Women's Footy AFLW 2022 - Alyce Parker named in AA Squad

[Giant Strides]

Season Seven Gabrielle Trainor Medal Preview

We take a look at the some of the contenders to take out this season’s top award.

www.gwsgiants.com.au

The GIANTS will crown their seventh AFLW Club Champion at the Gabrielle Trainor Medal on Friday night.

With injury hampering the GIANTS’ list this season it gave opportunity to younger players and required the more experienced ones to stand out. Utilising 28-players on the GIANTS’ list there was plenty of players playing their part and polling votes throughout the season.

Previous Winners
2017 – Jessica Dal Pos
2018 – Alicia Eva
2019 – Rebecca Beeson
2020 – Alyce Parker
2021 – Alyce Parker
2022 (S6) – Alyce Parker

How does the count work?

After every game, Cam Bernasconi and his assistant coaches award votes to players as they see fit on a scale of 1 to 4 with maximum of 16 votes in a round.

The votes from across the season are then tallied up with the player with the most votes being crowned the Gabrielle Trainor Medallist.

Nicola Barr – After missing the opening two games, Barr returned to the side in round three and hit the ground running. Owning her role down forward, Barr booted four goals for the season, the team’s third highest contributor.

Alicia Eva – The captain stood tall all season as a young GIANTS side took on season seven. Averaging 16 disposals, 6 contested possessions and 4.1 tackles, Eva was a consistent ball-winner for the GIANTS’ midfield. Eva took out the award in 2018 and finished second in the vote count earlier this year (season six).

Tarni Evans – After an injury disrupted second season earlier this year (season six), Evans returned to the game in blazing form. A key player in the backline for the GIANTS this season, Evans often found herself among the GIANTS' best and was rewarded for her form with a Rising Star nomination in round eight.

Georgia Garnett – If it’s not this year, it’s not far off. Garnett is one of the most promising emerging talents on the GIANTS’ list. This season Garnett led the competition for marks (58) and sat second to Staunton in goals scored with six. She was dominant in round six against Carlton and round 10 against the Suns.

Alyce Parker – You can’t look past the three-time Gabrielle Trainor Medallist. This week the 22-year-old has already been recognised as one of the best players in the competition, included in both the 40-player All Australian Squad and 44-player 22-under-22 squad. Can she make it four in a row or will a new champion be crowned?

Katherine Smith – The former Melbourne Demon had her best season to date in the orange and charcoal. The brains and the body of the backline, Smith is both incredibly courageous and consistent. The 24-year-old was praised by Bernasconi regularly and is expected to poll well throughout the night.

Other awards:

• Rising Star
• GIANTS Community Award
• Member’s Choice Award
• Mark of the Year
• Goal of the Year
• Defensive Moment of the Year (New)
• Leading Goal Kicker
• Jacinda Barclay Fearless Award
• Coaches Award

Honestly, I reckon the answer is pretty clear ...

 

[Giant Strides]

Catching up with the Gabrielle Trainor results for the Giants' AFLW team.







Congratulations to Alyce Parker - what an outstanding player and talented & gracious young woman you are!





Congratulations to GG and Tarni Evans, both having sensational seasons. Such talented young women.

 

[Giant Strides]

Other results from the night - congratulations to all winners.

 

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GT medal tally:

 

[captainMyCaptain]

Delistings starting already for the girls

 

[Giant Strides]

Season 7 AFLW Players’ MVP Nominations Announced

The nominees for the Season 7 AFLW Players’ MVP Awards have been announced.

www.gwsgiants.com.au

The nominees for Season 7 of the 2022 AFLW Most Valuable Player Awards, proudly presented by Snaffle have been revealed.

Voting for the AFLW MVP, Most Courageous, Best First-Year Player and Best Captain awards is a two-stage process, with players nominating their teammates in stage one before selecting from a competition-wide field in stage two. Players cannot vote for a player from their own club during stage two of the voting process.

The AFL Players’ Association will recognise the achievements of the award winners with a special in person event on Wednesday November 23, and will be revealed across the AFLPA’s social media channels.

The following players from the GIANTS have received nominations:

MVP: Alyce Parker, Georgia Garnett, Tarni Evans

Best First-Year Player: Madison Brazendale

Most Courageous: Katherine Smith

Best Captain: Alicia Eva

 

[Giant Strides]

Evans Earns Selection in 22-Under-22

Tarni Evans has been selected in the AFL Players’ Association final 22under22 team.

www.gwsgiants.com.au

Tarni Evans has topped off a stellar season seven, earning selection in the final AFL Players’ Association AFLW 22Under22 team.

In her third season, at 20-years of age, this is Evans’ first AFLPA 22-under-22 selection. The fan-voted concept recognises the league’s best young players aged 22 and under who have made an impact on their club and the competition. For a player to be eligible for the squad of 22, they were required to play 50 percent of the season games, equating to five matches for season seven.

After an injury disrupted season earlier this year, Evans catapulted herself back onto the scene, as one of the most consistent players in the GIANTS’ line up. One of the GIANTS’ core defenders, Evans finished the season averaging 14.7 disposals, 4.9 intercept possessions, 3.7 rebound 50’s and was nominated for the AFLW Goal of the Year in round 8.

Alyce Parker and Georgia Garnett were recognised in the initial 44-player squad but did not make the final team.

Alyce Parker not in the 22 - WTF?

 

[Giant Strides]

Unfortunately Alyce Parker was also not selected in the AA.

She was within a group of 5 players within 1 point of each other with 2 rounds to play for the AFLW B&F, and presumably finished 6th (can't find a final count), but not worthy of AA. Still, neither was the B&F winner!

 

[dlanod]

Unfortunately Alyce Parker was also not selected in the AA.

Neither was Ally Anderson so she's in good company.

 

[BarryAglett]

Unfortunately Alyce Parker was also not selected in the AA.

She was within a group of 5 players within 1 point of each other with 2 rounds to play for the AFLW B&F, and presumably finished 6th (can't find a final count), but not worthy of AA. Still, neither was the B&F winner!

I feared she would be ignored a 2nd year in a row.
The selection panel play favourites and don't look too hard outside a select group.
She is elite in a comp with few enough genuine stars. It is pathetic of the AFLW not to find a place for her.

 

[Giant Coglioni]

I am surprised to see us above teams like Richmond and Freo and also Brisbane with how much success their women's team has had.

 

[dlanod]

Brisbane with how much success their women's team has had.

We've played at six different "home" grounds over a 200 km span across SE Qld. With the nomadic existence there's been little incentive to be a member given you're more likely to be able to get to less than half the home games without driving for ages. Very hopefully that changes next year with the team locked into Springfield now.

 

[BrainOfMorbius]

We've played at six different "home" grounds over a 200 km span across SE Qld. With the nomadic existence there's been little incentive to be a member given you're more likely to be able to get to less than half the home games without driving for ages. Very hopefully that changes next year with the team locked into Springfield now.

I've been a Brisbane member for 30 years and have only just locked in my first AFLW membership for these exact reasons. I'll be attending every home match from here on in if I can

 

[Giant Strides]

GWS has not been entirely dissimilar. Played Henson Park & Giants Stadium in Sydney, plus Manuka in Canberra. With much worse expectations/results and no finals (which has forced 2 of Brisbane's venues).

Not criticising Lions at all, just providing an even commentary, and supporting the original comment that the GWS figures are reasonable given our situation.

 

[BarryAglett]

GWS has not been entirely dissimilar. Played Henson Park & Giants Stadium in Sydney, plus Manuka in Canberra. With much worse expectations/results and no finals (which has forced 2 of Brisbane's venues).

Not criticising Lions at all, just providing an even commentary, and supporting the original comment that the GWS figures are reasonable given our situation.

Even Blacktown is a PITA to get to for 75% of the population.

 

[Giant Strides]

Not the players, but the coach in an off-field story ...

 

[Giant Strides]

Will she return in 2023, the evergreen Ducky ...

 

[Giant Strides]

Hmm, missed this one slipped in before Christmas. That broken neck two years ago would have been frightening for Brid with a young child. Best of luck with your future - in sport & life, Brid.

 

[Giant Strides]

AFLW Latest News - AFL.com.au/aflw

Latest breaking AFLW news from the official website of the Australian Football League.

www.womens.afl

INJURIES slowed Greater Western Sydney's shift to a running, attacking game style under new coach Cam Bernasconi, but there were glimpses of what its evolving list is capable of. After consistently being the oldest list in the competition, it was young players like Alyce Parker, Tarni Evans and Georgia Garnett who took charge this season, in an exciting turn for Giants fans.

Best individual performance

In the Giants' round six win over Carlton, it was 21-year-old Georgia Garnett who showed just what she is made of. With 17 disposals, 321 metres gained, six inside 50s and four score involvements to her name, Garnett also took 12 marks – the third-most of any player in AFLW history. Garnett moved really well around the ground ball inside 50 and was repeatedly used as a conduit between teammates thanks to her quick thinking and clean hands. When she wasn't deep in attack, she was leading high up the ground to be an aerial target and link into the forward line. Rightly earning the maximum 10 coaches' votes and three competition best and fairest votes, it was Garnett's best game in what proved to be a breakout season.

Most improved

Once again, Georgia Garnett was far and away the Giants' biggest improver across the course of the season. After going to coach Cam Bernasconi during the pre-season to request a move from defence into attack, she has paid that trust back in spades. Garnett kicked six goals from an average 11.6 disposals, 2.1 inside 50s and three score involvements, while also leading the competition for marks with 58. It is not just her aerial ability, however, that makes her so dangerous. Her elite ball use makes the Giants a more impressive prospect ahead of the ball, going at a disposal efficiency of 72.1 per cent throughout the season.

What needs improvement

Something that has plagued GWS for a number of seasons now is an inability to find a consistent mindset from the first round, right until the final game. Too often the Giants will incur a big loss – their 96-point loss to Adelaide in round five being the clearest example of this – only to bounce back with strength the following week. This yo-yoing throughout a season is not conducive to success, and finding a way to break this inconsistent mentality will do more for the club than any one player recruitment could.

Outside of this, the heavy reliance on Alyce Parker still exists. Newly elevated to vice-captain, Parker is still just 22 years old and has had to do much of the heavy lifting around the ball. While injuries were partly to blame this season – Mackrill was looking promising at the contest and Bec Beeson wasn't able to get on the park at all due to concussion – finding more spread through that tough midfield role is something the Giants will no doubt be looking at.

Off-season focus

Bolstering a defensive line that has now lost reliable key defender Tanya Hetherington through retirement is likely the first port of call, to prevent strong rebounders like Tarni Evans from being trapped in tighter lockdown roles. Elsewhere on the ground, solidifying their tall contingent will be important, but that will largely be achieved by getting Jess Allan, Fleur Davies and Isabel Huntington back from injury and inactivity.