Analysis 2021 midseason review

[John Who]

With 4 rounds remaining and 1 GF to play out, we're literally half way through the season after 5 rounds! It has been quite pleasing to see the general improvements across the AFLW comp, and certainly pleasing to see us improve as a unit, compared with the mediocre team that was produced in 2020!

Players that have impressed:
1. Scheer - absolute gem of a player, and has all the skill sets to become an elite player very soon. Hopefully she'll peak by the end of this AFLW season! And remaining at peak for many more years! Probably already in our top 10 important players, if not possibly in the top 5.

2. Charlton - she seems to be improving with each match, and the recent 2 goal haul in round 5, shows she is quite a versatile player. Looks to be quite clean with her hands and has some genuine footy smarts.

3. Rachelle Martin - love her "see ball, hunt ball" attitude! Absolutely fearless, and seems to be the type to give her all by the last minute of the last quarters.

4. Woodland - still a work in progress, but I'm really liking her marking ability as well as her agility for a tall person. If she can improve her kicking for goals, then she could be regular 2-goal forward that we need once Erin retires.

Umpiring
I was seeing some overall improvements in the first few rounds this year, compared with the woeful umpiring standards in the previous years. Unfortunately, the umpiring standards have dropped in the last couple of games. A lot of imaginary calls (against us), and non-calls (for us) which have dampened our wins somewhat. Might seem like me being a sour grape, but I think this is quite relevant in the makeup of the top 2 teams, and a high percentage appears to be absolutely crucial. Umpiring standards and biases need to improve to say the least!

The teams to beat:
Here is the AFLW ladder after 5 rounds (only including teams that are still likely in the Finals race):
1. Collingwood 5W 211.5%
2. Brisbane 4W 246.2%
3. Fremantle 4W 224.4%
4. Crows 4W 202.6%
5. Bulldogs 4W 135.2%
6. Kangaroos 3W 156.3%
7. Melbourne 3W 105.3%

All the other teams are only 0-2 wins, and with inferior percentages, mathematically are likely to be out of Finals contention. This year appears to be more enthralling than the recent years, with more teams competing well, and whoever gets to the GF, looks like they both would fair dinkum deserve it!
We are certainly thereabouts, but will need to continue to improve our goal kicking efficiency to be a serious threat. Looking forward to hearing more thoughts on how the season has been so far.

 

[cmndstab]

I'll do a brief summary of my thoughts on each of our players this year because, hey, what else are you going to do at 2AM on a Monday night? I'll limit it to players who have actually played a game this season.

#1 Caitlin Gould - I thought she was impressive as the lead ruck when she got her chance in round 5. Was our best ruck in her only other match, our loss to Freo, too. Needs to do a bit more around the ground but she moves very nice for a tall.

#2 Eloise Jones - She has had a "nearly" season, doing a lot right but not quite making it stick. She is scary to watch on the field sometimes because it seems like she's going to run through someone every time she gets near the ball! Probably not quite doing enough at the moment but she has all the tools. I wouldn't mind seeing her play a bit closer to goals.

#3 Angela Foley - She has just kept up her usual standard of being consistently above average without being top-shelf. Useful player without being a star.

#4 Chloe Scheer - If she can keep her body right, we have one hell of a player on our hands here. I still think she's the most natural footballer on our list and has now shown that she can play both forward and midfield. Still only 21 years old, too.

#5 Rachelle Martin - It's a shame we've only got to see her once this season. She really highlights the value of quick hands, her ability to snatch at a ball and dish it off by hand is as good as anyone in our side. She adds a real point of difference in our midfield, other than Phillips nobody in there has the hands she does, and even Phillips doesn't usually do it at the bottom of a pack. Obviously she has her limitations, most notably her size and inability to kick it long, but she will be very valuable dishing off to the likes of Hatchard, Marinoff and Phillips.

#6 Hannah Button - Has just slotted back in like she was never gone. Her tackling is obviously her strongest point and she plays her dual role with Mules very well.

#7 Nikki Gore - Not sure if others will agree with me, but I actually like her playing down back. She's a pretty classy user and not afraid to hurt an opponent with a crunching tackle. The midfield and wings are pretty stacked at the moment so this gives her a regular spot and I think she's done alright.

#8 Najwa Allen - A bit like Gore, Allen is being played out of her natural position just because the midfield/wing are stacked full of players, and I think she's been pretty good. She's got better as the season has progressed.

#10 Ebony Marinoff - I think Marinoff tends to get marked harshly around here. Not always the greatest user, but that's what you get from a primarily inside mid, and it is useful to have someone who can roost it long if needed. She's averaging more touches than in any previous seasons, although her tackling is a touch behind pace. Her 119 possession puts her only two touches behind Bonnici and Davey's 121 for most in the comp this year. Still goes at more than 2:1 kick to handball ratio, too. I think she's been very good.

#11 Rhiannon Metcalfe - I've got to admit, she's been much better this season than I expected. Nothing special, but has held her own in the ruck and got a reasonable amount of ball. She looks fitter than in previous seasons. I think she's feeling the pressure from below, with Gould clearly snapping at her heels and McKinnon waiting in the wings.

#12 Chelsea Biddell - I'm not sold on Biddell. She reminds me of a more mobile Perkins, can take a nice mark and can kick a long goal, but doesn't quite do enough of either. When she isn't marking it, she's generally not contributing. I don't have her in the starting side.

#13 Erin Phillips - What can you say that hasn't already been said? Nobody plays the role of starting in the middle and then creeping forward better than her. Averaging just a tick below 20 touches and 2 goals per match, and reliably takes a contested mark each quarter. Continues to rack up head-high free kicks too which must infuriate her opponents, haha. She's the equal leading goalscorer so far this season and 14th in the comp overall for number of disposals. She's got to be a smokey for the season MVP, if she finishes strong. Who knows how much longer we'll have her for but we need to take advantage of it and win another premiership or two.

#14 Stevie-Lee Thompson - Not really sure what to make of Thompson's season. It seems that after 2020 they gave up on her being a forward, probably for the best since she got worked out. She has gone back and seems to win enough ball, but she's probably next on the chopping block if we get another quality defender back. She'd be watching Varnhagen and Cox's rehab nervously.

#15 Danielle Ponter - Much like 2020, she's been patchy. She has too much talent to be as ineffective as she has been. I hope her continued presence in NT (the only player still under that arrangement, I believe) isn't hurting her. We need her to come good over the next couple of years as Phillips finishes up.

#16 Ailish Considine - Her athletic traits are no longer enough to earn her a regular spot in our side, given the emergence of our young mids. I suspect her AFL journey may be over, but at least she'll go back to Ireland with a premiership under her belt!

#17 Madison Newman - Not sure if she is being played out of position, but she is another who just doesn't ever seem to quite do enough. I'm not sure I see a future for her in our side.

#19 Jessica Sedunary - It was nice to see her back and kicking a goal against her old side, but I'm also not sure she has a place in our side. She didn't seem to have the pace she showed in 2017 and without that, she just doesn't have enough weapons.

#20 Hannah Munyard - The talent is there but she's not putting it together yet. She looks like a footballer but she's still so young, perhaps in a year's time she'll be ready to impact on matches.

#22 Lisa Whiteley - She has had the misfortune of having a passing resemblance to Cramey and the same number, and the comparison has not been kind to her. She's been alright in her role down back but somehow I don't trust her against the real quality players.

#23 Justine Mules - Probably the only player from our initial list that you can say has improved every single season she's played. She's even starting to take the occasional pack mark now! Love her in that niggling tagger role and she is starting to hurt clubs the other way as well. It's just a shame she can't kick it further than 30m.

#24 Ashleigh Woodland - Woodland has been a few poor set shots away from being a revelation. Other than Phillips, she is easily the most consistent forward in our team, leads to the ball beautiful and has sticky hands. If she could convert her chances and move towards being a 2.0 per a game player rather than a 1.1 per game player, she could be very handy.

#25 Teah Charlton - Has done enough to hold her spot so far in her debut season. She has some tricks! Seems tough as boots too, which will help, she isn't scared to hurt someone with a tackle. Definitely something there worth persisting with.

#26 Chelsea Randall - I'm not really sure why they have decided to "sacrifice" her game by moving her forward this year, but she's been good nonetheless. She's really more of a high half-forward, I guess. It is handy having an extra player in that zone when the opposition is trying to rebound from our F50, her closing speed and marking ability is phenomenal. Unfortunately, she's not a great set shot. I'd prefer to see her down back, but hey, put Chelsea Randall in any position on the ground and she'll more than earn her keep. I just adore watching her play.

#27 Renee Forth - Got to be nearing the end for Renee. She'll be 35 by next season. Handy depth and obviously talented, but another one that just doesn't quite do enough.

#32 Marijana Rajcic - Better than 2020, not as good as 2019. She is defending better than last year, although that may have more to do with our overall structure. She still hasn't got back to her 2019 form in terms of hurting the opposition the other way, but at least her opponent isn't getting off the tether anymore. That's allowed us to release Randall up forward, which is a luxury, I guess.

#33 Anne Hatchard - A little down on the past two seasons, but still a very useful player. Her disposal efficiency has been down a bit this year, perhaps because she is actually kicking more than handballing for the first time in her career. Even with her slightly down, she's still been very handy.

#39 Sarah Allan - My second-favourite player. You could set your watch by Allan, she's so consistent. Cool as a cucumber, marks the ball very well, and uses it beautifully. Not daunted by playing on the opponent's best forward and racks up midfield numbers. Never gives away a free, either. Seriously, she's on zero frees against so far this season. With Randall out of the defensive 50, she'll win the award for our best defensive player again, and fair enough. Still only 23 years old!

 

[John Who]

I'll do a brief summary of my thoughts on each of our players this year because, hey, what else are you going to do at 2AM on a Monday night? I'll limit it to players who have actually played a game this season.

#1 Caitlin Gould - I thought she was impressive as the lead ruck when she got her chance in round 5. Was our best ruck in her only other match, our loss to Freo, too. Needs to do a bit more around the ground but she moves very nice for a tall.

#2 Eloise Jones - She has had a "nearly" season, doing a lot right but not quite making it stick. She is scary to watch on the field sometimes because it seems like she's going to run through someone every time she gets near the ball! Probably not quite doing enough at the moment but she has all the tools. I wouldn't mind seeing her play a bit closer to goals.

#3 Angela Foley - She has just kept up her usual standard of being consistently above average without being top-shelf. Useful player without being a star.

#4 Chloe Scheer - If she can keep her body right, we have one hell of a player on our hands here. I still think she's the most natural footballer on our list and has now shown that she can play both forward and midfield. Still only 21 years old, too.

#5 Rachelle Martin - It's a shame we've only got to see her once this season. She really highlights the value of quick hands, her ability to snatch at a ball and dish it off by hand is as good as anyone in our side. She adds a real point of difference in our midfield, other than Phillips nobody in there has the hands she does, and even Phillips doesn't usually do it at the bottom of a pack. Obviously she has her limitations, most notably her size and inability to kick it long, but she will be very valuable dishing off to the likes of Hatchard, Marinoff and Phillips.

#6 Hannah Button - Has just slotted back in like she was never gone. Her tackling is obviously her strongest point and she plays her dual role with Mules very well.

#7 Nikki Gore - Not sure if others will agree with me, but I actually like her playing down back. She's a pretty classy user and not afraid to hurt an opponent with a crunching tackle. The midfield and wings are pretty stacked at the moment so this gives her a regular spot and I think she's done alright.

#8 Najwa Allen - A bit like Gore, Allen is being played out of her natural position just because the midfield/wing are stacked full of players, and I think she's been pretty good. She's got better as the season has progressed.

#10 Ebony Marinoff - I think Marinoff tends to get marked harshly around here. Not always the greatest user, but that's what you get from a primarily inside mid, and it is useful to have someone who can roost it long if needed. She's averaging more touches than in any previous seasons, although her tackling is a touch behind pace. Her 119 possession puts her only two touches behind Bonnici and Davey's 121 for most in the comp this year. Still goes at more than 2:1 kick to handball ratio, too. I think she's been very good.

#11 Rhiannon Metcalfe - I've got to admit, she's been much better this season than I expected. Nothing special, but has held her own in the ruck and got a reasonable amount of ball. She looks fitter than in previous seasons. I think she's feeling the pressure from below, with Gould clearly snapping at her heels and McKinnon waiting in the wings.

#12 Chelsea Biddell - I'm not sold on Biddell. She reminds me of a more mobile Perkins, can take a nice mark and can kick a long goal, but doesn't quite do enough of either. When she isn't marking it, she's generally not contributing. I don't have her in the starting side.

#13 Erin Phillips - What can you say that hasn't already been said? Nobody plays the role of starting in the middle and then creeping forward better than her. Averaging just a tick below 20 touches and 2 goals per match, and reliably takes a contested mark each quarter. Continues to rack up head-high free kicks too which must infuriate her opponents, haha. She's the equal leading goalscorer so far this season and 14th in the comp overall for number of disposals. She's got to be a smokey for the season MVP, if she finishes strong. Who knows how much longer we'll have her for but we need to take advantage of it and win another premiership or two.

#14 Stevie-Lee Thompson - Not really sure what to make of Thompson's season. It seems that after 2020 they gave up on her being a forward, probably for the best since she got worked out. She has gone back and seems to win enough ball, but she's probably next on the chopping block if we get another quality defender back. She'd be watching Varnhagen and Cox's rehab nervously.

#15 Danielle Ponter - Much like 2020, she's been patchy. She has too much talent to be as ineffective as she has been. I hope her continued presence in NT (the only player still under that arrangement, I believe) isn't hurting her. We need her to come good over the next couple of years as Phillips finishes up.

#16 Ailish Considine - Her athletic traits are no longer enough to earn her a regular spot in our side, given the emergence of our young mids. I suspect her AFL journey may be over, but at least she'll go back to Ireland with a premiership under her belt!

#17 Madison Newman - Not sure if she is being played out of position, but she is another who just doesn't ever seem to quite do enough. I'm not sure I see a future for her in our side.

#19 Jessica Sedunary - It was nice to see her back and kicking a goal against her old side, but I'm also not sure she has a place in our side. She didn't seem to have the pace she showed in 2017 and without that, she just doesn't have enough weapons.

#20 Hannah Munyard - The talent is there but she's not putting it together yet. She looks like a footballer but she's still so young, perhaps in a year's time she'll be ready to impact on matches.

#22 Lisa Whiteley - She has had the misfortune of having a passing resemblance to Cramey and the same number, and the comparison has not been kind to her. She's been alright in her role down back but somehow I don't trust her against the real quality players.

#23 Justine Mules - Probably the only player from our initial list that you can say has improved every single season she's played. She's even starting to take the occasional pack mark now! Love her in that niggling tagger role and she is starting to hurt clubs the other way as well. It's just a shame she can't kick it further than 30m.

#24 Ashleigh Woodland - Woodland has been a few poor set shots away from being a revelation. Other than Phillips, she is easily the most consistent forward in our team, leads to the ball beautiful and has sticky hands. If she could convert her chances and move towards being a 2.0 per a game player rather than a 1.1 per game player, she could be very handy.

#25 Teah Charlton - Has done enough to hold her spot so far in her debut season. She has some tricks! Seems tough as boots too, which will help, she isn't scared to hurt someone with a tackle. Definitely something there worth persisting with.

#26 Chelsea Randall - I'm not really sure why they have decided to "sacrifice" her game by moving her forward this year, but she's been good nonetheless. She's really more of a high half-forward, I guess. It is handy having an extra player in that zone when the opposition is trying to rebound from our F50, her closing speed and marking ability is phenomenal. Unfortunately, she's not a great set shot. I'd prefer to see her down back, but hey, put Chelsea Randall in any position on the ground and she'll more than earn her keep. I just adore watching her play.

#27 Renee Forth - Got to be nearing the end for Renee. She'll be 35 by next season. Handy depth and obviously talented, but another one that just doesn't quite do enough.

#32 Marijana Rajcic - Better than 2020, not as good as 2019. She is defending better than last year, although that may have more to do with our overall structure. She still hasn't got back to her 2019 form in terms of hurting the opposition the other way, but at least her opponent isn't getting off the tether anymore. That's allowed us to release Randall up forward, which is a luxury, I guess.

#33 Anne Hatchard - A little down on the past two seasons, but still a very useful player. Her disposal efficiency has been down a bit this year, perhaps because she is actually kicking more than handballing for the first time in her career. Even with her slightly down, she's still been very handy.

#39 Sarah Allan - My second-favourite player. You could set your watch by Allan, she's so consistent. Cool as a cucumber, marks the ball very well, and uses it beautifully. Not daunted by playing on the opponent's best forward and racks up midfield numbers. Never gives away a free, either. Seriously, she's on zero frees against so far this season. With Randall out of the defensive 50, she'll win the award for our best defensive player again, and fair enough. Still only 23 years old!

Very impressive summary done at 2am!
I pretty much agree with most of the above. Ponter has been kind of a letdown this year. She has been impressive in spurts, but not enough compared with her prior years. I hope she will improve over the next few weeks, as she is a deadset weapon when she's full of confidence.
Regarding Stevie Lee Thompson, I don't mind her being a regular defender, as she has the leg speed that can harass any quick opposition forward entries.

-----------

Interested on hearing thoughts on who might be our BnF this year?
I think it's gonna be another Erin year.

 

[cmndstab]

Very difficult seeing it go to anyone other than Erin. I think Allan and Marinoff will be up there, Randall will do well of course, but nobody has had the consistent impact that Phillips has had. Mules, Button, Foley and Hatchard should all do relatively well too, along with Scheer despite missing the first two games. Perhaps throw in Woodland to round out the top ten.

 

[Truck25]

Very difficult seeing it go to anyone other than Erin. I think Allan and Marinoff will be up there, Randall will do well of course, but nobody has had the consistent impact that Phillips has had. Mules, Button, Foley and Hatchard should all do relatively well too, along with Scheer despite missing the first two games. Perhaps throw in Woodland to round out the top ten.

And what amazed me is in all the AFLW pre-season hype none of the media rated Erin when the truth is for the AFLW, Erin is GOAT!

 

[TheRoo32]

I'll do a brief summary of my thoughts on each of our players this year because, hey, what else are you going to do at 2AM on a Monday night? I'll limit it to players who have actually played a game this season.

#1 Caitlin Gould - I thought she was impressive as the lead ruck when she got her chance in round 5. Was our best ruck in her only other match, our loss to Freo, too. Needs to do a bit more around the ground but she moves very nice for a tall.

#2 Eloise Jones - She has had a "nearly" season, doing a lot right but not quite making it stick. She is scary to watch on the field sometimes because it seems like she's going to run through someone every time she gets near the ball! Probably not quite doing enough at the moment but she has all the tools. I wouldn't mind seeing her play a bit closer to goals.

#3 Angela Foley - She has just kept up her usual standard of being consistently above average without being top-shelf. Useful player without being a star.

#4 Chloe Scheer - If she can keep her body right, we have one hell of a player on our hands here. I still think she's the most natural footballer on our list and has now shown that she can play both forward and midfield. Still only 21 years old, too.

#5 Rachelle Martin - It's a shame we've only got to see her once this season. She really highlights the value of quick hands, her ability to snatch at a ball and dish it off by hand is as good as anyone in our side. She adds a real point of difference in our midfield, other than Phillips nobody in there has the hands she does, and even Phillips doesn't usually do it at the bottom of a pack. Obviously she has her limitations, most notably her size and inability to kick it long, but she will be very valuable dishing off to the likes of Hatchard, Marinoff and Phillips.

#6 Hannah Button - Has just slotted back in like she was never gone. Her tackling is obviously her strongest point and she plays her dual role with Mules very well.

#7 Nikki Gore - Not sure if others will agree with me, but I actually like her playing down back. She's a pretty classy user and not afraid to hurt an opponent with a crunching tackle. The midfield and wings are pretty stacked at the moment so this gives her a regular spot and I think she's done alright.

#8 Najwa Allen - A bit like Gore, Allen is being played out of her natural position just because the midfield/wing are stacked full of players, and I think she's been pretty good. She's got better as the season has progressed.

#10 Ebony Marinoff - I think Marinoff tends to get marked harshly around here. Not always the greatest user, but that's what you get from a primarily inside mid, and it is useful to have someone who can roost it long if needed. She's averaging more touches than in any previous seasons, although her tackling is a touch behind pace. Her 119 possession puts her only two touches behind Bonnici and Davey's 121 for most in the comp this year. Still goes at more than 2:1 kick to handball ratio, too. I think she's been very good.

#11 Rhiannon Metcalfe - I've got to admit, she's been much better this season than I expected. Nothing special, but has held her own in the ruck and got a reasonable amount of ball. She looks fitter than in previous seasons. I think she's feeling the pressure from below, with Gould clearly snapping at her heels and McKinnon waiting in the wings.

#12 Chelsea Biddell - I'm not sold on Biddell. She reminds me of a more mobile Perkins, can take a nice mark and can kick a long goal, but doesn't quite do enough of either. When she isn't marking it, she's generally not contributing. I don't have her in the starting side.

#13 Erin Phillips - What can you say that hasn't already been said? Nobody plays the role of starting in the middle and then creeping forward better than her. Averaging just a tick below 20 touches and 2 goals per match, and reliably takes a contested mark each quarter. Continues to rack up head-high free kicks too which must infuriate her opponents, haha. She's the equal leading goalscorer so far this season and 14th in the comp overall for number of disposals. She's got to be a smokey for the season MVP, if she finishes strong. Who knows how much longer we'll have her for but we need to take advantage of it and win another premiership or two.

#14 Stevie-Lee Thompson - Not really sure what to make of Thompson's season. It seems that after 2020 they gave up on her being a forward, probably for the best since she got worked out. She has gone back and seems to win enough ball, but she's probably next on the chopping block if we get another quality defender back. She'd be watching Varnhagen and Cox's rehab nervously.

#15 Danielle Ponter - Much like 2020, she's been patchy. She has too much talent to be as ineffective as she has been. I hope her continued presence in NT (the only player still under that arrangement, I believe) isn't hurting her. We need her to come good over the next couple of years as Phillips finishes up.

#16 Ailish Considine - Her athletic traits are no longer enough to earn her a regular spot in our side, given the emergence of our young mids. I suspect her AFL journey may be over, but at least she'll go back to Ireland with a premiership under her belt!

#17 Madison Newman - Not sure if she is being played out of position, but she is another who just doesn't ever seem to quite do enough. I'm not sure I see a future for her in our side.

#19 Jessica Sedunary - It was nice to see her back and kicking a goal against her old side, but I'm also not sure she has a place in our side. She didn't seem to have the pace she showed in 2017 and without that, she just doesn't have enough weapons.

#20 Hannah Munyard - The talent is there but she's not putting it together yet. She looks like a footballer but she's still so young, perhaps in a year's time she'll be ready to impact on matches.

#22 Lisa Whiteley - She has had the misfortune of having a passing resemblance to Cramey and the same number, and the comparison has not been kind to her. She's been alright in her role down back but somehow I don't trust her against the real quality players.

#23 Justine Mules - Probably the only player from our initial list that you can say has improved every single season she's played. She's even starting to take the occasional pack mark now! Love her in that niggling tagger role and she is starting to hurt clubs the other way as well. It's just a shame she can't kick it further than 30m.

#24 Ashleigh Woodland - Woodland has been a few poor set shots away from being a revelation. Other than Phillips, she is easily the most consistent forward in our team, leads to the ball beautiful and has sticky hands. If she could convert her chances and move towards being a 2.0 per a game player rather than a 1.1 per game player, she could be very handy.

#25 Teah Charlton - Has done enough to hold her spot so far in her debut season. She has some tricks! Seems tough as boots too, which will help, she isn't scared to hurt someone with a tackle. Definitely something there worth persisting with.

#26 Chelsea Randall - I'm not really sure why they have decided to "sacrifice" her game by moving her forward this year, but she's been good nonetheless. She's really more of a high half-forward, I guess. It is handy having an extra player in that zone when the opposition is trying to rebound from our F50, her closing speed and marking ability is phenomenal. Unfortunately, she's not a great set shot. I'd prefer to see her down back, but hey, put Chelsea Randall in any position on the ground and she'll more than earn her keep. I just adore watching her play.

#27 Renee Forth - Got to be nearing the end for Renee. She'll be 35 by next season. Handy depth and obviously talented, but another one that just doesn't quite do enough.

#32 Marijana Rajcic - Better than 2020, not as good as 2019. She is defending better than last year, although that may have more to do with our overall structure. She still hasn't got back to her 2019 form in terms of hurting the opposition the other way, but at least her opponent isn't getting off the tether anymore. That's allowed us to release Randall up forward, which is a luxury, I guess.

#33 Anne Hatchard - A little down on the past two seasons, but still a very useful player. Her disposal efficiency has been down a bit this year, perhaps because she is actually kicking more than handballing for the first time in her career. Even with her slightly down, she's still been very handy.

#39 Sarah Allan - My second-favourite player. You could set your watch by Allan, she's so consistent. Cool as a cucumber, marks the ball very well, and uses it beautifully. Not daunted by playing on the opponent's best forward and racks up midfield numbers. Never gives away a free, either. Seriously, she's on zero frees against so far this season. With Randall out of the defensive 50, she'll win the award for our best defensive player again, and fair enough. Still only 23 years old!

Great summary. I expect Martin will be straight back in this week!

 

[cmndstab]

And what amazed me is in all the AFLW pre-season hype none of the media rated Erin when the truth is for the AFLW, Erin is GOAT!

I think after her very scratchy 2020 there were real questions over whether she would get to her best form, especially given she's no spring chicken. But her form this year has shown that much like in 2018, she returned earlier than she should have last year to try to salvage our flagging season.

Honestly, assuming no major injuries (touch wood) she looks like she could play for several more years. She looks just as good now as in any previous seasons.