instinct you see in the best players, which means she is often in the vicinity without really affecting the contest. But she's done a bit, here and there. At this stage she should really only be a depth player.
#12 Chelsea Biddell (7.5+) - Unquestionably the find of the season so far for us. She is surprisingly quick, and gets the defensive job done in the air and on the ground. Very handy long kick too! Every game she seems to do something clever that shows she's a footballer, not just an athlete. Her emergence has taken the pressure off Randall to lock onto a key forward, thankfully since she's missed half the season so far.
#13 Erin Phillips (8.5=) - Is she playing better than last year? It's hard to say. She's less prolific in front of goal, but is getting more of the ball. Her main value is just her presence, having her there allowed Woodland to get off the leash for the first few rounds, and as soon as someone locked down on Woodland, Phillips got off the leash.
#14 Stevie-Lee Thompson (7=) - Sadly, the health protocols forced Stevie-Lee to miss a match for the first time in her AFLW career. Despite that, she has continued the quality form she displayed after having been moved back to defence last year. She is using her pace well and doesn't seem to get caught as often as in some previous seasons.
#15 Danielle Ponter (5.5=) - When Ponter is on, she can be extremely valuable and can create goals. Unfortunately those moments are few and far between. She seems to be permanently stationed forward of the ball now, and just hasn't quite done enough. She unquestionably has the talent though.
#16 Ailish Considine (3+) - Considine had a 2021 to forget, only occasionally making the side and then having a very poor grand final. She has been slightly better this year, but the fact remains that she lacks football instinct. This leads to her going to the wrong spots, or giving away unnecessary free kicks. Her strengths - athleticism and a booming kick - are still there, and she's not terrible depth. If she is going to stay in the side, I'd prefer to see her forward of the ball more often.
#17 Madison Newman (5.5+) - Newman was forced to wait for injuries and Covid in order to get back in the side, and upon her return left viewers wondering why she hadn't been there all along. It's still not clear where her best position is at AFLW level, but she is a very natural footballer and looks super composed. Definitely want to see more of her.
#19 Jasmyn Hewett (3=) - Is the clear third place out of our ruck trio at the moment. Failed to win a single hitout in her one match, and offers less around the ground than either Gould or McKinnon. Depth only.
#20 Hannah Munyard (4.5+) - Probably the hardest player to rate. Munyard looks like a footballer and does lots of clever things, but somehow just doesn't seem to actually get much of the ball. She is improved on 2021, but is still very much a fringe player at this stage.
#21 Montana McKinnon (6+) - It would have been hard for McKinnon not to improve, given she was held out the side all last year. She has been very solid in her role as second ruck, and performed adequately in the one match she was asked to lead the ruck. Her intercept marking down back has been a real feature, and has meant the Crows can comfortably carry two rucks.
#22 Lisa Whiteley (4+) - Has only had a couple of games, and initially started in defence where she continued to be unimpressive, but a switch up forward has uncovered a potential opportunity for her. The Crows haven't had a big-bodied mark-clunking forward since Biddell's stint up there, and Scheer's 2019 season before that. Whiteley hasn't set the world on fire in that role, but she's been servicable, and nobody else is putting their hand up for the role.
#23 Justine Mules (5-) - Has been moved up forward this year to try to provide some extra pressure on rebounding defenders, and it probably hasn't really worked. I like her better around 60m from goal, cutting off rebounds and hitting up forward targets, rather than being 30m from goal like she was at the start of the season.
#24 Ashleigh Woodland (7+) - The primary difference between 2021 Woodland and 2022 Woodland has been making the most of her opportunities - 10 goals straight so far this year! She got massively off the leash early in the season, before coaches started putting lots of time into her. Even so, her presence draws defenders, allowing other players to score goals. She is still leading the league in goalscoring despiting going scoreless for the last two weeks.
#25 Teah Charlton (6=) - Charlton just missed her first game due to the health protocols, which is a shame for her. She has continued to be useful playing as a winger. Smart player and a lovely kick, tough as old boots too.
#26 Chelsea Randall (6-) - I adore Randall, but we haven't seen the best of her this year. Really, we haven't seen the best of her since 2019. At her best, she is still one of the best stoppers in the league if she is given a task, and her sheer athleticism makes her useful anywhere on the ground. She is still guilty of burning her kicks at times. I hope we take time with her and let her recover from injury because she could be a massive weapon if we make it into the finals. I wonder if she will reprise her role up forward? Alternatively, if we face Melbourne in the finals she will likely look to continue her unblemished record of completely stifling Tayla Harris.
#27 Abbie Ballard (5) - Ballard burst onto the scene with an excellent debut, and followed it up with an underwhelming second match. There is no question she has "it", and didn't look at all overawed in her first couple of matches. Beautiful kick. Will absolutely be a player.
#28 Brooke Tonon (??) - Tonon has yet to play, but has featured in the emergencies a couple of times so probably isn't far away.
#31 Dayna Cox (??) - Cox is still yet to return from her injury. It's not clear whether she still has a place in the side, but she's got plenty of experience and performed pretty well last year.
#32 Marijana Rajcic (7+) - Statistically, Rajcic is at par or even below her previous seasons. However, she is really benefitting from playing in a very settled and organised backline, and she seems to be a leader back there. Can get flustered when things are chaotic, but has been good for the most part and works very well with the rest of the defensive group. Certainly this is the closest to 2019 Rajcic we've seen since 2019.
#33 Anne Hatchard (9.5+) - It feels funny to say that Hatchard has improved, but she is a step above even her great 2021 form. She is probably playing as well as she did in 2020 when she was a lone hand in our midfield, but this year there are several performing players, and she's still the best of them. In addition to winning a bucketload of ball, her marking has become such a feature that she has become our regular dump-kick option. She's done it all with a sore foot for most the season, as well.
#39 Sarah Allan (9=) - Has just kept on performing as the best defender in the league. Absolutely unflappable, almost never beaten, surprisingly quick and an excellent kick. Gets plenty of ball too considering she tends to play as the deepest defender. Her tandem with Rajcic and Biddell has been an absolute highlight. Hasn't missed a match since round 4 2017.
#1 Caitlin Gould (6+) - Gould has continued her slow but steady rise to stamp herself as our lead ruck. Her actual ruckwork is passable without being a standout, but she's handy around the ground and has slotted a couple of goals in her four games so far.
#2 Eloise Jones (8+) - Jones is having an excellent season, having almost entirely cut out the brainfades without sacrificing any of the hardness of her game. She is using her pace excellently and has significantly increased her disposal count this year, up to an average of 14.2 (compared to 8.9 last year and around 8.0 for her entire career).
#4 Zoe Prowse (??) - Unfortunately Prowse hasn't been able to find a place in our side yet. By all reports she is performing well at SANFLW level. Hopefully she will get a taste soon.
#5 Rachelle Martin (7.5+) - Martin has now stamped her place in our engine room, seemingly only rotating out when Phillips comes in. She doesn't get a load of ball, but is a tackling and pressure machine in there. Also, in a midfield which can be one-paced at times, her pace is very important.
#6 Hannah Button (5-) - The emergence of some other young mids has probably seen Button go from being an automatic selection to a fringe player in the side, but so far she has held her place. She will probably need to develop another string to her bow if she wants to solidify her place in the side - up forward seems the best opportunity.
#7 Nikki Gore (6-) - Gore was probably our most improved player last year before her injury. This year she has been servicable and has flashes, but hasn't put it together as consistently as in 2021.
#8 Najwa Allen (6=) - Allen in 2022 seems very much like Allen in 2021, a clever player who reads the play very well, but is hampered somewhat by lack of pace. She's at her best in a contest when the ball is bobbling about.
#9 McKenzie Dowrick (??) - Was brought in to cover Varnhagen, but I've not heard a single thing about her since she arrived. Any word on her performances in SANFLW?
#10 Ebony Marinoff (9=) - Marinoff just keeps on racking up possessions, laying tackles, and creating enormous amounts of pressure. She is still just as guilty as ever at wasting her kicks and gives away a few too many free kicks for high contact, but she is nonetheless extremely valuable. It seems funny to say it given how many touches she actually gets, but the stat sheet doesn't show her full value. Her partnership with Hatchard is immense.
#11 Jasmine Simmons (2) - It's hard to know what to make of Simmons so far. She is tall but hasn't really used her height to advantage. She has had a bit of possession but mostly handballs, and has had several shots on goal without nailing one. She is lacking that footy instinct you see in the best players, which means she is often in the vicinity without really affecting the contest. But she's done a bit, here and there. At this stage she should really only be a depth player.
#12 Chelsea Biddell (7.5+) - Unquestionably the find of the season so far for us. She is surprisingly quick, and gets the defensive job done in the air and on the ground. Very handy long kick too! Every game she seems to do something clever that shows she's a footballer, not just an athlete. Her emergence has taken the pressure off Randall to lock onto a key forward, thankfully since she's missed half the season so far.
#13 Erin Phillips (8.5=) - Is she playing better than last year? It's hard to say. She's less prolific in front of goal, but is getting more of the ball. Her main value is just her presence, having her there allowed Woodland to get off the leash for the first few rounds, and as soon as someone locked down on Woodland, Phillips got off the leash.
#14 Stevie-Lee Thompson (7=) - Sadly, the health protocols forced Stevie-Lee to miss a match for the first time in her AFLW career. Despite that, she has continued the quality form she displayed after having been moved back to defence last year. She is using her pace well and doesn't seem to get caught as often as in some previous seasons.
#15 Danielle Ponter (5.5=) - When Ponter is on, she can be extremely valuable and can create goals. Unfortunately those moments are few and far between. She seems to be permanently stationed forward of the ball now, and just hasn't quite done enough. She unquestionably has the talent though.
#16 Ailish Considine (3+) - Considine had a 2021 to forget, only occasionally making the side and then having a very poor grand final. She has been slightly better this year, but the fact remains that she lacks football instinct. This leads to her going to the wrong spots, or giving away unnecessary free kicks. Her strengths - athleticism and a booming kick - are still there, and she's not terrible depth. If she is going to stay in the side, I'd prefer to see her forward of the ball more often.
#17 Madison Newman (5.5+) - Newman was forced to wait for injuries and Covid in order to get back in the side, and upon her return left viewers wondering why she hadn't been there all along. It's still not clear where her best position is at AFLW level, but she is a very natural footballer and looks super composed. Definitely want to see more of her.
#19 Jasmyn Hewett (3=) - Is the clear third place out of our ruck trio at the moment. Failed to win a single hitout in her one match, and offers less around the ground than either Gould or McKinnon. Depth only.
#20 Hannah Munyard (4.5+) - Probably the hardest player to rate. Munyard looks like a footballer and does lots of clever things, but somehow just doesn't seem to actually get much of the ball. She is improved on 2021, but is still very much a fringe player at this stage.
#21 Montana McKinnon (6+) - It would have been hard for McKinnon not to improve, given she was held out the side all last year. She has been very solid in her role as second ruck, and performed adequately in the one match she was asked to lead the ruck. Her intercept marking down back has been a real feature, and has meant the Crows can comfortably carry two rucks.
#22 Lisa Whiteley (4+) - Has only had a couple of games, and initially started in defence where she continued to be unimpressive, but a switch up forward has uncovered a potential opportunity for her. The Crows haven't had a big-bodied mark-clunking forward since Biddell's stint up there, and Scheer's 2019 season before that. Whiteley hasn't set the world on fire in that role, but she's been servicable, and nobody else is putting their hand up for the role.
#23 Justine Mules (5-) - Has been moved up forward this year to try to provide some extra pressure on rebounding defenders, and it probably hasn't really worked. I like her better around 60m from goal, cutting off rebounds and hitting up forward targets, rather than being 30m from goal like she was at the start of the season.
#24 Ashleigh Woodland (7+) - The primary difference between 2021 Woodland and 2022 Woodland has been making the most of her opportunities - 10 goals straight so far this year! She got massively off the leash early in the season, before coaches started putting lots of time into her. Even so, her presence draws defenders, allowing other players to score goals. She is still leading the league in goalscoring despiting going scoreless for the last two weeks.
#25 Teah Charlton (6=) - Charlton just missed her first game due to the health protocols, which is a shame for her. She has continued to be useful playing as a winger. Smart player and a lovely kick, tough as old boots too.
#26 Chelsea Randall (6-) - I adore Randall, but we haven't seen the best of her this year. Really, we haven't seen the best of her since 2019. At her best, she is still one of the best stoppers in the league if she is given a task, and her sheer athleticism makes her useful anywhere on the ground. She is still guilty of burning her kicks at times. I hope we take time with her and let her recover from injury because she could be a massive weapon if we make it into the finals. I wonder if she will reprise her role up forward? Alternatively, if we face Melbourne in the finals she will likely look to continue her unblemished record of completely stifling Tayla Harris.
#27 Abbie Ballard (5) - Ballard burst onto the scene with an excellent debut, and followed it up with an underwhelming second match. There is no question she has "it", and didn't look at all overawed in her first couple of matches. Beautiful kick. Will absolutely be a player.
#28 Brooke Tonon (??) - Tonon has yet to play, but has featured in the emergencies a couple of times so probably isn't far away.
#31 Dayna Cox (??) - Cox is still yet to return from her injury. It's not clear whether she still has a place in the side, but she's got plenty of experience and performed pretty well last year.
#32 Marijana Rajcic (7+) - Statistically, Rajcic is at par or even below her previous seasons. However, she is really benefitting from playing in a very settled and organised backline, and she seems to be a leader back there. Can get flustered when things are chaotic, but has been good for the most part and works very well with the rest of the defensive group. Certainly this is the closest to 2019 Rajcic we've seen since 2019.
#33 Anne Hatchard (9.5+) - It feels funny to say that Hatchard has improved, but she is a step above even her great 2021 form. She is probably playing as well as she did in 2020 when she was a lone hand in our midfield, but this year there are several performing players, and she's still the best of them. In addition to winning a bucketload of ball, her marking has become such a feature that she has become our regular dump-kick option. She's done it all with a sore foot for most the season, as well.
#39 Sarah Allan (9=) - Has just kept on performing as the best defender in the league. Absolutely unflappable, almost never beaten, surprisingly quick and an excellent kick. Gets plenty of ball too considering she tends to play as the deepest defender. Her tandem with Rajcic and Biddell has been an absolute highlight. Hasn't missed a match since round 4 2017.
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