Women's Footy AFLW Fremantle - 2021 Season - FINISHED BUSINESS - We will be back stronger.

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WaywardSonSon said:
Daddoo, just out of interest... As an American, what possessed you to select Freo as your team? Are you a masochist? Lol, jokes 🤣
Click to expand...

I’m a small market fan with small market tastes. I always root for the underdog. As I was getting into footy 2010-2012 Freo caught my eye and their stands were almost always full of fans. Something about being a smaller team in a two team town appealed to me. The fans seemed passionate but not cocky (which turned out to spot on) and I actually liked that I could be there for their first GF win.

After investing too much emotionally (and $) for my Packers and Brewers it was refreshing to watch a sport for the pure sport of it. I was disillusioned by the changing NFL towards less defense, less big hits, more offense, instant replay, slower games, and a sh** ton of flags and penalties. I don’t consider it a sport as much as I do a carefully crafted entertainment experience. I love footy in a way I don’t NFL. The AFL players are not held on such high pedestals and prima donnas of the game. They have a closer relationship with the fans. It reminds me of baseball and football in a bygone era. And Freo, for some reason at the time I started watching footy, seemed to embody the hard working team with strong roots who were loved by their passionate fans. Loved Pav, Sandi, and a young Fyfe too. I guess it was just a feeling more than anything.

My Oz buddy who is a crows fan said one day that I had to pick a team and that Aussies never change teams once they barrack for one. At that time I was just watching a ton of games and didn’t have a team. I told him as such but he was a persistent c**t and kept at it. Finally, I went with my gut. And my gut said Freo. I’ve never regretted it (although 2016-2019 I wanted to gouge my eyes out at times. Lol) and I look forward to the day the boys hoist the cup.

And lastly, I realized a couple years later that my teams were the Packers, Brewers, and Dockers. Notice a trend? Maybe I gravitate towards the teams with working class roots? Who knows. Lol.

I literally don’t know anyone who watches footy so regardless of which team I barrack for I must come here to actually talk footy or get news. As much as I think there’s too much sh**talk and personal attacks on here, I’m glad to have the rest of the purple army to chat with once in while.



On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
Last edited:
Daddoo said:
I’m a small market fan with small market tastes. I always root for the underdog. As I was getting into footy 2010-2012 Freo caught my eye and their stands were almost always full of fans. Something about being a smaller team in a two team town appealed to me. The fans seemed passionate but not cocky (which turned out to spot on) and I actually liked that I could be there for their first GF win.

After investing too much emotionally (and $) for my Packers and Brewers it was refreshing to watch a sport for the pure sport of it. I was disillusioned by the changing NFL towards less defense, less big hits, more offense, instant replay, slower games, and a sh** ton of flags and penalties. I don’t consider it a sport as much as I do a carefully crafted entertainment experience. I love footy in a way I don’t NFL. The AFL players are not held on such high pedestals and prima donnas of the game. They have a closer relationship with the fans. It reminds me of baseball and football in a bygone er. And Freo, for some reason at the time I started watching footy, seemed to embody the hard working team with strong roots who were loved by their passionate fans. Loved Pav, Sandi, and a young Fyfe too. I guess it was just a feeling more than anything.

My Oz buddy who is a crows fan said one day that I had to pick a team and that Aussies never change teams once they barrack for one. At that time I was just watching a ton of games and didn’t have a team. I told him as such but he was a persistent c**t and kept at it. Finally, I went with my gut. And my gut said Freo. I’ve never regretted it (although 2016-2019 I wanted to gouge my eyes out at times. Lol) and I look forward to the day the boys hoist the cup.

And lastly, I realized a couple years later that my teams were the Packers, Brewers, and Dockers. Notice a trend? Maybe I gravitate towards the teams with working class roots? Who knows. Lol.

I literally don’t know anyone who watches footy so regardless of which team I barrack for I must come here to actually talk footy or get news. As much as think there’s too much sh**talk and personal attacks on here, I’m glad to have the rest of the purple army to chat with once in while.



On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
Click to expand...
Probably the most enjoyable post i have seen on here for a long time.
When we are here thinking the game has changed for the worst in the last 20 years , your view on the NFL makes our problems seem minute.
Yeah Freo supporters are very passionate,definitely not front runners and to the core of the Heart Loyal as they come,You have joined the right club and one day all the pain ,grief,belittling and many extra grey hairs will alll be worth it.
Unfortunately most forums have problems with sh##talk ,but most of the Freo family are decent.
 

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Mongrel Punt did their Round One wrap. Our section:

FREMANTLE 8. 10. (58) DEFEATED GWS 4. 4. (28)
REVIEWER – JB EDDY (New Mongrel… get around him!)
The first round of footy for 2021 finished with what was probably the most emotionally charged match of the week, and some very hard-at-it footy. While Freo ran out easy winners by a five-goal margin, GWS put plenty into the game against a side that will take some beating.
The final margin didn’t really paint a true picture of most of the game, which saw the first half full of hard, contested footy that unfortunately dropped off a bit as the game went on. GWS could consider themselves a bit unlucky to go into half time behind after some fantastic defence and leading the inside 50s 14-9 for the half, but that and a tenner won’t buy you a beer at the ‘G.
Fremantle have titled their 2021 campaign “unfinished business”, and it’s easy to see why. They haven’t lost a game since Carlton beat them in a prelim in 2019, and they were clear favourites for the 2020 season that was abandoned with no premier announced.
Before the season kicked off, many people had Freo as the favourites for the 2021 AFLW crown. Players like Gemma Houghton, Ebony Antonio and Kiara Bowers would be walk-up starts in any AFLW team, giving the Dockers winners on every line.
In contrast, a GWS side with a little less star power on their list. Alyce Parker is their reigning B&F winner, and at just 20 years old, looks to be the type of midfielder that you can build a squad around. She will definitely need a lot of help though, as this game showed.
The team had a nightmare offseason. I’m going to keep calling them GWS for this whole review, because having to call them the GIANTS in all capitals seems like they were named by someone complaining about a Facebook Marketplace seller refusing to deliver a $20 BBQ fifty kilometres to a bush campsite.
The decision to form a hub was probably the right one to ensure that a premier would be crowned this season, but unfortunately, it ruled out key defender, Louise Stephenson, who had to stay on call as a member of the local fire brigade, and ruck, Jess Allan, who has commitments to the ADF.
Irish import Brid Stack’s neck injury in the preseason match with Adelaide has had a lot of air time, and while she may not have been the most integral member of the squad, having her out with a broken neck will definitely leave some of the players shaken. When Lister went off with concussion just before half time, it seemed to remind them just how hard the game can hit.
Perhaps a greater impact though was losing Jacinda Barclay last October to mental health battles. The loss of such a talented and experienced player is one thing, but to lose her so tragically compounds the impact. Every game this round included a minutes silence to recognise her, and this match saw more than a few tears as the players remembered their teammate. Her number 34 jumper hung from the bench roof for the whole match.

SCRAPPY, OR SPIRITED?
The opening quarter was a low scoring affair, though a lot of that can be attributed to GWS’ willingness to get numbers to the ball. On a day where the temp hit 34⁰C, it may have come back to bite them later on when they slowed down and Freo took control.
Some may call this “scrappy” because players don’t have a lot of time to dispose of the ball cleanly, but I for one am a big fan of desperation footy, and GWS were as desperate as a hedge fund manager who had shorted gamestop shares last week. They were as hungry as Clive Palmer at a vegan yoga retreat. They were busier than a Canberra paper shredder. What I’m saying here is that they wanted the ball and didn’t care if they looked bad doing it.
Unfortunately, the intensity saw them fade a bit, and Freo’s class took hold of the match in the third quarter. GWS didn’t give up, but they did seem to be a bit warier around the contest after Lister seemed to get concussed after colliding with Houghton while both were going for the ball. Lister seemed to be blindsided and ran right into Houghton’s shoulder, whiplashing her head. A bit of bad luck, in my opinion, Houghton’s eyes were on the ball. There has been a bit of talk about “duty of care’ this week in light of the Stack incident, and it’s true that players need to be looked after where possible true, but the primary point of care will always have to be the player.

TAKE A BOWERS
The opening bounce was exactly what everyone expected, with Kiara Bowers getting her first of five clearances within the opening handful of seconds. While not many would have her as best on ground today, her presence is undeniable.
Bowers’ 21 possessions were to most of any Freo player, but her 10 tackles show why her teammates feel safe when she’s around. Last year she averaged 14 a game—the most in the league and almost double the next best player. If you’re trying to break a pack and Bowers is around, she’s putting you on your arse, and who doesn’t love to see that?
She seemed to pull a hammy in the first quarter, sitting a bit of it out to ride on the stationary bike on the sidelines. She re-joined at quarter time with her right thigh strapped, but didn’t seem to be missing a step. Every Freo supporter will hope she’s fine, because the side is much more dangerous with her in it.

ALL SET FOR ALYCE
Alyce Parker seemed to dig deep in this match. At just 20 years old, the reigning GWS B&F showed moments of class that suggested she could be the sort of player you build a midfield around, as well as a couple of turnovers under pressure that remind you just how young she is.
She’ll learn from those though, and come out all the stronger. Her 28 possessions was equal with teammate Rebecca Beeson’s effort, and just ahead of Ellie Bennetts. The fact that 18 of Parker’s touches were contested shows just how much she wanted to push her team across the line. Unfortunately, the three of them were left to shoulder a bit too much of the load though, and all were on the receiving end of some hard tackles that seemed to shake them. The intense pressure also hampered their ability to set up play, with more blast kicking from packs than they’d have preferred.

HARD TO CATCH HOUGHTON
Houghton is a dual AA and it’s easy to see why. Her ability to just accelerate and leave her opponent in the dust is worth the price of admission (or a stream) any day of the week.
Her first major play of the game was a three bouncer to bring the ball from defensive to forward 50, only to kick the ball into her opponent’s face trying to kick to the square. Freo recovered the ball though and with a quick kick, Houghton marked and converted just before quarter time.
Some pundits have said that time was up, and that the old wind-up siren at the ground gave her the extra second needed to make the mark count, but like my old under-13 coach said between bites of junior burgers “play to the whistle kid.”
Houghton had eight running bounces up until half time and finished with a game-high 484 metres gained. She hit three goals, but it could easily have been six with a little more polish on her finishing. Still, an easy pick for BOG.

WHERE IT WAS WON
GWS could probably claim to have had most of the momentum in the first half, but there’s no pressure like scoreboard pressure. It’ll crush you harder than a hundred “I just don’t like you in that way” text messages. A third quarter blitz from Freo seemed to hit GWS all the way back into the friend zone. The Dockers piled on 3.4 to a single Bennetts goal, and were it not for some wayward kicking it could easily have seen the game put to bed.
Up until this point, GWS had been able to weather the pressure and rebound well, but the combination of two quick Houghton goals and a morale-lifting debut major to Mikayla Hyde, who was only added to the list two weeks ago put the game well into Freo’s hands.
Freo’s forward line was just too much for GWS to handle. Houghton’s ability to break lines gave Sabreena Duffy ample opportunity to present, and with the highly experienced Kara Antonio seeming to coordinate the structure when resting forward, they stuck to a strong game plan.
Likewise, the Freo defence was anchored by the brilliant Janelle Cuthbertson. Her ability to read the play set up the sort of team-oriented defence that shows why the Dockers are the favourites for the flag this year.

NEXT UP
Both teams are supposed to head to South Australia for their next matches, but just before the first bounce, WA announced that they would be implementing a hard lockdown on the border due to a positive COVID result of a hotel worker. Whether that means a mad dash to the border or some changes in the fixture remains to be seen. Freo could play West Coast next week without destroying the fixture too much, so if it’s happening, at least it’s happening early in the season.
Fremantle should take on Adelaide, and GWS are scheduled to play a West Coast, the team that Adelaide made look a little ordinary this week. If these matches go ahead, both should be exciting affairs. Adelaide’s running power and hard-hitting style is a mirror to Freo’s ability to make space and contest the ball, so it should be an exciting match to see which side will set the standard for the year.
GWS may be a little worse for wear after some hard hits, but the West Coast team still seem to be finding their feet. I would expect GWS to be a little too good, but this week has been a tough one for them, and the Eagles may fancy their chances at getting their first win away from WA, provided they can actually get away from WA.
Click to expand...

Put a few media outlets to shame actually.

themongrelpunt.com

AFLW Round One Mongrel Wrap - The Mongrel Punt

And we're off! Here is the in-depth review of every game in Round One of the 2021 AFLW season, Mongrel Punt style
themongrelpunt.com themongrelpunt.com
 
Daddoo said:
I’m a small market fan with small market tastes. I always root for the underdog. As I was getting into footy 2010-2012 Freo caught my eye and their stands were almost always full of fans. Something about being a smaller team in a two team town appealed to me. The fans seemed passionate but not cocky (which turned out to spot on) and I actually liked that I could be there for their first GF win.

After investing too much emotionally (and $) for my Packers and Brewers it was refreshing to watch a sport for the pure sport of it. I was disillusioned by the changing NFL towards less defense, less big hits, more offense, instant replay, slower games, and a sh** ton of flags and penalties. I don’t consider it a sport as much as I do a carefully crafted entertainment experience. I love footy in a way I don’t NFL. The AFL players are not held on such high pedestals and prima donnas of the game. They have a closer relationship with the fans. It reminds me of baseball and football in a bygone era. And Freo, for some reason at the time I started watching footy, seemed to embody the hard working team with strong roots who were loved by their passionate fans. Loved Pav, Sandi, and a young Fyfe too. I guess it was just a feeling more than anything.

My Oz buddy who is a crows fan said one day that I had to pick a team and that Aussies never change teams once they barrack for one. At that time I was just watching a ton of games and didn’t have a team. I told him as such but he was a persistent c**t and kept at it. Finally, I went with my gut. And my gut said Freo. I’ve never regretted it (although 2016-2019 I wanted to gouge my eyes out at times. Lol) and I look forward to the day the boys hoist the cup.

And lastly, I realized a couple years later that my teams were the Packers, Brewers, and Dockers. Notice a trend? Maybe I gravitate towards the teams with working class roots? Who knows. Lol.

I literally don’t know anyone who watches footy so regardless of which team I barrack for I must come here to actually talk footy or get news. As much as I think there’s too much sh**talk and personal attacks on here, I’m glad to have the rest of the purple army to chat with once in while.



On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
Click to expand...
Great story! Very cool you chose Freo - love your posting on this board! 👍🏽👍🏽
 
So happy to finally see some footy action again!!

What a great start to the season, or like “unfinished business” suggests, the girls just picked up where they last left off. Never really seem like they’ve missed a beat.

I’ve only watched Carlton v Collingwood before this game, but I’ll venture to say the ladies were up there in the top tier in terms of skill and fitness.

A little out of the loop as an overseas supporter, can I ask what is the restrictions imposed on this latest lockdown in Perth? Are players allowed to fly interstate (with quarantine period?) and will training also likely to be affected?
Thanks.
Stay safe everyone.
 
yoong said:
So happy to finally see some footy action again!!

What a great start to the season, or like “unfinished business” suggests, the girls just picked up where they last left off. Never really seem like they’ve missed a beat.

I’ve only watched Carlton v Collingwood before this game, but I’ll venture to say the ladies were up there in the top tier in terms of skill and fitness.

A little out of the loop as an overseas supporter, can I ask what is the restrictions imposed on this latest lockdown in Perth? Are players allowed to fly interstate (with quarantine period?) and will training also likely to be affected?
Thanks.
Stay safe everyone.
Click to expand...

We're meant to be flying to SA this weekend to take on the Crows, but they've introduced a 14 day quarantine period for arrivals from WA (players and staff from the Crows aren't allowed outside right now.) I think where we go is all up in the air.
 
Purple_Turtle said:
We're meant to be flying to SA this weekend to take on the Crows, but they've introduced a 14 day quarantine period for arrivals from WA (players and staff from the Crows aren't allowed outside right now.) I think where we go is all up in the air.
Click to expand...

The AFL is dealing with the C'wood issues right now, so I wouldn't expect any news until tomorrow or late tonight.
My expectation, purely conjectural, is that we would play the Weagles this weekend, by then we'll know if we're free and clear, or into further lockdowns.
 
Purple_Turtle said:
With no crowd?
Click to expand...
would assume so but just guessing on that point. That's less on AFL and more on WA govt. I was at the WC ADE game on Sat and they were very strict on avoiding contact between players and key staff and public. Some staff couldn't even access the club facilities - strict AFL rules on numbers in clubs at any one time. And that was before lockdown
 

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ImperialPurple said:
Coaches’ votes:
View attachment 1049301
Unbe-f*n-lievable 😳😳😳
Click to expand...

Don't really have a problem with Parker featuring. She had a huge game for GWS.

With that said I'm trying to work out how the votes were divvied up, and I have a suspicion that the GWS coach gave more votes to Parker than Houghton, which is wrong given how influential Gemma was in deciding that game.
 
looks like one coach gave Houghton/Parker a 5 and the other a 3, and the other got a 4 and a 4. Bower 5 +1, Cuthbo 3+2, Duffy 2, Bennets 1.

I reckon Cooper gave 5 to Turbo and 4 to Houghton.
 
Last edited:
Daddoo said:
I’m a small market fan with small market tastes. I always root for the underdog. As I was getting into footy 2010-2012 Freo caught my eye and their stands were almost always full of fans. Something about being a smaller team in a two team town appealed to me. The fans seemed passionate but not cocky (which turned out to spot on) and I actually liked that I could be there for their first GF win.

After investing too much emotionally (and $) for my Packers and Brewers it was refreshing to watch a sport for the pure sport of it. I was disillusioned by the changing NFL towards less defense, less big hits, more offense, instant replay, slower games, and a sh** ton of flags and penalties. I don’t consider it a sport as much as I do a carefully crafted entertainment experience. I love footy in a way I don’t NFL. The AFL players are not held on such high pedestals and prima donnas of the game. They have a closer relationship with the fans. It reminds me of baseball and football in a bygone era. And Freo, for some reason at the time I started watching footy, seemed to embody the hard working team with strong roots who were loved by their passionate fans. Loved Pav, Sandi, and a young Fyfe too. I guess it was just a feeling more than anything.

My Oz buddy who is a crows fan said one day that I had to pick a team and that Aussies never change teams once they barrack for one. At that time I was just watching a ton of games and didn’t have a team. I told him as such but he was a persistent c**t and kept at it. Finally, I went with my gut. And my gut said Freo. I’ve never regretted it (although 2016-2019 I wanted to gouge my eyes out at times. Lol) and I look forward to the day the boys hoist the cup.

And lastly, I realized a couple years later that my teams were the Packers, Brewers, and Dockers. Notice a trend? Maybe I gravitate towards the teams with working class roots? Who knows. Lol.

I literally don’t know anyone who watches footy so regardless of which team I barrack for I must come here to actually talk footy or get news. As much as I think there’s too much sh**talk and personal attacks on here, I’m glad to have the rest of the purple army to chat with once in while.



On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
Click to expand...
Will buy you a beer 1 day legend.
 
Purple_Turtle said:
Don't really have a problem with Parker featuring. She had a huge game for GWS.

With that said I'm trying to work out how the votes were divvied up, and I have a suspicion that the GWS coach gave more votes to Parker than Houghton, which is wrong given how influential Gemma was in deciding that game.
Click to expand...
Well...Gemma "Excuse me Mr club bouncer, don't you know who I am?!!" Houghton gets the full 8.5 votes from me! 🤣
 
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