AFLW AFLW Season 5, Mega thread

[cats_09]

No problem with Gardiner out. She looked a long way away from being ready at this level.
Barber out is weird considering she’ll be playing VFLW this weekend.
Goring coming in is just incomprehensible. Slow of body and mind, poor disposal and mark. Offers nothing. Millie Brown can play the same role and a hell of a lot better. Step backwards IMO. I just don’t get the MC’s thinking.

It's interesting decisions because we have selected 2 defenders to replace a forward/ruck in Barber, but not really sure what position Gardiner played last week

One thing I wouldn't mind seeing is if these changes moves Keryk into the middle to give us another bigger body midfield option, and she is someone who has had high possession games in the past

 

[goyoucatters]

Really solidifying their intent to make as little as possible of this season with these omissions. Barber is the future, and is therefore dropped. And Gardiner (despite being massively undersized at this point) is part of that future as well.

Millie back is great. But there are plenty of middling players in this group who should have been omitted before Barber, at the very least. I concede that it's possible she may not be performing brilliantly on the training track. But her ceiling already appears to be well and truly higher than a number of other players who are still getting a run every week.

When you also consider that a pitifully impotent team has just dropped a forward and a mid for two defenders, you really have to wonder what is driving selection policy down at the club right now.

 

[cats_09]

I agree with you though, a more senior player should be the one to make way - Rocky Cranston is one off the top of my head.

Hope Barber tears it up on Saturday though and is back in sooner rather than later.

To me, watching our games these are the "senior" players who I don't think we've got enough from this season and looking at the stats just now it seems to back up we aren't getting enough from them

- Rocky: ave 5.8 disposals, 1.3 marks and 2 tackles this season, it's worse than her first season at the Demons and a massive drop off from her first two seasons with us
2020: 13.8 disposals, 2 marks and 2.7 tackles
2019: 15.7 disposals, 2.2 marks and 4.5 tackles

- Garing, and not sure why she's named on the half forward line as she's only kicked 1 career goal. I get that in her first season she was an important role player in our first year where she played through the middle and was strong in the tackle department, but she's clearly been surpassed as a midfield option, so where does she fit in the team?
2021: 7.5 disposals, 1 mark and 2.5 tackles
2020: 11.2 disposals, 0.5 marks and 3 tackles
2021: 13 disposals, 1.1 marks and 8 tackles


Boyd where the most telling stat is 1 goal from 4 games this season, and overall it's 4 goals from 12 games in the hoops - for a player in their 5th season at this level, it's a disappointing return

 

[terry_bright]

It's interesting decisions because we have selected 2 defenders to replace a forward/ruck in Barber, but not really sure what position Gardiner played last week

One thing I wouldn't mind seeing is if these changes moves Keryk into the middle to give us another bigger body midfield option, and she is someone who has had high possession games in the past

It can be the only thing the MC must be considering.

Keryk in the middle, or Ivey running the wings is worth a shot.

Of all the areas that need addressing, the midfield & forward line need far more attention than the backline.

I just don't understand Goring coming in. She's been in and out of team over the last season and a half (mostly due to form). She's had her chances, and I'd be surprised if she's at the club next year. Would rather see Barber play, or give another youngster a chance.

If say Keryk plays in the guts, a back 6 or 7 from McDonald, McMahon, Brown, SVH, Ivey, Taylor, Rankin should suffice.

Good to see Millie back though.

 

[terry_bright]

Where's Madisen Macguire? Injured?

Also how far away is Nina from returning? Will it be this year?

 

[cats_09]

Where's Madisen Macguire? Injured?

Also how far away is Nina from returning? Will it be this year?

Yes:

Nina Morrison (knee) and Madisen Maguire (concussion) are the only players unavailable for AFLW or VFLW selection.

K rock Football - K ROCK 95.5

Broadcasting every Cats game via FM 95.5, FM 88.0 at the MCG, and krockfootball.live GFNL matches can be heard via...

www.krockfootball.com.au

 

[Cursed Cat]

Any update on Nina Morrison

not from me; assuming they're taking an ultra-cautious approach ...

 

[cats_09]

not from me; assuming they're taking an ultra-cautious approach ...

I'd almost rule her out for the season - unless something crazy happens it's unlikely we'll be playing finals and I just don't see the benefit in playing her just for the sake of it

Rather get her right, give her the chance to build up through the VFLW and then have something to work with heading into the next pre-season and AFLW 2022

 

[Johnny Cattery]

Williams didn't have a disposal last week and she finished the game with just a single tackle to her name - does need to improve her output, otherwise I think it's likely she'll be in the VFLW shortly. Though one thing she does bring to our forward line is some pace when the ball hits the deck which is something we lack with the likes of Boyd & Rocky up forward

With Barber omitted in curious who will be providing ruck support for O'Connor - I can see Boyd helping up forward, but can Boyd help around the ground or will her lack of speed hurt her moving between contests?

Williams has looked really tired after being very sharp and threatening in her first game. wondering whether Cats have realised their fitness is not up to scratch and tried to do too much too fast to catch up. Memo to coaches: It's too late ....

 

[winty]

I'd almost rule her out for the season - unless something crazy happens it's unlikely we'll be playing finals and I just don't see the benefit in playing her just for the sake of it

Rather get her right, give her the chance to build up through the VFLW and then have something to work with heading into the next pre-season and AFLW 2022

I'd be doing the same, considering it was March 13 last year when she was last injured, so it hasn't even be a full 12 months. Maybe you'd bring her back if we were a chance of playing finals, but we're nowhere near it.

 

[cats_09]

Williams has looked really tired after being very sharp and threatening in her first game. wondering whether Cats have realised their fitness is not up to scratch and tried to do too much too fast to catch up. Memo to coaches: It's too late ....

Williams seems a point of difference up forward in that she actually has some genuine pace, a willingness to hunt the ball when it hits the deck and chase the opposition - but can also see she's raw

I hope she stays on for the VFLW season because I think that'll help with her development and hopefully also an opportunity to build on the fitness levels - with the AFLW having a limited pre-season, it probably hasn't helped as our recent draftees didn't have the NAB League comp last year, and they seem a bit more raw than our previous groups of draftees including the likes of Morrison, Purcell who seemed more ready to take the next step up

I'm still happy to keep pumping games into the likes of Barber & Williams when possible because they do add something different to others on our list and they look like they could have bright futures - though we may need to be mindful of them being youngsters without much football over the past 12 months

 

[cats_09]

 

[cats_09]

 

[cats_09]

The Fox Sports cameras and crew are back to boundary side of the fence tonight rather than front row in the stands as per last match here

 

[cats_09]

 

[cats_09]

Keryk warming up with the midfield group

Like that move - not expecting she'll suddenly get 20 disposals tonight (though you never know), but good to have some experience added to that area of the ground

 

[goyoucatters]

Keryk warming up with the midfield group

Like that move - not expecting she'll suddenly get 20 disposals tonight (though you never know), but good to have some experience added to that area of the ground

With Millie back, it makes sense as well.

 

[cats_09]

McDonald & Williams attended the coin toss, McDonald won and we'll be kicking to the Ablett Terrace end to start the match

 

[cats_09]

Williams, Brown, McMahon, Keryk and Crockett-Grills starting on the bench

 

[winty]

The indigenous tops look awesome.

 

[cats_09]

The indigenous tops look awesome.

The men get to wear it later this year

 

[cats_09]

Seriously - O'Connor is taller than her opponent and gets done for blocking in the ruck contest as she didn't give her opponent a free run at it

 

[cats_09]

Now we have umpires in the defensive end of the ground paying free kicks in our forward 50

 

[winty]

Tigers getting an armchair ride with the umpires here.

 

[cats_09]

McMahon helping in the ruck