Adelaide Crows 2024 AFLW Off Season discussion

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Some further clarity on SANFLW participation from AFLW listed players in that article, they’ll only be available to play in the SANFLW’s first 5 rounds.


Saw this in ESPN and my have impact to the Crows and their relationship for SANFLW. The Crows emphasised for those who didn't have much game time that SANFLW would play.


From the article "While all 1,300 AFLW players are now compensated for the full 12 months of the year, the lack of structure around their six months away from their clubs leaves many floundering.

The current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) requires clubs to have no more than 12 weeks of official preseason training, meaning a player's access to structured coaching is limited to that period as well as the regular season.

Maintaining fitness, advancing skills, and therefore perpetuating the overall quality of the game is down to the players as individuals until their preseason campaigns begin, something Collingwood midfielder and Irish star Sarah Rowe says is "a challenge".

"Our season is six months long and we have six months off, so in that six-month period, where you're essentially 'off', we're now getting paid for all months of the year, which is great, but there's no real structure around that that allows for us to really develop," Rowe said at a gender equity in sport conference in January." and "The most recent CBA was penned last year extending until 2027. And with stipulations including increased games, and 12-month, multi-year contracts for AFLW players, the necessity for full-time coaching staff will only increase.

For the 2024 and 2025 AFLW seasons, each player and club will commit to no more than 22 hours per week during preseason and the main season including matches."

So my maths is that work around this

AFL last round 23 - 25 Aug 24 and Pre Finals Bye - 30 Aug - 2 Sep 24

AFLW Pre Season 14 Jun 24

SANFLW dates
Kicking off with Round 1 on Friday March 1, SANFLW League home-and-away season will extend from 12 to 14 rounds, concluding on Saturday June 15

SANFLW Clubs provides structured training, coaching and some game time.

Whilst I agree the big break between season’s are ridiculously hard to manage for clubs and players I think if I was at the club and knowing what I know about the SANFLW comp and its current standard (whilst it is improving rapidly the gap is still large) I still probably wouldn’t want them playing that much in a lower competition like that. Other than the obvious injury risk to players they are paying now 12 months a year you have the unique circumstances where they are being integrated into teams who do not have advanced gameplans and where they can easily pick up bad habits that can impact when they do come back to AFLW level.

I know Phil Harper says in that womens.afl article that players would reap the rewards of training and playing with their SANFLW club but given recent club drafting they’ve made it pretty obvious they don’t really rate anyone that plays in that competition so I think that it is really only a select few that reap any benefits on playing in lower leagues, like 18-20 year olds that are still bridging the gap between junior and senior football or someone like a Taylah Levy who was out of the game a while.
 
SANFLW starts tonight and teams in. Here is AFC interest

Najwa Allen - Half Back - Norwood
Brooke Smith - Half Back - West Adelaide
Keeley Kustermann - Centre - West Adelaide
Brooke Boileau - Centre - South Adelaide
Taylah Levy - Forward - WWT
Lily Tarlinton - Back - WWT
Tamara Henry - Half Forward - North Adelaide
Brooke Tonon - Half Forward - Glenelg
Sarah Goodwin - Back - Glenelg
 

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SANFLW starts tonight and teams in. Here is AFC interest

Najwa Allen - Half Back - Norwood
Brooke Smith - Half Back - West Adelaide
Keeley Kustermann - Centre - West Adelaide
Brooke Boileau - Centre - South Adelaide
Taylah Levy - Forward - WWT
Lily Tarlinton - Back - WWT
Tamara Henry - Half Forward - North Adelaide
Brooke Tonon - Half Forward - Glenelg
Sarah Goodwin - Back - Glenelg
Pretty strong showing from a few of those players over the weekend.

Taylah Levy turning up on the Eagles team sheet was a bit of a shock, move from the Panthers hadn’t been posted anywhere in any previews until the teams dropped, the move to a new team obviously didn’t faze her as she just continued where she left off at the level; 20 touches, 11 tackles and a goal in a pretty stock standard best for her team performance. Tarlinton very quiet in her first taste of SANFLW, interestingly she was named in defence, didn’t ruck & hardly had a touch, given the Crows will need her as a tall forward/backup ruck will be interesting if the club has word to the Eagles about the future use of her over the next 4 matches she’s available for.

Boileau showed her ball winning ability against a strong Westies midfield with 24 touches, 6 clearances & a goal, Kustermann also showed where her long term future lies with 20 touches of her own in the midfield.

Goodwin as usual is a class above that level & had 20 disposals off half-back for Glenelg as well. Henry looks to have had a solid debut for North too with 15 touches, 5 marks, 2 clearances & 5 tackles, really excited to see her progress.

Nothing to write home about with Allen, Tonon and Smith with them all being pretty quiet.

(Sidenote: Continually amazed Jess Bates who returned from Collingwood’s VFLW team to Glenelg after 2 years & just had the lazy 36 disposals never got picked up by an AFLW team, just like Zoe Venning, who had yet another B.O.G performance for Westies in their win, both have been ridiculously harshly marked by AFLW recruiters for some kicking deficiencies.)
 
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I hear one of your leadership group players will be getting a nice lengthy contract extension soon. I think around the 5 years (which I didnt realise AFLW players could get).
Yeah with the new CBA multi-year deals can be agreed to, given the CBA runs until the end of 2027 most top players are signing 4 year extensions to the end of 2027 when the next CBA will be most likely be in place.

Marinoff & Hatchard’s 4 year contract extensions were pretty much announced just weeks after the 2023 season ended, so will be nice if EJ joined them 😉
 
Yeah with the new CBA multi-year deals can be agreed to, given the CBA runs until the end of 2027 most top players are signing 4 year extensions to the end of 2027 when the next CBA will be most likely be in place.

Marinoff & Hatchard’s 4 year contract extensions were pretty much announced just weeks after the 2023 season ended, so will be nice if EJ joined them 😉
Indeed

;)
 
SANFLW Round 2 teams in. Here is AFC interest

1 additional player in Jess Waterhouse

Najwa Allen - Half Back - Norwood
Brooke Smith - Half Back - West Adelaide
Keeley Kustermann - Centre - West Adelaide
Brooke Boileau - Centre - South Adelaide
Taylah Levy - Forward - WWT
Lily Tarlinton - Back - WWT
Tamara Henry - Half Forward - North Adelaide
Brooke Tonon - Half Forward - Glenelg
Sarah Goodwin - Back - Glenelg
Jess Waterhouse - Half Forward - South Adelaide
 
SANFLW Round 2 teams in. Here is AFC interest

1 additional player in Jess Waterhouse

Najwa Allen - Half Back - Norwood
Brooke Smith - Half Back - West Adelaide
Keeley Kustermann - Centre - West Adelaide
Brooke Boileau - Centre - South Adelaide
Taylah Levy - Forward - WWT
Lily Tarlinton - Back - WWT
Tamara Henry - Half Forward - North Adelaide
Brooke Tonon - Half Forward - Glenelg
Sarah Goodwin - Back - Glenelg
Jess Waterhouse - Half Forward - South Adelaide
If Tarlinton continues to be played in the backlines by the Eagles it’s going to give me distinct pre-2014 new AFL Crows draftees being played in wrong positions or in the SANFL reserves vibes.
 
SANFLW Round 2 teams in. Here is AFC interest

1 additional player in Jess Waterhouse

Najwa Allen - Half Back - Norwood
Brooke Smith - Half Back - West Adelaide
Keeley Kustermann - Centre - West Adelaide
Brooke Boileau - Centre - South Adelaide
Taylah Levy - Forward - WWT
Lily Tarlinton - Back - WWT
Tamara Henry - Half Forward - North Adelaide
Brooke Tonon - Half Forward - Glenelg
Sarah Goodwin - Back - Glenelg
Jess Waterhouse - Half Forward - South Adelaide
Looks like Boileau, Kustermann & Goodwin all solid again this week, Allen got a lot more of the ball this week compared to last week too.

All the rest very quiet and little influence, worried about an injury to Levy, was on 6 disposals at the start of the 2nd quarter and that’s what she stayed on.
 
A few standout performances in the SANFLW for some Crows players that featured last weekend, I suppose the main positive is Glenelg are finally showing Clarke & co. what I have long thought - Brooke Tonon is a forward not a defender, kicked 2 goals 2 weeks in a row, she had 5 scoring shots on the weekend so she could’ve had an even bigger day in what’s looking like a dominant Glenelg side.

Boileau & Kustermann continued on with their strong seasons in the midfield, among the bests in their respective teams wins. Both should be brought in to that AFLW midfield mix come the 2024 season.

Waterhouse & Allen were influential as well for their teams, Levy played but was quiet again, Tarlinton was finally moved forward & looked better from what I read & kicked a goal…


Goodwin didn’t play this week for Glenelg nor did Henry for North.

Looking league wide; the Port trio of Young, Goody & Window were utterly dominant & are just scary good 😔, India Rasheed is SA’s greatest talent ever at her age better than Young & former Crow Nikki Neeld née Gore is starting to finally realise her talent, along with Boileau is carrying South Adelaide.
 
Time for the weekly look over what happened with the Crows listed players in the SANFLW over the weekend…

Brooke Boileau the stand out once again, pretty much gets 20 and a goal every week. Had 22 and a goal on Saturday to go with 7 tackles and 6 clearances, might have to start nicknaming her ‘KB’ as out of the 22 disposals 21 of those were kicks. She has always been a more kick heavy player so it’s not that uncommon for her, the big positive is she’s going at 87% disposal efficiency over these past 4 games 👀.

Waterhouse also showed her best this week, 19 disposals and 2 goals, is easily the fittest she’s ever been and I mean super fit, she’s been running marathons and trail run races all off season.

Tarlinton had 1 mark, 1 kick, 1 handball & 1 tackle… yeah don’t know what’s going on there, can’t take anything from her games she’s played at this level, you’d be hoping in a higher level team, with a clearer role and under a better structure she will show a lot more.

Najwa Allen did what she does 19 disposals while rebounding off halfback, Tonon had 17 & continued in that wing/forward role she’s more comfortable in by the looks of things, is continuing to be inaccurate though, missed shots on goal again. Kusterman had 14 and 4 clearances which is solid in what was a hard matchup against the top team in the league and finally the player I always forget that’s on the list; Brooke Smith continues to not make much of an impact at the level with another sub 10 disposals game.

Goodwin, Levy and Henry did not play, believe Henry has a hand/thumb injury which would explain her absence the last 2 weeks.


League wide; the performance that would’ve got every AFLW recruiter hot under the collar would be India Rasheed having this game yesterday for Sturt…
IMG_3303.jpeg
😳
A phenomenal player already, literally started playing more as a permanent midfielder the week before.

Collingwood would also be happy with future father-daughter Violet Patterson, who will also be a star in the future as well, super smart player with clean skills been dominating with Glenelg over the past 2 games.

Also again I’ll scream it till I’m hoarse, it’s a crime that Zoe Venning is not on an AFLW list, pretty much fought a one-woman war against the undefeated Tigers and their dominant midfield… still only 20.
 
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In other off-season news, Marinoff headed up to Queensland to participate in a special training camp with ‘Enhanced Football’, which is the organisation run by Ben Stanley who is a phenomenal skills coach, I’d say the best not tied down to AFL clubland and pretty much one of the main reasons Brisbane have been the team that they are in the AFLW and the reason why they are easily the best field kicking side in the league as a lot of their players have worked with him over the years as he is Queensland based.

Think her and one player from the Saints are the only non-Lions players that are participating in it and seeing she would’ve under taken this as private venture at her own cost it shows just how dedicated she’s become to improving her game especially when you add this on top of the unbelievable fitness work she’s done especially in off-seasons since 2020.

From the footage on the Enhanced Football Instagram she looks in incredible touch. Shows the type of dedication that screams out ‘Captaincy material’ to those at the club, if she’s not made captain I’m going to be quite frankly very annoyed/disappointed.
 
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In other off-season news, Marinoff headed up to Queensland to participate in a special training camp with ‘Enhanced Football’, which is the organisation run by Ben Stanley who is a phenomenal skills coach, I’d say the best not tied down to AFL clubland and pretty much one of the main reasons Brisbane have been the team that they are in the AFLW and the reason why they are easily the best field kicking side in the league as a lot of their players have worked with him over the years as he is Queensland based.

Think her and one player from the Saints are the only non-Lions players that are participating in it and seeing she would’ve under taken this as private venture at her own cost it shows just how dedicated she’s become to improving her game especially when you add this on top of the unbelievable fitness work she’s done especially in off-seasons since 2020.

From the footage on the Enhanced Football Instagram she looks in incredible touch. Shows the type of dedication that screams out ‘Captaincy material’ to those at the club, if she’s not made captain I’m going to be quite frankly very annoyed/disappointed.
 
So it looks like Boileau saved her best for last given they said in the pre-SANFLW season media release round 5 was the cut off date for AFLW listed players…
IMG_3307.jpeg
⭐️ Thank you Port Power.

Also talk about a form turn around…
IMG_3306.jpeg
Would probably petition to give Tarlinton a few more games after kicking those 4 goals today. Levy was also back & solid in a win for the Eagles.

N.Allen had 24 disposals & was one who finished up getting better and better in the 5 games, will be one to watch early in season 2024 to see if the Crows still have her in their starting lineup after her really poor finish to last season.

Kustermann & Waterhouse ok in their final hit outs, Smith done pretty much nothing yet again and looks to be confirming what I thought after that West Coast debut game (not close to the level).

So with Pre-Season starting in June I really don’t see why these players couldn’t have played maybe a few more games. Now they’ll just have to settle for running around West Lakes for the next 2+ months in black t-shirts.
 
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Been confirmed Lauren Young unfortunately done another ACL on the weekend and will miss the season for Port. Two ACL’s is tough to come back from as a player let alone when you’re still a teenager, hope she can get back to show her talent at AFLW level at some stage.

Just unfortunately very common in girls/women’s sport especially around those late teenage years, had a friend’s 17 year old daughter do hers the other week. They seem to not be making much progress with all their reports into whether it’s just female body makeup, footwear or other factors either.
 
Been confirmed Lauren Young unfortunately done another ACL on the weekend and will miss the season for Port. Two ACL’s is tough to come back from as a player let alone when you’re still a teenager, hope she can get back to show her talent at AFLW level at some stage.

Just unfortunately very common in girls/women’s sport especially around those late teenage years, had a friend’s 17 year old daughter do hers the other week. They seem to not be making much progress with all their reports into whether it’s just female body makeup, footwear or other factors either.

Geez, that's tragic, especially for such a super talent :( It feels so wrong that players are doing ACLs in matches before they even begin their first preseason.
 


Can’t imagine all these months of just running around West Lakes is that stimulating for the playing group. All those months away from the football club, pay increases and majority probably studying part-time and aged in their early 20s it did make me wonder if that off-field incident with the Sydney players a couple of months ago was just the tip of the iceberg/was a wake-up call for how the league handles its women players when away from the club for such long periods of time.

Must be bloody tough for clubs and players to keep professional standards & to keep totally motivated over this time.

In other news got confirmed yesterday the regular-season is going to be 11 games played over 10 weeks.
 
In other news got confirmed yesterday the regular-season is going to be 11 games played over 10 weeks.
Hasn't been confirmed. What was said yesterday is the same as what was said back in February--the key word in both cases being "could".

Plans for the upcoming season have to be discussed at the AFLW Growth Forum in May by all parties (league, AFLPA, and representatives from all 18 clubs) prior to any fixturing decisions being finalised.
 
Hasn't been confirmed. What was said yesterday is the same as what was said back in February--the key word in both cases being "could".

Plans for the upcoming season have to be discussed at the AFLW Growth Forum in May by all parties (league, AFLPA, and representatives from all 18 clubs) prior to any fixturing decisions being finalised.
Taken from the AFLW website, everything reported on the AFLW website can pretty much be confirmed as official as it’s just drip fed official AFL media releases:

IMG_3517.jpeg
 
Taken from the AFLW website, everything reported on the AFLW website can pretty much be confirmed as official
Using that logic, it was confirmed back in February then, not yesterday.

Nevertheless, various articles in the past reporting stuff like "Grand Final could be held at Marvel Stadium" or "Anne Hatchard could be on the move to Port Adelaide" shows the flaw of that logic.
 

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