AFLW Richmond All things AFLW 2024

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AFLW Tigers tune up in match sim
The AFLW Tigers successfully tested themselves in four quarter hit-out against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday at the Swinburne Centre.
Richmond AFLW put together a successful four quarter hit-out against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday at the Swinburne Centre.
In sunny conditions, the Tigers and the Bulldogs faced off in a competitive match simulation with the hosts coming out on top, the final score reading 10.5 (65) to 4.6 (30).
The Bulldogs got off to a fast start in the first of the 20-minute terms, opening proceedings within the first minute.
But, Richmond soon responded through forward Caitlin Greiser, who cleverly snuck one through from the goal square.
The pressure was on from the get-go, as Bulldogs booted the next two goals, before the Tigers matched them with two of their own.
Exciting ruck recruit Montana McKinnon made an impressive start to her first outing in the Yellow and Black, impacting aerially and showcasing her fierce competitiveness as she slotted a major.
Unfortunately, she came off the ground with a lower limb injury in the second term and did not take any further part in the clash, with further updates to come.
2023 league Best and Fairest winner Monique Conti also showed her craft up forward with a goal, while exhibiting her usual dominance through the middle of the ground with her evasive skills and hard tackling.
As the second quarter got underway, Poppy Kelly gave the hosts the lead with a well-executed set-shot from 35 metres out.
Katie Brennan was all class as the Tigers' crafty captain then dribbled one through. Her strong marking and on-field leadership was on full display through the clash.
With a 10-point buffer at the main break, the Tigers extended their lead in the third quarter through Emelia Yassir, who came on for the second half and was lively, and Stella Reid, who finished the clash with two goals.
Eilish Sheeran provided plenty of grunt through the midfield, working in tandem with Ellie McKenzie, Grace Egan and recruit Ally Dallaway.
The Bulldogs had numerous inside-50 entries during the third term, but key defensive duo Libby Graham and Bec Miller were pillars down back and thwarted the visitors’ attempts.
Ahead by 23 points with one quarter remaining, the Tigers again stretched their lead in the last, with Sheerin and Maddie Shevlin also jumping in on the goal-scoring action.
Speaking to Richmond Media following the clash, Kelly said the Tigers’ clean transition down the ground was particularly pleasing.
"It was really good to get the cobwebs out and get some connection with the team, not going up against each other, going up against an opposition is really nice, you can go a bit harder," Kelly said.
"It was really good out of our stoppages and then some really clean forward entry entries, was really nice to see.
"Our connection's really coming on.
"It was really loud out there., I think we were predictable to each other. A great git-out"
Kelly, reaping the rewards of a strong pre-season, was a standout for the Tigers in the ruck and backline.
"I had a really big pre-season, I don't really feel like I had much of an off season. I worked a lot with (Shaun Hampson) on my aerial contest work and I think that's really helped me coming into the season," she said.
The Tigers final pre-season challenge will be an official practice match against Brisbane next Friday, August 16 from 7.15pm.
A live stream with commentary of the practice match will also be available.
"There's a bit of a rivalry there. We love coming up against them. It will be a hard game, it will be hot as well," Kelly said.
"It'll be a really good hit out.
"We love travelling. I think we play our best footy often when we're travelling and it's good to be around each other. We just love hanging out together."
 

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Went to the game, biggest takeaway that wasn’t mentioned there is the addition of Jodie Hicks to the backline. Tough in the contests and great by foot, fit in really well. Loved seeing Ellie back out there too, absolute beast.
I liked the addition of Peck to the defensive 5. She seemed to know the system well.
 

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Scans have unfortunately confirmed that Richmond AFLW ruck Montana McKinnon suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in Saturday's match simulation against the Western Bulldogs.

McKinnon, 23, was tackled innocuously, twisting her left knee during the second period of the hit out, a game she had started brightly in.

The prized recruit, who joined the Club from Adelaide in December last year, will require a knee reconstruction and miss the entire 2024 AFLW season due to the injury.

Richmond Head of Women's Football, Kate Sheahan, said it was devastating news for McKinnon.




"Montana has made such a great start to her time at Richmond since relocating to Victoria and has impressed everyone with her natural ability, athleticism and work ethic," she said.

"To have her first season with us end this way is very disappointing for Montana and us all, but we know she will bounce back from this terrible luck.

"We will all get around Montana and offer her all the support she needs to return even better in 2025."

Richmond is able to select a replacement player for McKinnon in the coming weeks, with the deadline two days prior to Round 1.

The Tigers face West Coast on the AFLW's opening night on August 29.
 
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For those interested.
 

Brennan signs two-year Richmond extension​

Richmond AFLW captain Katie Brennan has re-committed to the Club.
Richmond is delighted to announce that AFLW captain Katie Brennan has committed to the Club for a further two years.

Brennan, 31, has captained Richmond since the Club’s inception after initially joining as the Tigers’ inaugural AFLW recruit in April 2019.

The fresh contract extension will make Brennan at least a seven-year Tiger. Brennan has booted 50 goals from 39 AFLW games in yellow and black.

The key forward, who is the competition’s longest-serving club captain, having captained the Western Bulldogs for three seasons before holding the role for the past six at Richmond, has twice been named All-Australian.


Brennan, who has won Richmond’s goal-kicking competition on three occasions, is third all-time in goals in the AFLW competition, though her 65 majors from 52 games give her the highest goal-per-match average in the league.

The star centre half forward is blessed with silky skills on both sides of the body and strong hands in a marking contest and has dominated top level football since she relocated to Victoria from Queensland in 2013.

Brennan booted over 150 goals and played in three premierships across her first three seasons with Darebin in the VFLW, as well as winning the VFLW league best and fairest and goalkicking in 2017.

One of the competition’s original 16 marquee signings, Brennan has shown no signs of slowing down in recent seasons, booting 14 goals from 10 matches last year and finishing fourth in Richmond’s best and fairest.

Brennan ranked #1 at Richmond for Marks, Goals and Contested Marks in 2023 and was #2 behind only league best and fairest winner Monique Conti for Inside 50s.

Brennan said her love for the people and the Club made it a ‘no-brainer' to re-sign with Richmond.

“It is an extraordinary place to be,” she added.

“We are one big family, and I just love our people. I love our direction, and I love where we are headed. We are growing so much.

“It is just such a pleasure to be around the Club.”

Richmond Head of Women’s Football Kate Sheahan said it was exciting that Brennan would remain at the Club long term.

“Katie is a Tiger through and through and means so much to our football program and broader Club,” she said.

“For the past five years, she has represented the Club so well on and off the field, and we know that she will continue to do that across the next three seasons and beyond.

“Katie works incredibly hard and physically is in the best condition of her career. It is a credit to her professionalism and combined work with our medical and high-performance team, and it will hold her in excellent stead to continue as one of the competition's elite going forward."
 

Tamara Luke jumps into Richmond​

Richmond has added ruck/forward Tamara Luke to its AFLW list as a replacement player.
Richmond has signed experienced ruck/forward Tamara Luke to its AFLW list for the upcoming season.

The 36-year-old former St Kilda and Hawthorn tall will bolster the Tigers’ ruck stocks as a replacement player following Montana McKinnon’s season-ending knee injury.


Having initially announced her retirement from AFLW when departing Hawthorn last year, Luke’s form at VFLW level, where she is Box Hill’s captain, remained outstanding.

Luke averaged 13 disposals and 17 hit outs per match and booted 20 goals in her 15 games with the VFLW Hawks this year.

The 180cm ruck showed her influence through the middle of the ground, notably in games against AFLW rucks. She stood out with her contested marking, strength, physicality, and competitiveness.



Richmond National Recruiting Manager Trent Mosbey said Luke would add terrific support to the Tigers’ ruck options.

“Tamara is an experienced player at AFLW level and was also a part of Hawthorn’s AFLW leadership group and has been captain at Box Hill for multiple years,” he said.

“She has displayed the values we look for in terms of professionalism, driving standards, and growth mindset and brings a skill set that we needed on our list following Montana’s unfortunate injury.

“We are looking forward to having Tamara at Richmond.”
 

Beth Lynch signs Richmond extension​

Richmond winger/defender Beth Lynch has committed her future to Richmond, signing a new two-year contract with the Club.

Lynch, 27, has played 31 of a possible 32 AFLW games for Richmond since returning to the Club as a replacement player ahead of the 2022 season.

The former VFLW Tiger had previously spent three seasons at North Melbourne, where she played eight senior games.

Lynch had a career-best season in 2023, averaging career-highs in disposals, marks, tackles, and metres gained.

The former netballer also placed a personal-best seventh in the Tigers’ best and fairest.

Richmond Head of Women’s Football, Kate Sheahan, said that Lynch had grown and developed during her time at the Swinburne Centre.

“We were so proud of Beth when she was drafted out of our VFLW program in 2018 and were equally pleased to have the opportunity to bring her back in 2022, where she has continued to improve,” Sheahan said.

“Beth took a big step forward in her AFLW career last year and was able to stand up in important moments of games throughout the season.

“The way Beth competes and attacks the contest leaves no doubt about her intention to play her role, and she carries herself like a Richmond person on and off the field.

“Beth is a great reflection of our program, and we look forward to her continuing to expand her game across the coming seasons.”

Lynch, the younger sister of fellow Tiger, Tom Lynch, has played 39 AFLW games across six seasons.

The fresh contract extension will take Lynch to the end of her ninth AFLW campaign in 2026.
 

Tamara Luke jumps into Richmond​

Richmond has added ruck/forward Tamara Luke to its AFLW list as a replacement player.
Richmond has signed experienced ruck/forward Tamara Luke to its AFLW list for the upcoming season.

The 36-year-old former St Kilda and Hawthorn tall will bolster the Tigers’ ruck stocks as a replacement player following Montana McKinnon’s season-ending knee injury.


Having initially announced her retirement from AFLW when departing Hawthorn last year, Luke’s form at VFLW level, where she is Box Hill’s captain, remained outstanding.

Luke averaged 13 disposals and 17 hit outs per match and booted 20 goals in her 15 games with the VFLW Hawks this year.

The 180cm ruck showed her influence through the middle of the ground, notably in games against AFLW rucks. She stood out with her contested marking, strength, physicality, and competitiveness.



Richmond National Recruiting Manager Trent Mosbey said Luke would add terrific support to the Tigers’ ruck options.

“Tamara is an experienced player at AFLW level and was also a part of Hawthorn’s AFLW leadership group and has been captain at Box Hill for multiple years,” he said.

“She has displayed the values we look for in terms of professionalism, driving standards, and growth mindset and brings a skill set that we needed on our list following Montana’s unfortunate injury.

“We are looking forward to having Tamara at Richmond.”

Crikey she doesnt look like any spring chicken , hope she doesnt do a ray gun on us ,,,,good luck tam
 

Eye of the Tiger: The one thing missing from superstar’s glittering CV​

As far as individual awards go, Monique Conti has done it all. Now she wants the ultimate success for her beloved Richmond
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MONIQUE Conti might be the reigning AFLW best and fairest winner, but it all resets now.

Everyone starts back at zero, including the player deemed the best in the competition a mere eight months ago. But Conti isn't bothered, the pressure anyone else could put on her is nothing compared to the expectations she has for herself.

"Every year I know that I need to be better, and I'm never content with where I'm at," Conti told AFL.com.au.

"Definitely always room for improvement, and I've been working on all parts of my game this pre-season and yeah, really excited to see what I can do this year. But I'm more excited to see what we can all do as a collective."

Conti describes winning the AFLW equivalent to the Brownlow Medal as "overwhelming and exciting at the same time", but there wasn't a whole lot of time to reflect on the achievement in the immediate aftermath.

No, she went straight into her WNBL season, playing basketball for the Melbourne Boomers.

"There wasn't really much time to think about it and sit on it and acknowledge it," Conti said.

"But the past few months, before pre-season started, it did sort of sink in a little bit. But at the end of the day, (I'm) really grateful for the award and it is really special. But it all resets now."

At 24 years of age, Conti has already ticked off some major footy milestones. There's the AFLW best and fairest award, six club best and fairests, a premiership with the Western Bulldogs, and a Grand Final best on ground medal.
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Monique Conti poses with the AFLW best and fairest medal during the W Awards on November 27, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos
There is one thing, however, that she is still desperate to achieve.

"Premiership with Richmond," Conti says bluntly.

"All those things are individual, except the premiership of course. But what makes footy more meaningful is when you're able to do something with the girls and with the team, and something special for the club."

After spending her first two seasons with the Western Bulldogs, Conti was one of Richmond's high-profile recruitments ahead of its inaugural season in 2020, and she's been Richmond through and through ever since.
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Monique Conti kicks the ball during the AFLW R4 match between Richmond and Carlton at Ikon Park on September 23, 2023. Picture: Getty Images/AFL Photos
"It's always been really special to me," Conti said.

"You just feel so welcomed and cared for and I feel like I'm really valued at that club, and that's not easy to find everywhere. So to walk into something and know that people care about you as a person, not just as an athlete, but purely as a person is really special."

Bouncing back from last year's 10th-placed exit is at the top of the priority list for the Tigers, and it is the return of one player in particular that Conti thinks can have the biggest impact.

"We've got Ellie McKenzie healthy at the moment, which is really exciting for us and will be a huge addition," Conti said.

"We know how good we can be. We've shown it. We didn't finish where we wanted to last year, but we did end the season showing everyone how good we can be and we already knew that, but it's just a matter of staying consistent throughout the whole season.

"Because at the end of the day, it's not how great you start, or how great you finish, it's who can play consistent good footy."
 

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