AFLW Round 9 - 2023 AFLW season

[Teen Wolf]

Friday, 27 October

Gold Coast v GWS Giants
6.45pm AEST, Heritage Bank Stadium
7two (NSW, QLD)


Saturday, 28 October

Melbourne v Fremantle
1.05pm AEDT, Casey Fields
7two (WA)

St Kilda v Brisbane
3.05pm AEDT, RSEA Park
7two (QLD)

Essendon v Carlton
3.05pm AEDT, Windy Hill

West Coast v W. Bulldogs
2.05pm AWST, Mineral Resources Park
7two (WA)

Richmond v Geelong
7.15pm AEDT, Ikon Park
7mate (VIC, SA, WA, NSW, QLD)


Sunday, 29 October

Sydney v Collingwood
1.05pm, Henson Park
7mate (VIC, NSW)

Adelaide v North Melb.
2.35pm ACDT, Norwood Oval
7mate (VIC, SA)

Hawthorn v Port Adelaide
5.05pm AEDT, Kinetic Stadium
7mate (SA)


It has heated RIGHT up. While we're all probably convinced the top 4 is settled, the positioning within it is well and truly up for grabs. And as for the race for the top 8... oh the race indeed. This weekend's matchups of Ess-Carl, Rich-Geel and Syd-Coll will be pivotal. Should just expect Gold Coast to bank a win against GWS, but last week's results suggest it might not be that simple.

Hawthorn v Port Adelaide provides the opportunity for supporters of the losing club to reiterate the "we shouldn't have appointed a token coach" stance, as many seem so desperate to do.

And while the Bulldogs have had a much worse year than my underwhelming 4-6 W-L prediction, I still can't imagine them losing to West Coast in a season where Michael Prior is terminated.

 

[petits]

We're gonna smash em (jokes, I have no idea).

I love the tightness of the middle this season, and the upsets - after some people in the early weeks thought there were going to be a lot of one-sided matches, it's actually been great.

Haven't tipped for weeks but I'm going to go tip, just to say I think West Coast have got it.

 

[Arwib]

Pride game on Sunday with the Reclink Community Cup after, hopefully the weather is nice and the whole thing is huge

 

[Teen Wolf]

All games on Saturday and Sunday are forecast to have practically perfect weather.

Friday on the Gold Coast is supposed to be a little wet throughout the day, but still expected to clear up by game time.

 

[Teen Wolf]

When the Giants are involved in streaks with other teams, it's usually in a bad way--they are 0-6 vs BL, 0-4 vs NM, lost their last 5 vs Melb, and lost their first 5 vs Carlton. But they have a 4-0 record against the Suns. This will be the first time they'll meet at Carrara, with their only other Queensland game played in Mackay.

It'll also be the first crack Gold Coast get at an Alyce Parker-less Giants. Parker has polled votes in all 4 previous encounters (3, 3, 2 and 1), which says all you need to know... or so we thought, until GWS came up big without her last week, pulling off a classic Zarlie Goldsworthy-inspired victory.

Was the Suns' draw against Port Adelaide last week a matter of complacency? Or was it the start of them doing what they do every season, i.e. die in the arse. Since their R3 win against an inaccurate Collingwood, their only wins have been by 4 points over the Bulldogs and by 1 point (after the sirenish) against Richmond.

Thankfully, if Gold Coast blow this opportunity to take a big step towards finals tonight, I finally feel I have the freedom to criticise such underperformance, now that Kane Cornes says it's ok. Because previously, like everybody else, I only ever pointed out the good stuff when talking about AFLW.

 

[Connar]

At 3:15 pm AEST tomorrow, Lisa Webb will be congratulated after a brilliant win and all the fans will have something to look forward to after Round 10 then history in the making during Season 9!

 

[Teen Wolf]

These coaches, I just shakes me head.

With 30 seconds left in Q1, Gold Coast had 41 HANDBALLS vs the Giants' 37 DISPOSALS.

 

[Teen Wolf]

So at most the Suns will miss finals by 2 points. Win next week and they'll get a home final (a final in QLD, who knows if their regular ground will be available).

In the latter scenario, the chances of a Collingwood v Essendon/Carlton 5v8 final are decent. And whether it's Essendon or Carlton would obviously largely hinge on their meeting tomorrow at Windy Hill.

Could it be the Pies finally get a game at Victoria Park against the old enemy (whichever one). And then a week later, in a poetically just turn of events, they're sent to face Melbourne at Casey Fields for the first time (the Dees would have to lose their QF for that to happen).

 

[Teen Wolf]

If most were happy with Monique Conti winning the AFLPA MVP last year, it really has to go to Charlie Rowbottom this year. Assuming she plays next week, and plays well, few other players will ever carry anywhere near as much dead weight to a home final.

A couple weeks ago I said it will go to Kate Hore, but that was before she squibbed it up against the Crows. Maybe that won't matter--the players have hardly proven themselves to be better judges than the umpires (for most recent example, see Randall somehow winning Best Captain last season).

Were Garner to have a big one tomorrow and get North Melbourne over the line against Adelaide, that might put her back into contention. But for now, considering last week's performance, surely not.

And while the Bulldogs have had a much worse year than my underwhelming 4-6 W-L prediction,

Just checked, I actually had them going 5-5. It was Collingwood for whom I predicted a 4-6 win-loss record.

 

[Cdog71]

If most were happy with Monique Conti winning the AFLPA MVP last year, it really has to go to Charlie Rowbottom this year. Assuming she plays next week, and plays well, few other players will ever carry anywhere near as much dead weight to a home final.

I hope they keep building their list and start developing Rowbottom in different roles.
They just seem to be using her as a bulldozer at stoppages to win games, which I get. It’s about winning.
But she’s been playing exactly the same way since she started.

Jas Garner is my fav player and I hope she wins it. It’s only Hatchard that’s close to how quickly and fluently she thinks and acts without being unusually explosive and dynamic like a Molloy or Conti.
All of those are threats to the scoreboard and can help with Fwd transition.
That’s something GC should do for Rowbottom I think, she’s going to end up sore if all she can do is bang at stoppage.

 

[Teen Wolf]

I hope they keep building their list and start developing Rowbottom in different roles.
They just seem to be using her as a bulldozer at stoppages to win games, which I get. It’s about winning.
But she’s been playing exactly the same way since she started.

Doesn't seem like her role is the issue, to me. More so that she feeds it out (while tackled by 2 opponents) to one of the dopey teammates (such as Bella, Brancatisano, Drennan) in the open. Dopey teammate freezes like a deer in the headlights... then handballs backwards to Whitfort who is marked. Repeat stoppage, unnecessarily increases Rowbottom's workload.

Jas Garner is my fav player and I hope she wins it. It’s only Hatchard that’s close to how quickly and fluently she thinks and acts without being unusually explosive and dynamic like a Molloy or Conti.

She's already won it, in 2020. To win it twice without ever having played in a grand final would be strange (and unprecedented for both women's and men's comps).

Ftr I wouldn't say Hatchard is either less explosive or a faster thinker than Maddy Prespakis.

 

[Cdog71]

Doesn't seem like her role is the issue, to me. More so that she feeds it out (while tackled by 2 opponents) to one of the dopey teammates (such as Bella, Brancatisano, Drennan) in the open. Dopey teammate freezes like a deer in the headlights... then handballs backwards to Whitfort who is marked. Repeat stoppage, unnecessarily increases Rowbottom's workload.


She's already won it, in 2020. To win it twice without ever having played in a grand final would be strange (and unprecedented for both women's and men's comps).

Ftr I wouldn't say Hatchard is either less explosive or a faster thinker than Maddy Prespakis.

Yep, they don’t take the game on enough probably.
The amount of times Egan and Conti get done for holding the ball at first gets annoying but its just weight of numbers…kicking 5/6 goals, your going to be there at the end.

Your right about Prespakis she’s great.
Hatchard does cheat a little more and slip forward, probably says more about the exp in the team though I spose

 

[Connar]

3/4 Time headline: What a brilliant fightback at Freo keeps them well in the finals race!

 

[Teen Wolf]

Goalkicking leaderboard comes up on the screen, which btw is:
20 Zanker
19 Hore
15 Stanton
14 Gould, Ponter, T. Randall, Scheer

Commentary goes something like: "You wonder who could catch the Melbourne players. Stanton perhaps."
"Yeah maybe Stanton can have another big day out."

Rrrrriiiiiight, Stanton's the big threat there. It's not the players with an extra game in hand, and finish the season against teams like WC/WB/Haw.

 

[CURVE]

I wonder if the umpires are going to pull a free kick out their arse so Carlton don't finish the game scoreless.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Bloody hell, wish hawthorn was fortunate enough to draw carlton

 

[CURVE]

Saints close to causing one of the biggest upsets in AFLW history. Not so much the win, but the margin.

 

[CURVE]

Right now, the Saints have the win, but have also got their percentage over 100. Amazing result.

 

[CURVE]

Two late goals saved some face for Lions, but that was a great four quarter performance from the Saints.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Jesse Wardlaw has been exposed... as the real deal. Ashleigh Richards, come on down for your Rising Star Nomination certificate.

With the way things have gone for Brisbane this year, I'm expecting them to bounce back and win next week. But as it stands, 4th place is suddenly a very realistic chance of going to any one of four teams (BL, Ess, GC and Coll).

 

[Teen Wolf]

Which AFLW player has played under the most number of head coaches?

Think it's gotta be Kellie Gibson: Goddard (8 games) > Cowan (1 game) > Cooper (7 games) > Dwyer (6 games) > Pratt (9 games) > Prior (17 games) > New guy (1 game).

 

[Teen Wolf]

Trailing by just 2 goals at QT is a good result for Richmond, given the lack of intensity they started with.

Fremantle, despite having the biggest hill to climb, came out this afternoon and actually looked interested by the prospect of keeping their season alive. Tigers tonight, and Blues earlier, not so much.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Mah gawd have I seen some shots missed today.

Chloe Scheer, winner of Mark of the Year? Yes. Absolutely... Last year, that is. But still, this was a goody:




Photographer should've got a ripping pic of that.

 

[Teen Wolf]

I wish I could say these first 3 quarters have been a surprise. But sadly, it's been true to form of both teams for the past 4-5 weeks. I will be a bit surprised if Richmond don't make a big 4th quarter push here though.

Greiser 5 touches, 0 marks, 0 tackles. Vying for worst recruit of the year status. On an unrelated note, Sabrina Frederick has picked up 15 coaches' votes in the past fortnight (and a 5 earlier in the season).

 

[Teen Wolf]

I will be a bit surprised if Richmond don't make a big 4th quarter push here though.

They kicked a goal. I guess that counts as a big push, in comparison.

And so the Tigers join the Dockers and Blues on the scrapheap of "still mathematical chances, but no real hope" in terms of making finals.

Geelong will be the envy of a lot of teams next week, as they get to play Hawthorn. Big chance to boost the percentage, and therefore jump into 6th spot and possibly send Brisbane to as low as 7th on the ladder.