AFLW West Coast Womens 2024

[AsterixTheGaul]

The best thing is how the midfield is now set up for the next few years, irrespective of what happens in other drafts. One good veteran (Drennan) one superstar (Roberts) and one very good and experienced leader (Lewis), that's the current core.

Then you've got Rowley, who's about to make the leap from new kid to established player, I think. Then Rentsch, who's still the new kid, but lots of speed and potential. And now Painter, who will probably play more forward at first, but will become the gun inside ball winner when she's ready.

That's six genuine players. Then Kavanagh, who'll probably get a season in the backline like Rentsch did, but should also get up there eventually, which makes seven. Not many AFLW teams with seven genuinely good mids, they'll just need a few years to get everyone up and going.

And no doubt future drafts will see us adding more, so the competition to get a game, and to even stay in the team, will get furious.

You can see the AFLW lists already starting to look like the AFL lists, in that every spot will soon be occupied by a genuine player. Another few drafts and all the dead wood will be gone from the women's lists. Then when all the new kids start getting experience, the standard of play transform again.

The games should start to look very different - faster and less stoppages. At present, the kicking is too short, too helicopterish and as a result, less marking. Some of the girls are looking like they are natural kicks. If we have more players that can kick like Charlie Thomas, Ella will excel when playing as a forward.

At the WAFLW games, I’ve noticed the younger girls bouncing the ball while they walk. It becomes second nature and hence we are about to see a massive skill upgrade on all lists.

The only downside is that female hockey and netball will be the losers and those cheeky cross Tasmania players are going to win more matches against us in other sports.

 

[JADED]

View attachment 2189169

Wonder if she's related to that umpire.
Sure there was/is an ump by that name.

 

[AsterixTheGaul]

Wonder if she's related to that umpire.
Sure there was/is an ump by that name.

I just want to see her scoring goals like Kenny Dalgleish - the Liverpool great

 

[eaglespremiers]

So it's
Lou-CHIA? According to her coach.

Did they get Whitney on camera? Lol

 

[AlphaSheep]

The games should start to look very different - faster and less stoppages. At present, the kicking is too short, too helicopterish and as a result, less marking. Some of the girls are looking like they are natural kicks. If we have more players that can kick like Charlie Thomas, Ella will excel when playing as a forward.

At the WAFLW games, I’ve noticed the younger girls bouncing the ball while they walk. It becomes second nature and hence we are about to see a massive skill upgrade on all lists.

The only downside is that female hockey and netball will be the losers and those cheeky cross Tasmania players are going to win more matches against us in other sports.

Problem is, the biggest AFLW games between the best teams are usually some of the worst, lots of congestion, very little scoring. We're only getting fast flowing footy when two of the worse teams are playing, or when a worse team is getting flogged by a top team.

It's just congestion -- spreading the ball into open space risks a turnover in the corridor, mostly because the women can't kick very far, so coaches go up the line again and again to contests, and it turns into rugby. I think Daisy said at the beginning of the season that a women's game had something close to three times more stoppages per minute than the men. It's ugly, and it's the main reason people won't watch women's footy.

And some point they'll figure it out, and it'll be some combination of longer kicking, faster running and better contested marking, which will let coaches become more comfortable switching play to the open side. Because if you can do that consistently, with all the defenders crowded on the wrong side, you'll win.

The signs are good with North and Hawthorn, that's how they play, but again, right now if they played each other, it would collapse into an ugly, low-scoring game because they're both too good at defence. Until those big games between the top teams start being high scoring and fast, the AFLW will struggle to get big viewing numbers.

 

[jatz14]

Problem is, the biggest AFLW games between the best teams are usually some of the worst, lots of congestion, very little scoring. We're only getting fast flowing footy when two of the worse teams are playing, or when a worse team is getting flogged by a top team.

It's just congestion -- spreading the ball into open space risks a turnover in the corridor, mostly because the women can't kick very far, so coaches go up the line again and again to contests, and it turns into rugby. I think Daisy said at the beginning of the season that a women's game had something close to three times more stoppages per minute than the men. It's ugly, and it's the main reason people won't watch women's footy.

And some point they'll figure it out, and it'll be some combination of longer kicking, faster running and better contested marking, which will let coaches become more comfortable switching play to the open side. Because if you can do that consistently, with all the defenders crowded on the wrong side, you'll win.

The signs are good with North and Hawthorn, that's how they play, but again, right now if they played each other, it would collapse into an ugly, low-scoring game because they're both too good at defence. Until those big games between the top teams start being high scoring and fast, the AFLW will struggle to get big viewing numbers.

In my opinion. Congestion is mostly a justification for not watching, not a reason.
Most people not watching because of congestion will still not watch if congestion improves, and an extreme focus on fixing congestion is misplaced imop.

Some of the factors that cause it are just consequences of the difference in physiology. Lighter women are much less likely to be able to burst out of half tackles than men. They don't kick as far.

Maybe improve dealing with congestion. Handballs under pressure for instance, mis targets to iften

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[AlphaSheep]

In my opinion. Congestion is mostly a justification for not watching, not a reason.
Most people not watching because of congestion will still not watch if congestion improves, and an extreme focus on fixing congestion is misplaced imop.

Some of the factors that cause it are just consequences of the difference in physiology. Lighter women are much less likely to be able to burst out of half tackles than men. They don't kick as far.

Maybe improve dealing with congestion. Handballs under pressure for instance, mis targets to iften

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Maybe a few, but generally I don't think so. I'm a huge AFLW fan, but I've turned off games before because they were just too ugly. I'm a fan of women's footy because of what I see it hopefully becoming, not so much because of what it is right now. Sometimes it's great, but a lot of matches I wouldn't blame anyone for turning off.

 

[AsterixTheGaul]

How to reduce congestion is a major question that needs serious work.

I am an advocate of zones like the U18 have in place. I would do it for both men and women and require 2 players from each side inside the 50m arc at both ends. That would spread the ground out significantly. It could be trialled with the AFLW like they have with the out of bounds lasso rule. Nobody other that the 4 for bouncedown is allowed inside the centre square until the ball first comes out is another rule that would work. Make it a 25m exclusion zone at any stoppage that limits it to 4 players from each side. I think the women would be better at interpreting the zones as many have had some exposure to netball.

Another rule I would change is the team prior. If you want to watch rucks and mauls, go watch rugby union. Same for the men's game. If you go in to tackle a team mate who has the ball, then that should be holding the ball on the team. If you get the ball from tackling your team mate, then that is insufficient disposal.

Nobody likes a scoreless game. The GF showed this as a joke. Lions kicked 1.1 in the first quarter and then 2 points in the next 3 quarters. The concept of there being no score to either side in the 3rd quarter was awful and conditions were really good.

That said, crap kicking and poor handpassing will bring about a ==much fumbling and scrappy football.

Do you recall the first practice game of AFLW with Eagles and Dockers and Thomas made a centre clearance and hit Ella up on a lead with a lace out pass. We the public, need more of that.

 

[Monocle]

I enjoy watching AFLW, but I don’t expect it to be the same as AFL, it’s a very different game with its own idiosyncrasies.

Those who want to compare the two games and expect the woman’s league to become as mini copy of the mens will forever be disappointed.

As others have said different physiology is a huge variable.

I enjoy and watch both the AFLW and WAFLW simply for what it is.

 

[jatz14]

The simple reality is, women don't kick as far, so to move the ball one end to a good scoring position takes 2 maybe 3 more possessions.
Even if the women's completion rate is the same as the men's, that translates to a much higher chance of the chain breaking down over 2 or 3 more possessions.

So the solution to that would be shorter grounds, but that increases congestion. So cut player numbers more. Introduce zones, give them sticks, make the ball smaller, call it hockey or something.

Or, we wait to see what continued development brings. See what women's footy evolves into.

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[Byron_Clanger]

Sorry if these have been posted already, but here are 'player highlights' of the four girls we drafted. And realised these girls were Vic Country/South Aussie teammates

 

[garlic munchers]

Sorry if these have been posted already, but here are 'player highlights' of the four girls we drafted. And realised these girls were Vic Country/South Aussie teammates

Painter is exactly what we need around the ball.

Can match it with the big girls in the middle now.

 

[Livin1989]

Painter is exactly what we need around the ball.

Can match it with the big girls in the middle now.

Except for maybe Havana Harris and Charlie Rowbottom in a few years time

 

[Livin1989]

Personally I'd omit Bushby and have Rowley instead, otherwise pretty bang on.

 

[Byron_Clanger]

View attachment 2194426
Personally I'd omit Bushby and have Rowley instead, otherwise pretty bang on.

It's refreshing to see something that someone's obviously researched and put some thought in. I couldn't cop most afl.com articles after they still thought Shannon Hurn was our captain a couple years ago.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Rowley is definitely a starter.

 

[Monocle]

Rowley is definitely a starter.

Agree.

How anyone could have either Bushby or Britton in the side ahead of Rowley is an absolute head scratcher for me and I like both Busby and Brittion, but neither are as high a quality player, or as impactful as Rowley.

 

[AlphaSheep]

View attachment 2194426
Personally I'd omit Bushby and have Rowley instead, otherwise pretty bang on.

First thing... Look at all the depth in that friggin team!

My alternative lineup;

B; Beth Schilling, Sophie McDonald
HB; Annabel Johnson, Zoe Wakfer, Bel Smith.
C; Jess Rentsch, Alison Drennan, Courtney Rowley
HF; Charlie Thomas, Ella Roberts, Amy Franklin
F; Georgie Cleaver, Kellie Gibson
Fol; Sarah Lackay, Lucia Painter, Bella Lewis

Int; Kaley Kavanagh, Emma Swanson, Charlie Riggs, Jess Hosking, Lauren Wakfer.

Midfield looks more scary now with Rentsch and Rowley on the wings.

Putting Thomas in the forward line is a risk, but we're overloaded in the backline while understrength in the forward line, have to start transfering talent from back to forward at some point, and Thomas is the most versatile, athletic option who could do it -- along with Cleaver, who's skills still need work, but hell of an athlete.

It's a tall forward line, but Roberts and Thomas are fast enough, and clean enough below their knees to play like smalls. And Roberts and Painter would be basically swapping spots between midfield and forward.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

First thing... Look at all the depth in that friggin team!

That was my takeaway too, just look at the players they couldn’t fit in.

 

[jatz14]

That was my takeaway too, just look at the players they couldn’t fit in.

We just need a season where we arent cursed by the injury gods. The talent not in the squad doesn't matter so much if your forced to play train ons, or bring in mid season players.

Brisbane had a good list, but the health of their list is overlooked as a factor in how good they have been.

 

[Livin1989]

First thing... Look at all the depth in that friggin team!

My alternative lineup;

B; Beth Schilling, Sophie McDonald
HB; Annabel Johnson, Zoe Wakfer, Bel Smith.
C; Jess Rentsch, Alison Drennan, Courtney Rowley
HF; Charlie Thomas, Ella Roberts, Amy Franklin
F; Georgie Cleaver, Kellie Gibson
Fol; Sarah Lackay, Lucia Painter, Bella Lewis

Int; Kaley Kavanagh, Emma Swanson, Charlie Riggs, Jess Hosking, Lauren Wakfer.

Midfield looks more scary now with Rentsch and Rowley on the wings.

Putting Thomas in the forward line is a risk, but we're overloaded in the backline while understrength in the forward line, have to start transfering talent from back to forward at some point, and Thomas is the most versatile, athletic option who could do it -- along with Cleaver, who's skills still need work, but hell of an athlete.

It's a tall forward line, but Roberts and Thomas are fast enough, and clean enough below their knees to play like smalls. And Roberts and Painter would be basically swapping spots between midfield and forward.

I actually bloody rate this edit now all we need is to make sure we secure Olivia Wolmarans in next year's draft to have a pillar KPF for the next 15 or so years

 

[Kegs15]

First thing... Look at all the depth in that friggin team!

My alternative lineup;

B; Beth Schilling, Sophie McDonald
HB; Annabel Johnson, Zoe Wakfer, Bel Smith.
C; Jess Rentsch, Alison Drennan, Courtney Rowley
HF; Charlie Thomas, Ella Roberts, Amy Franklin
F; Georgie Cleaver, Kellie Gibson
Fol; Sarah Lackay, Lucia Painter, Bella Lewis

Int; Kaley Kavanagh, Emma Swanson, Charlie Riggs, Jess Hosking, Lauren Wakfer.

Midfield looks more scary now with Rentsch and Rowley on the wings.

Putting Thomas in the forward line is a risk, but we're overloaded in the backline while understrength in the forward line, have to start transfering talent from back to forward at some point, and Thomas is the most versatile, athletic option who could do it -- along with Cleaver, who's skills still need work, but hell of an athlete.

It's a tall forward line, but Roberts and Thomas are fast enough, and clean enough below their knees to play like smalls. And Roberts and Painter would be basically swapping spots between midfield and forward.

I do like it - I just think Thomas has been so elite in her role that I'd be loath to potentially nerf her at all (going from 10/10 in backline to 7.5/10 in forwardline). She's such a prime mover back there and whilst we do have quality down back I don't think anyone else really offers what she does yet.

This probably is less lineup and more in-game structure but as you say with a stacked backline and needing to transfer talent to our forwardline I'd rather do that in waves rather than a position swap.

For instance:
- Thomas getting a bit more midfield time, giving Roberts more time forward.
- Rentsch more time midfield plus Painter and Kavanagh giving Lewis time to add a second string to her bow as a tough small forward (something I think she needs to do in future regardless)
- a bit more of a certain ruck situation eg Lakay gets her fitness up to be able to ruck more than half a game, Lakfer gets to settle more as a proper forward
- playing Riggs as a fulltime forward if she's not needed in the backline
- hopefully a draftee like Dalgleish coming on or Roux stepping up.


The midfield depth will be huge IMO - with players hopefully being squeezed out of the center at times quality should be able to move forward, even if it's not always the same player providing that quality for 100% of the game.

 

[WCE777]

I do like it - I just think Thomas has been so elite in her role that I'd be loath to potentially nerf her at all (going from 10/10 in backline to 7.5/10 in forwardline). She's such a prime mover back there and whilst we do have quality down back I don't think anyone else really offers what she does yet.

This probably is less lineup and more in-game structure but as you say with a stacked backline and needing to transfer talent to our forwardline I'd rather do that in waves rather than a position swap.

For instance:
- Thomas getting a bit more midfield time, giving Roberts more time forward.
- Rentsch more time midfield plus Painter and Kavanagh giving Lewis time to add a second string to her bow as a tough small forward (something I think she needs to do in future regardless)
- a bit more of a certain ruck situation eg Lakay gets her fitness up to be able to ruck more than half a game, Lakfer gets to settle more as a proper forward
- playing Riggs as a fulltime forward if she's not needed in the backline
- hopefully a draftee like Dalgleish coming on or Roux stepping up.


The midfield depth will be huge IMO - with players hopefully being squeezed out of the center at times quality should be able to move forward, even if it's not always the same player providing that quality for 100% of the game.

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