Women's Footy Crows AFLW Season 2023 Off Season Discussion

[cmndstab]

As mentioned in the follow up tweet Matilda Scholz now becomes their obvious target which certainly scuppers the plans I had in my head for the Crows going forward with their ruck division. Hanging on to Montana McKinnon now very important either that or need to ask the question of Jessica Allan who’s returned to SA and is currently rucking for Centrals in the SANFLW.

Port would be slightly cursing the timing as what would’ve originally been the 2023 draft class of those born mid-2004 to early-2005 was a weird down year in top SA talent as nearly all the top state under 18s from 2023 including top talents like Lauren Young, Shineah Goody, Piper Window and others are all mid-late 2005 and 2006 births and in high school still.

That being said they still are gifted Scholz for free who is an athletic freak and is a more athletic mixture of Emma King & Lauren Pearce and will likely become the best ruck in the league.

Wouldn’t surprise me if Port ask for even more draft handouts before the 2024 season to get the other generational talents for free as well but at least for now the Crows are still in the fight to get the absolute freak superstar that is Lauren Young.

To be fair, McKinnon and Gould is already a very good ruck duo and either of those are capable of playing as solo rucks as well.

If anything, this maybe reduces the likelihood that Port will target McKinnon and offer to give her a starting spot that isn't bizarrely taken away from her several times per season for no apparent reason.

 

[CrowsB4hoes]

There is 0% chance that the AFL lets Young fall to us.

 

[Caputo]

There is 0% chance that the AFL lets Young fall to us.

But maybe Goody or Brooksby

 

[Firewalker]

To be fair, McKinnon and Gould is already a very good ruck duo and either of those are capable of playing as solo rucks as well.

If anything, this maybe reduces the likelihood that Port will target McKinnon and offer to give her a starting spot that isn't bizarrely taken away from her several times per season for no apparent reason.

I still have doubts on McKinnon as an actual ruck (her ruck craft and tap work are not that good) and so does Clarke by those late season selections as dumb as they were, I’d much prefer her as a floating 3rd up player in defence but with Prowse finally settling down there who knows if they don’t really have a spot there.

I would love Prowse to get a go in the midfield to allow that but that seems unlikely to happen.

That’s why I mentioned Jess Allan she’s a much more pure ruck and would allow Gould to spend more time forward, from memory her ruck craft was a lot better than McKinnon’s but you can’t really judge on performances at the moment as other than Leah Cutting and Scholz there’s not too many decent rucks in the SANFLW. Scholz’s tap work is absolutely elite from all reports too, just tapped it down to Piper Window at will last weekend.

 

[Firewalker]

But maybe Goody or Brooksby

Have Piper Window over Molly Brooksby, Brooksby a better kick but if Window’s kicking can be fixed a little she would be an absolute powerful force in AFLW, reminds me a lot of Charlie Rowbottom from the Suns.

 

[Firewalker]

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Speaking of Leah Cutting an article appeared on the AFLW website today saying she’s likely to be moving back to SA permanently and has interest from the Crows.

 

[cmndstab]

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Speaking of Leah Cutting an article appeared on the AFLW website today saying she’s likely to be moving back to SA permanently and has interest from the Crows.

I was disappointed when we didn't take her, so would be pleased to have her now, especially given that Port is likely to scoop up all the good young talent.

 

[Scorpus]

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Speaking of Leah Cutting an article appeared on the AFLW website today saying she’s likely to be moving back to SA permanently and has interest from the Crows.

Unfortunately it also says Port are interested in Ash Woodland

 

[Firewalker]

Unfortunately it also says Port are interested in Ash Woodland

And also confirms that Jess Allan will move back to the Crows, there’s a lot in that article I originally missed.

If we lose Woodland that would be s**t, I’d tip that’s why they’d go after both rucks so they can play Gould permanently at full forward.

 

[cmndstab]

After watching that Fearless docuseries I wouldn't blame Woodland for wanting to get away from the Crows, just to save her from another Marinoff knock at training!

Seriously though it would suck to lose her. Hopefully she would look at Erin Phillips failing to kick a single goal for Port Adelaide and realise that life is pretty damn tough in the Port Adelaide forward-line at the moment.

With trade rumours surfacing every year about Ponter, and now this with Woodland, we desperately need to develop some more forwards. Rucks aside, who is next on our list that can play as a genuine forward? Waterhouse perhaps, but only as a small. Dowrick and Whiteley are mediocre at best. Who else? Probably Randall will get thrown up there again.

On a different note, I see that Cuthbertson is leaving Freo via the PSP. Any idea which of the four clubs she would be going to? She's a WA lady originally, right?

 

[Caputo]

And also confirms that Jess Allan will move back to the Crows, there’s a lot in that article I originally missed.

If we lose Woodland that would be s**t, I’d tip that’s why they’d go after both rucks so they can play Gould permanently at full forward.

The ruck stock may need top up as I don't expect Jas Hewett to return to the Crows due to employment, whilst Cutting sat out last season due to employment with SA Police.

 

[Scorpus]

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Woodland gone.

Cutting and Jess Allan likely coming in

 

[jenny61_99]

Disappointing.

 

[cmndstab]

That is disappointing, but the silver lining is that it will force us to rethink our forward line strategy which really wasn't effective last season.

Gould to permanent full-forward might be on the cards, along with Ponter, Munyard and perhaps Randall? And realistically probably one of Dowrick or Whiteley

If Gould does play full forward, I wonder if they'll get her to ruck when the ball is down there, allowing Prowse/McKinnon/Cutting to sit behind the ball?


Edit: The AFL announced they will announce any compensation later on. I'm assuming if we "only" lose Woodland there won't be any compensation coming, but who knows?

 

[Firewalker]

Well at least I won’t have to get ridiculously frustrated watching her take 10 f*****g years to either pick up a ball off the ground or try to get a disposal away again…

Honestly good on her if she’s convinced the swamps to give her a tier 1 payment, like Stevie-Lee Thompson and Sarah Perkins before her she was just a goal kicking product because of the work of the A-Graders in that Crows midfield, predict she’ll hardly get near it next season.

 

[cmndstab]

Woodland was incredibly good at creating goals out of half-chances while missing out on the easy chances. Will be interesting to see how she goes in Port's forward line!

 

[Scorpus]

Confirmed gone

 

[CrowsB4hoes]

Bit going on

 

[ams4crows]

I'm a bit confused so teams are allowed to just poach contracted players?? But only the new clubs??

Are they getting extra cap to pay these players?

 

[relapse]

Ash was my favourite

 

[Scorpus]

I'm a bit confused so teams are allowed to just poach contracted players?? But only the new clubs??

Are they getting extra cap to pay these players?

The new clubs are allowed to poach anyone that's been on a list for 3 years or more, regardless of contract status

 

[jenny61_99]

The new clubs are allowed to poach anyone that's been on a list for 3 years or more, regardless of contract status

It’s bullshit is what it is.

 

[BRL121]

It’s bullshit is what it is.

I liked that the Crows' announcement refused to mention Port by name.

 

[cmndstab]

Bates moving is huge That would be like Marinoff or Hatchard leaving. Huge blow for Brisbane.

I'm struggling to get too annoyed at the latest round of expansion signings. Let's face it, the expansion clubs are basket cases on field. I enjoy watching the Crows dominate as much as the rest of you, but in order for the competition to have legs they need more than the same five or six clubs to be competitive. And hey, if someone like Woodland really wants to leave, she can do it at any time. It's just that normally there would be a trade involved, rather than her walking away for free.

As disappointing as it is to lose good players, the gap between Adelaide and Port is an order of magnitude larger than Ashleigh Woodland, and the same could be said about Hawthorn, Brisbane and Emily Bates. This will bring things slightly closer to parity, but only slightly.

The clubs I really feel for are the likes of St Kilda and West Coast who are hopeless but don't get to participate, and can in fact lose players themselves in this process.

 

[jenny61_99]

I liked that the Crows' announcement refused to mention Port by name.

They did that when Erin defected too.