Women's Footy Crows AFLW Season 2020 - The Defending Premiers

[Scorpus]

We also desperately need players in the midfield and forward that can take a mark, even just uncontested marks. We are awful in this area.

Marks need to be a big focus throughout pre-season. Players who don't rack up a lot of touches like Mules or Gore need to be far more reliable above their head to complement the ball winning of Marinoff and Hatchard. Marinoff also needs to work on skills.

Our core of young players still looks solid. Marinoff, Hatchard, Allan, Ponter, McKinnon, Gore, Scheer but we need to double down and nab a few more skilled players. Fewer punts on sport converts, more emphasis on footballers

 

[radiojake]

Did a bit of a deep dive about the 2020 AFLW draft and how the Crows team should structure up next year, think it’s now time where the AFLW competition’s been around long enough and SA women’s football is strong enough you can now actually draft more for needs.

The club if they were smart would realise besides the injuries the areas where the team fell down woefully last season were speed/run in the midfield, forward structure & personnel and positional/specific roles for defenders.

Getting in a natural goal kicker in Charlton and someone with the athletic ability of Tahau at CHF will help the forward line, but they need to change the setup to a more traditional forward structure and decide whether Biddell who will improve and has kicked some goals in the SANFLW is the way forward, if not a more experienced key forward needs to be drafted like a Ashleigh Woodlands or Kelly Barltrop from North Adelaide.

Defence just needs to be restructured and the tools look to already be there so no need to desperately draft any defenders especially with Randall slotting back in, but if they can find another tall to play back there hopefully with a positional change for Montana McKinnon to free up Randall a bit and Maddison Newman is actually settled & played in her best position across half back, natural improvement should come from that.

Midfield speed and running capabilities is the big issue, got cut up last season from teams with midfields that had good runners, finding players from the SANFLW to fix this is also tough only two I can see doing this are Norwood duo Matilda Zander and Mattea Breed, both standouts this season in a middle of the road side in Norwood.

Drafting Breed is complicated by the fact she’s originally from the NT & did play U/18 for the Central Allies last year but wasn’t picked up by the Gold Coast so would need her to nominate SA and have the Crows select her early, she was a standout junior in the NT but didn’t have that good a U/18s carnival last year but came on leaps and bounds with Norwood this year, is a great height for a midfielder, deceptively strong, has pace and is a neat kick. Zander aged 22 looks like a very good late developer a small mid that gets a lot of ball, bursts out of stoppages and runs hard forward and back, read she was going to play for Collingwood in the VFLW this year before the cancellation so again getting her to nominate SA and taking her early would be a priority.

The club’s decision between loyalty or progress will be tested whether they draft Rachelle Martin and Czenya Cavouras after having them as supplement players, I personally wouldn’t as they don’t provide much of what others on the list don’t already do and there are others at SANFLW level who have more complimentary skill sets for the squad.


She looked cooked at the end of the season, she was a late starter who already didn’t have good skills or the best feel for the game and a year off with the knee didn’t improve that. The ruck position needs to be sorted as well, McKinnon does not look remotely like a ruck, she looks totally uncomfortable in any ruck contest, where as Caitlin Gould does have some untapped potential and very good hands but also a totally unnatural kicking action and needs to get better at ruck contests as she’s even getting well beaten at SANFLW level. With Jess Foley’s retirement I’d go down that experienced SANFLW path again and draft Leah Cutting from Norwood, 28 years old, 184cm tall and is the standout ruck in that competition and a much better player than Metcalfe.

With Wallace, Foley, Cramey, Li and Gum already gone, Campbell, Metcalfe and/or Tabb should be the most in danger of being delisted.

Personal Draft preferences:

Teah Charlton (South Adelaide, Position: Small Forward/Midfielder, Height: 170 cm, Age: 17)

Indy Tahau (South Adelaide, Utility/Key Forward, 176 cm, 17)

Mattea Breed (Norwood, Midfielder, 174 cm, 18)

Matilda Zander (Norwood, Midfielder, 160 cm, 22)

Leah Cutting (Norwood, Ruck, 184cm, 28)

Next best options:

Ashleigh Woodlands (North Adelaide, Forward, 173cm, 21)

Kelly Barltrop (North Adelaide, Ruck/Key Forward, 181 cm, 26)

Amber Ward (North Adelaide, Defender, 175cm, 18)

Great insight - thanks

Are you involved with SANFLW? You have a lot of knowledge

 

[Firewalker]

Great insight - thanks

Are you involved with SANFLW? You have a lot of knowledge

Mostly going off vision this year, the SANFL’s digital pass has been a blessing this year for women’s football, only reason I got it. Spent some time over the past couple of weeks viewing most of the games and like I previously posted draftcentral’s in-depth reports are brilliant as well if you want some blanks filled in about the players.

 

[Mutineer]

 

[Caputo]

With contracting beginning next week I have used the Basketball way of Depth Chart to gives an overview of where we stand.

Down to 26 players which we could re-sign all.

Forwards

Key Forward 1 – Gould expect Tahau to be drafted
Key Forward 2 – Biddell possible replacement as Defender post Rajcic
Mid Forward (Lead up to the ball good overhead) - Scheer with Renee Forth but Erin Phillips, Eloise Jones and Naj Allen change off the ball
Small Forward 1 – Stevie-Lee Thompson with Ailish Considine
Small Forward 2 – Danielle Ponter expect Teah Charlton to be drafted

Defenders

Key Defender 1 – Sarah Allan
Key Defender 2 - Marijana Rajcic
3rd Tall – (Intercept and set up play) – Chelsea Randall with Ang Foley
HB Flanker (Precise distribution) – Maddie Newman with Nicole Campbell
Back Pocket (Stopper) – Dayna Cox with Jaimi Tabb

Midfield

Inside
Ruck – Rhiannon Metcalfe with Montana McKinnon (McKinnon can also play Key forward) while Gould as backup
Ruck Rover – Anne Hatchard with Naj Allen
Follower – Ebony Marinoff
Centre – Erin Phillips with Nikki Gore

Outside
Wing 1 – Eloise Jones with Hannah Button
Wing 2 – Justine Mules with Danni Varnhagen

 

[Caputo]

Advertiser reporting " 2019 premier Adelaide is hoping it can lure home at least two South Australian footballers currently listed at Victorian clubs." and Chloe Scheer article playing for Payneham Norwood Union rather than SANFLW.

 

[Firewalker]

Advertiser reporting " 2019 premier Adelaide is hoping it can lure home at least two South Australian footballers currently listed at Victorian clubs." and Chloe Scheer article playing for Payneham Norwood Union rather than SANFLW.

Bit of a strange move, Hannah Munyard from the Bulldogs and Jessica Edwards from Carlton are the only two I think it could be.

Very iffy about both as Munyard has already made her thoughts very clear by choosing to not be selected by the Crows last year due to her die-hard Port allegiances, she’s certainly a very promising player & is playing some very good football at Souths at the moment - was always supremely athletically gifted but her ball skills are also getting better now, but don’t know why you’d go after someone who doesn’t/didn’t want anything to do with the club. Edwards would be a even more puzzling choice she’s a 30 year old journey-woman who is a solid experienced running defender for Carlton, she’s certainly nothing that is really needed.

 

[TheTassieHawk]

Bit of a strange move, Hannah Munyard from the Bulldogs and Jessica Edwards from Carlton are the only two I think it could be.

Very iffy about both as Munyard has already made her thoughts very clear by choosing to not be selected by the Crows last year due to her die-hard Port allegiances, she’s certainly a very promising player & is playing some very good football at Souths at the moment - was always supremely athletically gifted but her ball skills are also getting better now, but don’t know why you’d go after someone who doesn’t/didn’t want anything to do with the club. Edwards would be a even more puzzling choice she’s a 30 year old journey-woman who is a solid experienced running defender for Carlton, she’s certainly nothing that is really needed.

Interesting on Munyard. My assumption was she was unlucky to not be drafted by the Crowswho as premiers and bringing Gum in from GWS had a very tough list decision 12 months ago - before being a post draft free Agent pickup by the Dogs.

I would be even more shocked if she did nominate for Victoria but then went undrafted by all 8 clubs including the Tigers and Saints.

If Port Adelaide do get a licence during her career I guess that she will be one of their first players recruited provided she makes the grade in the next few years.

 

[Firewalker]

Interesting on Munyard. My assumption was she was unlucky to not be drafted by the Crowswho as premiers and bringing Gum in from GWS had a very tough list decision 12 months ago - before being a post draft free Agent pickup by the Dogs.

I would be even more shocked if she did nominate for Victoria but then went undrafted by all 8 clubs including the Tigers and Saints.

If Port Adelaide do get a licence during her career I guess that she will be one of their first players recruited provided she makes the grade in the next few years.

Info was certainly around well before last years draft she was choosing to go to a Metro Victorian team over the Crows, believe her move to the Bulldogs might have been one of those behind closed doors deals the AFLW do and was organised before the draft took place to accomodate her as an interstate player moving across and was just announced as a free agent signing.

 

[Caputo]

there is another 4 with 3 St Kilda and Ebony O'dea but all seem unlikely

 

[TheTassieHawk]

Info was certainly around well before last years draft she was choosing to go to a Metro Victorian team over the Crows, believe her move to the Bulldogs might have been one of those behind closed doors deals the AFLW do and was organised before the draft took place to accomodate her as an interstate player moving across and was just announced as a free agent signing.

That makes sense. Given the lack of media for AFLW there could similar stories in the various states that don't get reported nationally.

 

[Firewalker]

As alluded to Hannah Munyard has within 12 months had a massive change of heart and will join the Crows during the AFLW trade period which starts tomorrow.

AFLW Latest News - AFL.com.au/aflw

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

womens.afl

 

[Caputo]

From today's Adelaide Advertiser

The Crows will be looking to re-sign their out-of-contract co-skipper Erin Phillips as a priority when the AFLW’s sign and trade period opens on Monday.
The two-time league best and fairest played two games in the 2020 season as she returned from an ACL injury.
Other out-of-contract Crows include 2019 premiership-winning forward Danielle Ponter and midfielder Justine Mules.
Adelaide’s general manager of football operations, Phil Harper, said the Crows would be looking to re-sign 23 of their players from the 2020 season.

Ruth Wallace, who was Adelaide’s leading goal kicker in 2018, didn’t play a game in 2020 for personal reasons and has informed the club she won’t return, but 2019 premiership player Hannah Button will rejoin the squad after being on the club’s inactive list in 2020 while she rehabbed a torn ACL.
The Crows have lost Sophie Li, Courtney Cramey, Courtney Gum and Jess Foley through retirement.
“We may delist another two,” Harper said.

The Crows are then hoping to lure at least two South Australians back home from interstate clubs through the trade period and then take three, possibly four, picks to the draft later in the year.

​

The 2020 AFLW season ended with no premier declared after six rounds because of the COVID-19 sport shutdown.

Harper said it was pleasing that the majority of the footballers were getting more game time by now playing in the SANFLW competition, including 2020 club champion Anne Hatchard, who set a new record for most disposals, with an incredible 42 touches playing for North Adelaide.

“When you’re in the prime of your footy career and you’re only playing six (AFLW) games, it’s not enough, so for them to go back into the SANFL and be embraced by the clubs and play another six to eight games for the season has been great for them, but also great for us in that we feel they’re getting some good footy under their belts,” he said.

The AFL announced last week that the 2021 AFLW season would commence on February 1. The sign and trade period will run until August 12.

 

[radiojake]

That is disappointing about Ruth Wallace

I really hope Ponter re-signing is just a formality

 

[TheRoo32]

Did a bit of a deep dive about the 2020 AFLW draft and how the Crows team should structure up next year, think it’s now time where the AFLW competition’s been around long enough and SA women’s football is strong enough you can now actually draft more for needs.

The club if they were smart would realise besides the injuries the areas where the team fell down woefully last season were speed/run in the midfield, forward structure & personnel and positional/specific roles for defenders.

Getting in a natural goal kicker in Charlton and someone with the athletic ability of Tahau at CHF will help the forward line, but they need to change the setup to a more traditional forward structure and decide whether Biddell who will improve and has kicked some goals in the SANFLW is the way forward, if not a more experienced key forward needs to be drafted like a Ashleigh Woodlands or Kelly Barltrop from North Adelaide.

Defence just needs to be restructured and the tools look to already be there so no need to desperately draft any defenders especially with Randall slotting back in, but if they can find another tall to play back there hopefully with a positional change for Montana McKinnon to free up Randall a bit and Maddison Newman is actually settled & played in her best position across half back, natural improvement should come from that.

Midfield speed and running capabilities is the big issue, got cut up last season from teams with midfields that had good runners, finding players from the SANFLW to fix this is also tough only two I can see doing this are Norwood duo Matilda Zander and Mattea Breed, both standouts this season in a middle of the road side in Norwood.

Drafting Breed is complicated by the fact she’s originally from the NT & did play U/18 for the Central Allies last year but wasn’t picked up by the Gold Coast so would need her to nominate SA and have the Crows select her early, she was a standout junior in the NT but didn’t have that good a U/18s carnival last year but came on leaps and bounds with Norwood this year, is a great height for a midfielder, deceptively strong, has pace and is a neat kick. Zander aged 22 looks like a very good late developer a small mid that gets a lot of ball, bursts out of stoppages and runs hard forward and back, read she was going to play for Collingwood in the VFLW this year before the cancellation so again getting her to nominate SA and taking her early would be a priority.

The club’s decision between loyalty or progress will be tested whether they draft Rachelle Martin and Czenya Cavouras after having them as supplement players, I personally wouldn’t as they don’t provide much of what others on the list don’t already do and there are others at SANFLW level who have more complimentary skill sets for the squad.


She looked cooked at the end of the season, she was a late starter who already didn’t have good skills or the best feel for the game and a year off with the knee didn’t improve that. The ruck position needs to be sorted as well, McKinnon does not look remotely like a ruck, she looks totally uncomfortable in any ruck contest, where as Caitlin Gould does have some untapped potential and very good hands but also a totally unnatural kicking action and needs to get better at ruck contests as she’s even getting well beaten at SANFLW level. With Jess Foley’s retirement I’d go down that experienced SANFLW path again and draft Leah Cutting from Norwood, 28 years old, 184cm tall and is the standout ruck in that competition and a much better player than Metcalfe.

With Wallace, Foley, Cramey, Li and Gum already gone, Campbell, Metcalfe and/or Tabb should be the most in danger of being delisted.

Personal Draft preferences:

Teah Charlton (South Adelaide, Position: Small Forward/Midfielder, Height: 170 cm, Age: 17)

Indy Tahau (South Adelaide, Utility/Key Forward, 176 cm, 17)

Mattea Breed (Norwood, Midfielder, 174 cm, 18)

Matilda Zander (Norwood, Midfielder, 160 cm, 22)

Leah Cutting (Norwood, Ruck, 184cm, 28)

Next best options:

Ashleigh Woodlands (North Adelaide, Forward, 173cm, 21)

Kelly Barltrop (North Adelaide, Ruck/Key Forward, 181 cm, 26)

Amber Ward (North Adelaide, Defender, 175cm, 18)

Good insight but disagree on not drafting Rachelle Martin. She is clearly one of the best players in the SANFLW (may well give Hatchard a run for the comps B&F this season). All heart, tackles like a machine, and wins inside contested ball for fun. The one game she got last year against Brisbane she was one of our best.

Charlton, Munyard, Martin will join at a minimum I think.

 

[Firewalker]

Good insight but disagree on not drafting Rachelle Martin. She is clearly one of the best players in the SANFLW (may well give Hatchard a run for the comps B&F this season). All heart, tackles like a machine, and wins inside contested ball for fun. The one game she got last year against Brisbane she was one of our best.

Charlton, Munyard, Martin will join at a minimum I think.

Just reckon you need to look beyond “shows great endeavour” now when drafting players into the AFLW you need to look at ball skills first; disposal and marking and that’s sadly where both Martin sisters are not proficient. Hannah’s already been announced as returning so do you need the undersized less skilled version of her in her sister as well? Rachelle is probably more hard at it but is very undersized for AFLW level and unfortunately her ball handling is not good enough at all to compensate for it, she get’s away with it a little against the poorer teams at SANFLW level by going in and getting some ball but my personal opinion is she doesn’t look a long term prospect at a higher level at all for me.

 

[TheRoo32]

Just reckon you need to look beyond “shows great endeavour” now when drafting players into the AFLW you need to look at ball skills first; disposal and marking and that’s sadly where both Martin sisters are not proficient. Hannah’s already been announced as returning so do you need the undersized less skilled version of her in her sister as well? Rachelle is probably more hard at it but is very undersized for AFLW level and unfortunately her ball handling is not good enough at all to compensate for it, she get’s away with it a little against the poorer teams at SANFLW level by going in and getting some ball but my personal opinion is she doesn’t look a long term prospect at a higher level at all for me.

I guess that is where opinion can differ on players and we will have to agree to disagree. IMO opinion her ball handling is one of her strengths. Super clean with the ground ball and great hands from the contest to release players on the outside. Just my opinion as someone who has seen first hand a large amount of SANFLW as well as AFLW. I think she is a good chance to get picked up and will surprise you.

 

[Firewalker]

I guess that is where opinion can differ on players and we will have to agree to disagree. IMO opinion her ball handling is one of her strengths. Super clean with the ground ball and great hands from the contest to release players on the outside. Just my opinion as someone who has seen first hand a large amount of SANFLW as well as AFLW. I think she is a good chance to get picked up and will surprise you.

Exactly just my opinion but even finding a place or role for her in the team is also the issue she’s not making it as a midfielder at AFLW due to her size and the team’s going to be stacked with half forwards with Munyard & Charlton joining and Hannah Button & Sheer returning, she just doesn’t fill a need.

 

[Firewalker]

not much of an update but Clarke addressing the retirements and acknowledging the SANFLW being played right now a good thing, hopefully him, Harper and co are actually watching it. Little disappointed he says they addressed Foley’s retirement by drafting McKinnon and Gould last year and isn’t a need especially after I watched Leah Cutting serve it up on a platter for Norwood again on the weekend.

 

[Caputo]

My opinion is Indy Tahau, Teah Charlton, Abbie Ballard, Amber Ward with trade of Munyard

 

[Caputo]

“We may delist another two,” Harper said any opinions

 

[Firewalker]

“We may delist another two,” Harper said any opinions

Campbell, Metcalfe, Considine and Tabb in most danger, I’d let go of them all, just not at the level. Forth an outside chance but the previous senior player exists probably save her.

 

[Scorpus]

We've traded back Jess Sedunary from St Kilda

 

[radiojake]

interesting move

 

[Firewalker]

interesting move

One way to put it; 29 years old, low skilled, injury prone. Very limited footballer. Harper says she was in the best 21 on 2019? An absolute fantasy she was injured for most of 2019 and never near the best 21 and last played for the club in 2018 when she had a shocking season, didn’t do much at all for the Saints last season either. Reeks of a sympathy selection, much better footballers at the local level.