Women's Footy Crows AFLW Season 2022 - Premiers; Got the Trophy, cop that AFL House 🖕🏼

[Teen Wolf]

Chloe Scheer dropped (or rather, "managed") from Geelong's side this week. Is she hurt? I know she hasn't set the world on fire in her two games there so far, maybe she's carrying a niggle?

I miss having her in our side Did we ever find out her reasons for leaving, incidentally? Was it purely down to being offered a higher pay bracket? Or was she unhappy here? I have a vague recollection of reading some article where she was a bit upset that everyone spent all of 2019/20 asking how Phillips was going with her ACL while completely ignoring Scheer's recovery from the same injury.

Not to play doctor, but it was surprising to see her selected for R2 after getting her head smashed in R1. Haven't seen confirmation if it's related to that though.

If by higher pay bracket you mean an extra $5k-$10k, that being the difference in the TPP tiers, then no. The more significant arrangements outside the salary cap that Geelong offered likely had more to do with it.

 

[dplggr47]

Chloe Scheer dropped (or rather, "managed") from Geelong's side this week. Is she hurt? I know she hasn't set the world on fire in her two games there so far, maybe she's carrying a niggle?

I miss having her in our side Did we ever find out her reasons for leaving, incidentally? Was it purely down to being offered a higher pay bracket? Or was she unhappy here? I have a vague recollection of reading some article where she was a bit upset that everyone spent all of 2019/20 asking how Phillips was going with her ACL while completely ignoring Scheer's recovery from the same injury.

It was because she's a Geelong fan. More money wouldn't have hurt either. She also mentioned a fresh start, but I think it's the scenario of your childhood dream becoming a reality and playing for the team you grew up supporting.

 

[cmndstab]

So what do we think comes of the top four sides clashing in round 4? Crows vs Melbourne at Norwood, Collingwood vs Fremantle at Victoria Park. Two undefeated sides will taste defeat for the first time (well, unless there is a draw!)

My gut feeling tells me Crows and Fremantle remain undefeated but it's hard to say. Melbourne are pretty irresistible this year, they just keep finding ways to score. We'll need our defence to work overtime to stop them. I hope Randall is back!

 

[Dirty Bird]

Adelaide and Fremantle are better than Melbourne and Collingwood

However, Melbourne matches up well with Adelaide and being away from home could catch up with Fremantle eventually

 

[Firewalker]

So what do we think comes of the top four sides clashing in round 4? Crows vs Melbourne at Norwood, Collingwood vs Fremantle at Victoria Park. Two undefeated sides will taste defeat for the first time (well, unless there is a draw!)

My gut feeling tells me Crows and Fremantle remain undefeated but it's hard to say. Melbourne are pretty irresistible this year, they just keep finding ways to score. We'll need our defence to work overtime to stop them. I hope Randall is back!

Crows still need to sort out their forward line and also get back to last season’s ability to lock the ball inside 50 which has been lacking and what played such a part in that victory in last years prelim Vs Melbourne, if they continue to allow the amount of easy rebound 50s they allowed today a good team like Melbourne will make them pay.

Fremantle have certainly clicked into gear again, have looked powerful and like their old selves the past 2 weeks, like the Crows they just have so many players that contribute, Richmond tried going with them but they just stepped up. A lot of their players have really unique quirks but it works and they create so many scoring options, also looks like both them and the Crows are easily the two fittest teams in the league.

 

[cmndstab]

The previously undefeated Collingwood just got absolutely destroyed at home by Freo. Just goes to show again how big a gap there is between the best and worst sides.

 

[Firewalker]

Watching a team coached by Nathan Burke is about as painful as a Rob Lucas press conference. This bloke has been coaching the Dogs for 3 years and serves up the same backwards style crap for 3 years running, had to laugh when he came out pre-season saying how he’s going to play some sort of architect role in creating a high scoring role model for the rest of the league.

Freo must also be hoping this season just keeps on trucking like it is no matter what, they look premiership favourites by the Flemington straight.

 

[cmndstab]

Freo must also be hoping this season just keeps on trucking like it is no matter what, they look premiership favourites by the Flemington straight.

I don't know, I think us and Melbourne will be up there too. Also, this is probably the most unpredictable season just because of the impact of Covid, even more so than 2020 when it was just lockdowns that meant the games couldn't be played. This year it's actually that players are being exposed to Covid or even catching it. Freo could be the best team all season, and then in the leadup to the grand final a bunch of their best players could suddenly become unavailable. Hell, I still think we would have been a chance to beat Brisbane in the GF last year if Randall hadn't been concussed, imagine if you lost five or six of your best players at once?

If there was ever a season to ride your luck, this is it.

 

[cmndstab]

When our fixture was first announced it looked pretty tough, playing all of the top 11 sides from 2021 other than ourselves and Richmond. I remember thinking there were two crucial periods, the first four rounds when we played Fremantle, North and Melbourne (plus West Coast), and then rounds 8 and 9 when we had Collingwood and Brisbane. Of course, the Freo and Brisbane games ended up getting swapped around but still, those two patches would determine whether we were premiership contenders or just also-rans.

We've come out of the first four rounds with a 4-0 record, very nice! We now have a slightly easier patch of games, Carlton away, Bulldogs home and then GWS away. Bulldogs are pretty much junk, Carlton and GWS can both play but we should be able to account for them.

The real tough match is round 8, Fremantle away. After that Collingwood at home and then St Kilda somewhere (don't think it's been announced yet).

Given how much of a difference home advantage makes in AFLW, I would expect the top two sides to play in the GF. The round 8 fixture could be a grand final preview!

In retrospect we might have been very lucky to have had the Freo game swapped to round 8. They could easily have knocked us off in round 1 and our season would have quite a different feel to it right now.

 

[brucetiki]

When our fixture was first announced it looked pretty tough, playing all of the top 11 sides from 2021 other than ourselves and Richmond. I remember thinking there were two crucial periods, the first four rounds when we played Fremantle, North and Melbourne (plus West Coast), and then rounds 8 and 9 when we had Collingwood and Brisbane. Of course, the Freo and Brisbane games ended up getting swapped around but still, those two patches would determine whether we were premiership contenders or just also-rans.

We've come out of the first four rounds with a 4-0 record, very nice! We now have a slightly easier patch of games, Carlton away, Bulldogs home and then GWS away. Bulldogs are pretty much junk, Carlton and GWS can both play but we should be able to account for them.

The real tough match is round 8, Fremantle away. After that Collingwood at home and then St Kilda somewhere (don't think it's been announced yet).

Given how much of a difference home advantage makes in AFLW, I would expect the top two sides to play in the GF. The round 8 fixture could be a grand final preview!

In retrospect we might have been very lucky to have had the Freo game swapped to round 8. They could easily have knocked us off in round 1 and our season would have quite a different feel to it right now.

Not to mention God knows where that round 8 game will be played. By the time we play them, they’d have been on the road for 7 weeks. Be interesting to see if that takes a toll on them as the season goes on.

 

[Caputo]

After game 4 we have used 26 of the 30 squad members. Have we gone and locked down our best 21 yet? Do the Crows need to ask Prowse as a CHF and Hewett as the No1 Ruck.

 

[TheTassieHawk]

Not to mention God knows where that round 8 game will be played. By the time we play them, they’d have been on the road for 7 weeks. Be interesting to see if that takes a toll on them as the season goes on.

I think the WA teams are expecting to head home in the next fortnight, so unless that changes the AFLW organisers will need to decide how the rest of their season looks.

 

[cmndstab]

After game 4 we have used 26 of the 30 squad members. Have we gone and locked down our best 21 yet? Do the Crows need to ask Prowse as a CHF and Hewett as the No1 Ruck.

I'm not 100% sure what your last sentence means.

I don't know if we've locked down our best 21 (I certainly have my opinions) but I'd say probably our best 18 or 19 at least. In the following I am ignoring the injured/unavailable players, but obviously Foley would fit into the best 18 and Cox arguably in the best 21. Varnhagen, iffy. Metcalfe in a battle with McKinnon (I'd prefer the latter), Sedunary nowhere near it.

Automatic selections when fit:
Gould, Jones, Martin, Marinoff, Phillips, Thompson, Woodland, Randall, Rajcic, Hatchard, Allan (11 players)

Next tier down but unlikely to be dropped:
Button, Gore, Allen, Biddell, Ponter, McKinnon, Mules, Charlton (8 players)

Remaining two players chosen from:
Simmons, Considine, Newman, Munyard, Whiteley, Ballard (for my money, Ballard and Newman get the nod - would be an interesting call if Foley and Cox were available)

Seemingly seen as either too young, or only used as depth/injury cover:
Prowse, Dowrick, Hewett, Tonon


Out of the inactive players, the only one I'd say is essentially guaranteed to return to the best 21 is Angela Foley. At the moment, one of Gore or Allen probably make way for her, unless they do some shuffling.

My best 21 lineup is then:

B: Rajcic, Gore
HB: Randall, Allan, Biddell
C: Jones, Hatchard, Charlton
HF: Thompson, Phillips, Mules
F: Woodland, Ponter
FOL: Gould, Marinoff, Martin
INT: McKinnon, Button, Allen, Ballard, Newman



Edit: Cox is very interesting - I keep thinking of her as inactive this season, but of course she's not, she's just injured and is due to become available again soon. Not sure who she replaces in my best 21 (probably Ballard, although I like her), but in the current side it would probably be Considine or Simmons.

 

[Caputo]

I agree about the 18-19 is sorted. I think the Defence is locked in and don't think Dayna Cox will make it back in 2022. Biddell has been a surprise in Defence.
The midfield seems set but there seems to be fine tuning required for the Forward line.

There doesn't seem a reliable structure in place and we rely on quick rebounding and run from behind. Whitely was good for the dump kick to contest.

I was hoping the Crows could influence the SANFLW clubs to play AFLW listed players to benefit them in the AFLW. Example Sturt with Prowse. I don't see her in the AFLW as a short Ruck and hoping she spends Sturt time as a Key Forward. I am not sure where Tonon should play at Glenelg this year probably on a wing or half forward.

 

[cmndstab]

Aha, I understand what you meant now. I'm not sure if we have any say with SANFLW but hopefully we can have a word. Prowse would be the classic example of a tall who could easily be played out of position at the lower level just because she's so athletically gifted.

Regarding our forward line, I've been hard on Ponter since 2020, but she is fairly important for our forward line structure. She doesn't do nearly enough, but what little she does do often turns into a score. Still, I agree that our forward line is our biggest (probably only) weakness, relying on individual brilliance more than structure. We can't keep expecting the likes of Woodland or Phillips to kick bags of goals every week.

 

[Caputo]

SANFLW By The Numbers - SANFL

sanfl.com.au

The attachments to Season 2017 - 2020 are interesting on some of our overnight sensations.

 

[BrissyCrow]

I was just wondering why the Crows are playing their games on Sunday. I have always thought that the best teams get to play in the best time slots or that tends to be what we are told with the men's team. So why hasn't the Crows played on Friday night or Saturday evening. It just seems that again the AFL is giving greater exposure to the Vic teams. I thought that the Crows/Melb game would have had the best time spot. Perhaps this is all in my head. I know Covid will influence what happens but it just seems too lopsided.

 

[cmndstab]

I don't have a source for this, but I vaguely recall that the Crows requested Sunday games.

 

[BrissyCrow]

Interesting request. I would have thought greater exposure was important for the club.

 

[cmndstab]

according to a frequent AFLW poster, Adelaide have routinely requested Sun afternoon fixtures

This post was what I was thinking of. I'm not sure who the frequent poster being referenced is here or where they got their information from.

I agree, it doesn't seem like an ideal time.

 

[radiojake]

Someone posted it last season when we got Sunday games all year - I figure it's happened again

But yeah it does suck to constantly get arse end timeslots

 

[Firewalker]

Someone posted it last season when we got Sunday games all year - I figure it's happened again

But yeah it does suck to constantly get arse end timeslots

Stay with me on this… Broadcasting is a reason + light tower standards/availability apparently has a lot to do with the structure & like in the AFL also comes down to host broadcaster/AFL wanting max exposure with a Victorian team on Friday night, which usually ends up being Geelong this year given that’s the only ground with good lights freely available on Fridays, same with Saturday night needs to involve a Melbourne team under lights which limits it to Casey Fields or Whitten Oval but Whitten oval also has light availability issues I believe.

So under the traditional fixture discarding the COVID issues and mid week games for a moment and because the Norwood lights are not apparently good enough it leaves Crows availability to just Saturday and Sunday afternoon, couple this with Queensland teams being automatically given the twilight time slots & WA traditionally the Sunday evening (for heat) and the traditional Victorian Saturday afternoon time slot mean a game is usually played there so it just leaves Sunday afternoon. On the plus side usually get a guaranteed 7 day break, unless the team gets struck down by COVID * knocks on wood *

 

[cmndstab]

Brisbane get over Collingwood fairly comfortably in a ludicrously blustery game, while Melbourne limp over the line against Gold Coast after struggling to score for most of the match. I can't help but feel that there's a few teams that are overrated this season just based on who they've played. Collingwood have been found wanting now that they've faced a couple of good sides, and Melbourne have a touch of downhill skiers about them, going from averaging 55 points a game against weak opposition to scores of 21 and 38 against sides willing to play a physical, contested game against them.

Meanwhile a couple of the sides that we knocked off early and who were subsequently put in the second-tier group, in Brisbane and North, have looked pretty damn good since then. I will be very fascinated to see how North vs Fremantle goes tomorrow.

It's nobody's fault, but the ladder is very odd at the moment with Freo about to play their sixth match while a number of teams have played only three. Good on Freo that they have banked a bunch of wins early, but presumably they will have relatively few matches in the back end of the season. I wonder if that will affect them in any way?

 

[cmndstab]

Meanwhile a couple of the sides that we knocked off early and who were subsequently put in the second-tier group, in Brisbane and North, have looked pretty damn good since then. I will be very fascinated to see how North vs Fremantle goes tomorrow.

North over Freo! Wonder whether that is a reflection of North's strength or of Freo's exhaustion after so many matches in quick succession.

 

[radiojake]

Freo's schedule surely has an impact

Also North are 7-0 in Tasmania