Review Round 1 Showdown v Port at Alberton Oval

[brucetiki]

Port v Adelaide
Saturday 31 August
7:15pm
Alberton Oval

AFLW season is here, and we kick off the season with an away Showdown - and our first trip to Alberton.

We come into the game off a strong pre-season, winning both pre-season games. It’s the dawn of a new era for the side with new co-captains.

Port will continue to trash their AFL heritage by donning the Prison Bars of their wooden spoon winning SANFL side. To be honest, it’s possible Port’s AFLW side might make it 2 out of 3 Port sides collecting wooden spoons this season.

I can’t see us missing a beat going into the season, and this should be a solid win to start the season off.

 

[cmndstab]

Last season, Port were in front at half time in the same fixture. Fingers crossed we can put our foot down this time and launch the season with a bang.

 

[Dirty Bird]

Just a reminder to those attending - Chairs not allowed inside for the showdown

 

[jenny61_99]

So I’m coming down for the game… someone tell me what to expect at Alberton? I don’t recall ever going there for a footy match before.

 

[GreyCrow]

Suburban ground bordered by houses. Parking used to be a squeeze but apparently homeowners are paying people to park in their driveways its that dire

Open space to the left of the main building - grandstand on the other side but mostly open ie wear shades etc

Depends on the mood but it should be safe to attend

Food vans etc - not sure of the AFLW set up but I would expect amenities to be open

 

[brucetiki]

Port are putting temporary seating on the northern wing, to complement the Williams and Quinn stands on the southern side.

Port's cheer squad normally sit at the western end of the ground, so if you're looking for safety in numbers, the eastern end will be for you (noting Alberton is an east-west alignment).

Alberton train station is a short walk from the ground. Parking is on par with Norwood/Unley.

Being an AFLW match I don't think there will be an issue with crowd behaviour, even for a Showdown.

 

[Firewalker]

AFLW: Injury Update Round One

The latest on Adelaide's injured players ahead of the opening round

www.afc.com.au

Gould facing a fitness test, says they’ll give her every chance but sounds touch and go, will be a massive loss as we saw in that trial game as one of Biddell or Prowse has to go forward… or Tarlinton

Munyard out after she hurt herself in the trial, massively unlucky for her given she looked in very good touch. Charlton only a week away is better news.

 

[Scorpus]

Squad of 30, at least four on the injury list, means the side almost picks itself.

Shows how limited the list is really

 

[cmndstab]

I genuinely forgot Brooke Smith was still on the list.

Good to see Charlton is only a week away! She's pretty important to us I reckon.

My gut feeling is that Gould plays this weekend.

Squad of 30, at least four on the injury list, means the side almost picks itself.

Shows how limited the list is really

Rachelle Martin originally found her way into our side because we literally couldn't field 21 players at one point in 2020. Doesn't take too many injuries to leave you with an empty cupboard in AFLW.

 

[PorPleaseYa]

Hi all. After a couple of years of lurking this board I've decided to finally log back into this thing (I can't believe I remembered my old password) as there's not really anywhere else to chat aflw. Can't wait for the season to kick off, finally some decent footy to look forward to

 

[Firewalker]

AFLW: Boileau to debut

The midfielder/forward was selected at the 2023 AFLW National Draft

www.afc.com.au

Boileau’s debut confirmed

 

[cmndstab]

AFLW: Boileau to debut

The midfielder/forward was selected at the 2023 AFLW National Draft

www.afc.com.au

Boileau’s debut confirmed

Fair enough too, based on the one quarter or so I got to watch of her before I missed the rest of the livestream

I was going to say that it was our first round 1 debut since Teah Charlton, but a quick check reminded me that I had forgotten about Jas Simmons (but how could I?)

 

[Slime Roy]

AFLW: Injury Update Round One

The latest on Adelaide's injured players ahead of the opening round

www.afc.com.au

Gould facing a fitness test, says they’ll give her every chance but sounds touch and go, will be a massive loss as we saw in that trial game as one of Biddell or Prowse has to go forward… or Tarlinton

Munyard out after she hurt herself in the trial, massively unlucky for her given she looked in very good touch. Charlton only a week away is better news.

Think we can afford to swing the magnets around this week...it is only a praccy after all

 

[Firewalker]

Think we can afford to swing the magnets around this week...it is only a praccy after all

Cliché thing to say I know but 12th months on with another pre-season under their belts, with Kirsty Lamb & Shineah Goody helping carry the load with Dowrick in the midfield it’s reason to be slightly cautious as the Crows can be vulnerable when their one wood (midfield dominance/clearances) gets taken away. Also need to make sure they get the right match up on Gemma Houghton as she is where all their attacks go through, wouldn’t be a surprise to see Prowse given the early go on her given Houghton’s athleticism/ability to push up the ground and run back to goal.

Think it will come down to Jess Allan limiting Scholz in the ruck and helping win that clearance battle and just locking it in Port’s half of the ground and taking advantage of the Ponter & Jones match-ups and trying to play as much of the ball through those two as possible.

 

[cmndstab]

Cliché thing to say I know but 12th months on with another pre-season under their belts, with Kirsty Lamb & Shineah Goody helping carry the load with Dowrick in the midfield it’s reason to be slightly cautious as the Crows can be vulnerable when their one wood (midfield dominance/clearances) gets taken away. Also need to make sure they get the right match up on Gemma Houghton as she is where all their attacks go through, wouldn’t be a surprise to see Prowse given the early go on her given Houghton’s athleticism/ability to push up the ground and run back to goal.

Think it will come down to Jess Allan limiting Scholz in the ruck and helping win that clearance battle and just locking it in Port’s half of the ground and taking advantage of the Ponter & Jones match-ups and trying to play as much of the ball through those two as possible.

Port have some damn good players now, but I'll admit I'm less concerned about them with Young and Tahau injured. Still, I expect them to be at least mid-table this year.

As usual, I'm sure the Crows will get plenty of ball, but our issue will be converting it into a score. Previously we have prevailed over the mid-table sides by just wearing them down with sheer volume of inside 50s until they crack, but it would be much better if we could be efficient inside 50. Hopefully Boileau will be a part of that. Gould, Ponter, Jones, Boileau, Waterhouse, and some rotating option of Hatchard/Randall/Charlton/Munyard/Martin is a pretty damn good forward line on paper. I also like your idea earlier of trying Tonon in the forward line, she's a decent mark and a good kick.

 

[Firewalker]

Port have some damn good players now, but I'll admit I'm less concerned about them with Young and Tahau injured. Still, I expect them to be at least mid-table this year.

As usual, I'm sure the Crows will get plenty of ball, but our issue will be converting it into a score. Previously we have prevailed over the mid-table sides by just wearing them down with sheer volume of inside 50s until they crack, but it would be much better if we could be efficient inside 50. Hopefully Boileau will be a part of that. Gould, Ponter, Jones, Boileau, Waterhouse, and some rotating option of Hatchard/Randall/Charlton/Munyard/Martin is a pretty damn good forward line on paper. I also like your idea earlier of trying Tonon in the forward line, she's a decent mark and a good kick.

Agree lack of evenness of output/quality from their bottom 10 might hurt them still but still some quality there, Crows have got to make sure they limit the damage of those three accumulator midfielders I mentioned as they are the sort of players that have managed to get big numbers against them previously.

Will be an interesting setup if a Dowrick or Lamb get on top in there who they look to play a more defensive role on one of them, last year they ended up putting Ballard on Dowrick after she got off the chain a bit. Feel the outside players will have fair important role on the weekend, both Kelly and Newman are really a great point of difference to have against these sides like Port that are more heavily contested based/focused. Interesting also if Biddell or S.Allan take Saint, if they want S.Allan floating around you’d imagine Biddell gets the job.

 

[dplggr47]

Teams named. No Gould. Varnhaged, Kusterman named.

 

[Scorpus]

Surprised Varnhagen made the side but I guess we might have run out of fit players.

Like that we've got Goodwin, Kustermann, Levy and Boileau in there. No point leaving our young talents out, it's the only way we improve

 

[Scorpus]

Actually reckon it's pretty close to our best side.

I'm not sure the club would think so, they'd probably want Najwa Allen, Hannah Munyard and Abbie Ballard in there.

When fit I'd bring in Gould and Charlton for Varnhagen and one of Martin or Waterhouse. Rest of the side looks good.

 

[Firewalker]

Yeah no Gould is a huge out, team looks quite unbalanced without her there, how they cover it will be interesting do they try to ‘rob Peter to pay Paul’ again and throw Biddell up there?, put Randall up forward again? or just play small ball? imagine they might just get Ponter to play that D.Jarman ‘take the centre bounce drift to full-forward’ role and just hope for the best. With Port’s 3 tall forward setup (Saint, Houghton & Teakle) it would be a dangerous play to take Biddell or Prowse out of the defence, I suppose you could maybe go back to the future and use Randall on Houghton to try to orchestrate that move if they are desperate for that extra tall.

No other surprises given injuries mean Kustermann and Varnhagen probably ‘Bradbury’ their way into the team, unfortunate time to get injured for Henry a couple of weeks ago as could’ve maybe also debuted. Team also has no excuse but to play Tonon up forward so hopefully that actually happens.

 

[jenny61_99]

Our game not showing up on Kayo?

 

[Firewalker]

Fact Tarlinton couldn’t even get a gig with Gould out says quite a lot actually, strange selection which ever recruiter plucked her out from the wilderness.

 

[cmndstab]

Yeah, no Tarlinton even with Gould out is very telling.

Isn't Henry injured? Named as an emergency.

 

[Firewalker]

Yeah, no Tarlinton even with Gould out is very telling.

Isn't Henry injured? Named as an emergency.

They said earlier in week she was available but you’d have to think she was probably just the least injured of the others available for that 3rd emergency spot.

 

[PorPleaseYa]

Very interested to see how the forward line shapes up without Gould, a bit worried that it will mean Ponter won't see any midfield time which would be a shame as she adds a real point of difference in there. Been some great contested marking so far this round, would love to see EJ clunk a few.