- Sep 15, 2005
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Nice yet again Bec Webster - too bad your team mate fumbled after your good work in the contest.
AFLW AFLW Season 5, Mega thread
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cats_09
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- Jun 21, 2011
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I also liked that marking contests just before outside our forward 50 where she came from deeper in the pack, jumped at the contest and nearly took the mark.
She seems to be playing with more intent today than I can recall from previous matches and can't help thinking her being BOG for us in last week's VFLW has helped with her confidence, and surely with the overlap between the VFLW & AFLW seasons we should be rewarding form with promotion to the seniors
We've got 3 more games after today, we know what we're going to get from O'Connor, she's not getting any younger and is towards the end of her career - let's give the youngster a run at things, as it's not going to be the difference between making finals or not but it can give us an idea of future prospects
- Sep 15, 2005
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Ivey can kick this ...
- Sep 15, 2005
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%100 agree.
Don't get me wrong, Caris has a long way to go, but even in the contests in which she was outmarked she was actually in the contest and her judgement and intent (as you said) were good.
- Sep 15, 2005
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Yep. Teams really burn us in transition, we aren't as capable going the other way when it's our turn to 'go' though
- Sep 15, 2005
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Amy McDonald just needs to tidy up that decision-making once she has beaten her opponent; she'd be one of the best in the comp if she was more damaging.
- Sep 15, 2005
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Yep, almost goes without saying - it surprises me that she is as effective as she is, because it is a real awkward set-up. Not sure how much she can improve that technique, regardless though, there are occasions when she has shaken her opponent and it is more her vision/decision-making than her execution that lets her down, imo - probably a bit of both actually.
She was very good again at times today, so good in traffic.
cats_09
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If we played like this earlier this season, can't help but think we may have snagged a win or two, especially against say the Bulldogs who were good against us but they only kicked away late in that contest
Caris had 6 h/o's till half time along with 1 handball and 0 marks, 0, kicks & 0 tackles.
She had 2 handballs I remember in the 3rd quarter from a contest that were scrappy at best.
Since my original post she put together her best quarter in her career. An uncontested mark along with a few unconvincing kicks that didn't hit a target. That says something in itself. It also says a lot when we are singing her praises for judgement & intent (which are non-negotiables IMO) over a contested mark she nearly took.
I get she is young and raw, and with O'Connor near the end (and she was poor today) we probably have no other options but to play her considering we don't really have any other options. She has a lot of room for growth, but that doesn't mitigate her lack of positive influence on the team. I'd persist with her on the list, but honestly she still needs a couple of years of development in VFLW before being ready.
It's not so much an indictment on Caris (she's young and has a lot of development ahead before being ready), but an indictment on how horrible our list is that we have to play her.
Let's hope Erin Hoare wants to come back next year.
cats_09
Otters United
- Jun 21, 2011
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You wonder what happened during the week for the changes - did Lachie Young's article get shown to the right people...
The way we played today was similar to hope we've played second halves against the likes of St Kilda & Richmond, that when those games were seemingly over that we kinda switched tactics to play with more urgency and freedom
So obviously it's something that's been there and they can do, just that today they were encouraged to take the game on from the start
One area we do need to improve though is our conversion in front of goal and take advantage when on top in the game
Our best chance to win a game isn't till the final round.
One team could well go through the season winless and could be a battle for the number 1 pick.
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She's played 6 games of AFLW football and is probably already the best ruck option on our list.
Also, I don't reckon I was 'singing her praises' so much as providing some balance to your comment that she only impacts the team in a negative sense - I don't consider her a young gun of the competition by any stretch, she has a long way to go and is not guaranteed of making it long term.
But I think she has some tools to work with and as I said earlier, with the state of our season as it stands I can't see any reason that we wouldn't persist with her for the rest of the season, warts and all.
I'd love to see Erin Hoare back on the list, but she'll be 32 next year and we'd probably be in the market for a complementary young ruck anyway even if the good doctor resumed ruck duties - I just think that 6 games is too early to judge in regards to Caris.
Sophie Van De Heuvel has played 19 games now and we're only just starting to see the kind of talent she might be able to tap into; Caris plays in a tougher, less forgiving position and is a baby in football terms.
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