Women's Footy Crows AFLW Season 2023 Pre Season Discussion

[LiquidCrow]

Has done well down back - and no issues wearing the No. 13

Key mentor guiding young Crow, filling Phillps' No.13 void

Sarah Black chats to Adelaide's round seven AFLW Rising Star nominee Kiera Mueller

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[Amacca 23]

Whats allen in trouble for ?

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Given we've finished the minor round (as minor premiers, no less!) I figured I'd give my player ratings again.

I have rated every player on our list who has been available for selection this year, which means everyone except Button and Dowrick. I've given them a score out of ten, and indicated whether the score has increased, decreased or remained the same compared to the rating I gave them midway through the season.


#1 - Caitlin Gould (8+) - Gould has been the model of consistency this season, the only player in the entire competition to kick at least one goal in every round. Her overall haul of 18 goals was enough to put her third on the goalkicking list, behind Hore and Zanker on 20 each. Her season has been aided by fantastic goalkicking accuracy, kicking 18.4 for the season - no doubt aided by the fact that she kicks most of her goals from within 15m. Unsurprisingly, she has 18 marks inside 50 as well. Statistically her output has been slightly down in the back half of the season, however she has faced much stiffer competition and has found a way to keep kicking goals. Is still a very handy ruck option if needed.

#2 - Eloise Jones (7+) - After a slow start, Jones has ended up having a decent season, kicking 11 goals since being cast as a forward in round 4. An average like that would be enough to see her in the top ten competition wide over a whole season. However, outside of a 20-touch cameo against the Bulldogs, her disposal count remains a worry, with ten or fewer disposals coming in all other games in rounds 5-10. On the positive side, her tackle count has crept back up again, with 15 in the last five rounds (after 7 in the first five), and many of those in the forward 50.

#3 - Amber Ward (1=) - Sadly, it seems almost certain that Ward has played her last match for the Crows. She was not given a look with Sarah Allan missing the first eight rounds of the season, and then in round 10 suffered the ignominy of being the only player on the list who was not either played, rested or injured. Unless at least two of Sarah Allan, Biddell and Prowse go down, it's hard to see her playing a game. Given that Port is crying out for tall defenders, I can't help but think it makes sense to let her go there from next season.

#4 - Zoe Prowse (6.5=) - The question of whether Prowse would hold her spot once Allan returned was answered in the positive in round 9, and she continues to be one of the most improved players in the league this season. She is leading the team for spoils, one-percenters and contested marks, and is continuing to rack up decent numbers (around 10 touches per game) on the rebound. At this point it almost seems an anomoly that she has never received a rising star nomination; perhaps she might have received a "body of work" nomination if not for an illness in round 10.

#5 - Rachelle Martin (5-) - I'm not really sure how to rate Martin's second half of the year. The eye test tells me she has been slightly down, and certainly her disposal count has been down (to an average of 8.0, compared to 10.0 in the first half of the season). She rarely seems to feature at the stoppages, and I'm not even sure what her role is at the moment. In terms of goalscoring she has managed two in the last five rounds (compared to four in the first five). On the other hand, her tackle count has been through the roof lately (33 in the last five rounds, compared to 19 in the first five) so she is clearly providing some pressure. Her match against Brisbane was a lowlight, with four touches and four tackles. On the other hand, she somehow received four coaches votes in round 10 for her 11 touch, 9 tackle effort, so who knows?

#7 - Keeley Kustermann (2+) - Finally managed to play a game in round 10 when we rested five players. Kicked her first goal in the AFLW, but it wasn't a great match with only five touches. She looked unsure where to position herself in the first half, often trailing West Coast forwards as they streamed towards goal. It seems unlikely she will play again this season and her spot on the list may be in question.

#8 - Najwa Allen (6+) - It's strange to say it considering she has only played four matches this season, but Allen has become one of our more important players as our first-choice medium defender who can get involved on the rebound. Her disposal numbers are way up this year, averaging 14.3 a game with 11 against Melbourne the lowest she has recorded. She has even seemed a touch pacier than in past seasons. Unfortunately, we just haven't gotten to see much of Allen yet this year. After an injury kept her out in rounds 3-5, she was then handed a three-match suspension for a fairly innocuous bump in round 7. She will return to the side in time for the finals.

#9 - Deni Varnhagen (3.5+) - It's amazing what difference one good game can make. Varnhagen was one of several recipients of the Crows resting five players in round 10, and was arguably the most impressive of the incoming players (with Bonner the only other one with a reasonable claim). A goal and 14 touches was a pretty handy return, and she looked physically fit and strong. She still suffers from a lack of pace, both in terms of raw speed and also in decision-making, but at least she showed in round 10 that she can fill a role if needed.

#10 - Ebony Marinoff (9-) - Any concerns that the competition may have "figured Marinoff out" after Lucy Single successfully tagged her in round 5 have been allayed, with Marinoff increasing her disposal average to 29.2 in the second half of the season, while maintaining her average of 10 tackles per game. She is still leading the competition in kicks (217) and tackles (101). Marinoff has also managed to find three goals in the back half of the season. However, the added pressure from the top sides, along with Hatchard's absence in round 10, did cause Marinoff's disposal efficiency to drop. Over rounds 6-10 her disposal efficiency was 54.1% (down from over 60.7% in the first half), and her kicking efficiency underwater at 46.8% (down from 57.4% in the first half). The other issue with Marinoff's game has been a significant decrease in her inside 50s - averaging only 3 a game in the last five rounds after averaging 8 per game in the first five - but she is still 3rd in the comp in this stat with 55.

#11 - Sarah Goodwin (5=) - Seems to have won the battle between herself as Tonon as the preferred "second" small defender (behind Mueller), having held her spot all season long. Although Mueller seems to be ahead of her, various voices along the way have sung her praises and indicated that she is doing more defensively than shows up in the stats. Maybe so, but for me, Goodwin always seems to be at her best when she has a chance to stream forward and gain some meterage. I think she will need to find a position further up the ground to really flourish as a player.

#12 - Chelsea Biddell (8.5=) - Still just a notch off her 2022 form, Biddell has nonetheless completed an impressive minor round, and would be very glad to have Sarah Allan back alongside her. Probably played her best game of the season in a losing effort against Brisbane where she found herself under seige without Allan back there to help her. She has faced more contested defensive one-on-ones than anyone else in the side, and only loses around 22% of them. With Newman spending more time through the middle, Biddell is our best kick out of defence, and is duly trusted with the kick-in duties, usually trying to run out and get the ball outside of 50. Accordingly, she is the second-leading rebound 50 player in the competition with 53, miles ahead of Newman on 26 and Kelly on 17. She is also fifth in the competition for intercept possessions with 69 (the leader, Emma O'Driscoll, has 85).

#13 - Kiera Mueller (5.5-) - Although she remains our first-choice small defender, Mueller has struggled a bit defensively in the second half of the season compared to the first, primarily due to the stiffer opposition. She is continuing to get involved in play, averaging around 10 touches per game. However, she has developed a slight habit of getting in the way of teammates, knocking the ball out to the wrong spot, etc. The good still outweighs the bad with Mueller but she will need to tighten up in the finals.

#14 - Stevie-Lee Thompson (5+) - Got back into the side in round 6 after missing round 4 due to injury and round 5 due to simply not being selected. She has held her spot since then and has played better than the first half of the season, but seems to be lacking a position at the moment. Her disposal average is up to 12.5 in the back half of the season (from 10 in the first half), and her tackle average is up to 3.75 (from 2). As always, her pace is still a weapon and she has some flashy moments, but overall her season has been disappointing.

#15 - Danielle Ponter (8.5=) - Who would have thought that Ponter, of all players, would be a model of consistency this season? Outside of a poor match in round 1 against Port, Ponter scored at least one goal in every match this season, and multiple goals in half of them. She also has regular cameos in the midfield where she seems to have developed a fantastic combination with both McKinnon and Jess Allan, often bursting through the stoppage and even scoring a couple of goal of the year contenders. She remains a big-game player, with two of her biggest hauls this season coming against Brisbane and Melbourne.

#16 - Taylah Levy (5) - The one bright spot coming from Abbie Ballard's unfortunately ACL injury was Levy being given a chance to play. It was a baptism of fire as Levy played her first two matches against Brisbane and North Melbourne, but she showed that she belonged at the level. In her three matches so far she has averaged 11 touches, which is about what Ballard was producing. She seems to have a very nice handball on her, with a couple of nice goal assists already in her highlights package. Definitely seems to have an AFLW future, although she has been left out of the side for the finals this week.

#17 - Maddi Newman (7.5=) - The move onto the wing has done Newman wonders this year, and she is still valuable dropping back into defence when we need her. As she plays a mostly uncontested brand of football, getting to dangerous spots on the outside and waiting to receive the ball, the tighter matches in the back end of the season haven't suited her. Her disposal average is down slightly (16.4 in the last five rounds compared to 19.4 in the first five), but she is still our preferred option to kick the ball when we can fine a way to get it to her.

#18 - Brooke Smith (2) - Debuted in round 10 when we rested five players, but didn't do much with her opportunity. At least her four disposals all hit a target! Found herself in the unfortunate position of having to chase jumpers in 36 degree heat as West Coast players ran off her with ease. Still very young of course, so I'm not writing her off, but I doubt she has any more part to play in 2023.

#19 - Jess Waterhouse (5+) - Waterhouse offers a point of difference to our forward line, often managing to dish the ball out to our forwards, or nullify contests until someone like Jones can arrive on the scene. A lot of her value to the side is non-statistical, just positioning in a contest that prevents a rebound 50, or a little knock-on to a better spot, etc. That side of her game is quite good, but unfortunately she struggles to get involved on the scoreboard. Waterhouse hasn't kicked a goal since round 3 which really isn't good enough for a small forward (in that time she has kicked 4 behinds). She is niggly and gets on opposition's nerves, although she has a bad habit of giving away frees. She has been left out the side for the first week of the finals.

#20 - Hannah Munyard (5+) - After a delayed start to the season with a hip injury, Munyard has been doing "just enough" each week. Yet another player who seems to have no real set position, Munyard seems to float around and generally doesn't get enough ball, although she had arguably the best game of her career against West Coast with 19 touches. Still, whenever I think she isn't doing enough, she will nail a tackle when it really counts, or nullify a contest that she looks like losing.

#21 - Montana McKinnon (6+) - After being left out the side in rounds 2 and 3, McKinnon was again omitted from our round 6 side against Melbourne, ostensibly so we would have more speed (in the form of Thompson), with Gould taking the backup ruck duties. It appears the club didn't like robbing Peter to pay Paul, so McKinnon has been back in the side since. When she plays, she tends to do fairly well, and has formed a nice ruck tandem with Jess Allan. Allan tends to use her strength and positioning to affect deft taps, while McKinnon likes to just fly through the air and punch it. The differing styles seems to unsettle opposition midfields. Unfortunately, with Prowse now playing down back, it seems McKinnon's days of floating back to the goalsquare and taking contested marks are over. As such, she is only averagine 1.7 marks per game, down from 2.8 in the past two seasons. A decent player, but somehow always seems to be on the verge of getting dropped. Her 35 hitouts against West Coast was far and away a career high for her.

#22 - Lisa Whiteley (2.5=) - For the first time since being brought to the Crows, Whiteley didn't end up playing more than half of the matches in the season, only earning selection in rounds 3 and 10. In round 3 she was tried as a replacement for Allen, while in round 10 it was due to us resting five players. While she remains a passable defender, her inability to get involved going the other way limits her significantly.

#23 - Niamh Kelly (8.5+) - Kelly's BOG performance against Port in round 1 was followed by five games in which she was useful but not dominant, and I was starting to wonder if that round 1 performance was just a cameo. However, her output in rounds 7-9, which included a difficult match against the Bulldogs, and then matches against fellow top four teams Brisbane and North Melbourne, were every bit as good as that round 1 performance. In the coaches votes, Kelly was judged BOG against the Bulldogs, the best-performing Crows player against Brisbane, and the equal second-best Crows player against North. Curiously, this patch was followed by a limp 8 possession effort against West Coast - perhaps our Irish superstar didn't like the heat? Kelly is good for a goal every other game, and is now averaging 19 touches a game this year, but it is the nature of her possessions that is the most impressive. If Newman is used as our preferred kicking option, Kelly is used as our linebreaking option. She generally receives the ball in the back half of the ground, carries it as far as she is able to, and the sends it deep into the front half, with 33 inside 50s making her our second-best player for that stat. Her ball use has also been impressive (68.8% for disposals, and 64.5% for kicks). She has 12 bounces for the season, putting her third in the competition and well ahead of the next best Crow (Bonner, who has 3).

#25 - Teah Charlton (7.5=) - Charlton has just kept on keeping on this season, with very consistent output. Her disposal count has been between 13 and 18 every match barring one 11 touch effort against Essendon. Outside of a 2 tackle effort against Brisbane she has had 6+ tackles in every match, and is 10th overall in the competition for tackles with 78. She is a smart player and wins more frees than she gives away. We're still waiting for her to take that next big step up and join the likes of Hatchard and Marinoff, but for now it seems Charlton will continue her slow but steady rise.

#26 - Chelsea Randall (7=) - Randall has been thrown all over the ground this season, but she hasn't been able to impact in the ways she has in previous seasons. She is still valuable anywhere she plays, laying important tackles and taking intercept marks, but her disposal count has been all over the place, following a 21 touch effort against Brisbane with a 7 touch effort against North Melbourne, albeit only 48 hours after the birth of her son Tomi. The rest in round 10 was probably smart, as we need a fit and firing Randall in the finals. I remain convinced that her best role is down back.

#27 - Abbie Ballard (3-) - Tragedy struck for Ballard as she did her ACL in round 7, and she remains the only player on our injury list as we speak. It came at a bad time as she seemed to be in the best form of her career. On the plus side, she had established her place in the side beforehand, so fingers crossed she will have a spot when she gets back.

#28 - Brooke Tonon (3.5-) - As anticipated, Tonon drew the short straw once Sarah Allan returned in round 9, and in fact had been dropped for rounds 6 and 7 anyway. Has some tools, but can't seem to get involved in games, and it feels like she's been dropped half a dozen times so far in her short career. Played round 8, then round 10, and is back out the side again for the finals. Outside of one 12 touch effort against Gold Coast, has never managed more than 8 touches in the 17 game career.

#31 - Yvonne Bonner (4.5-) - I remain unconvinced with Bonner, but we seem committed to playing her when available. She missed rounds 7-9 with injury, but came straight back in and has held her spot in the team for the finals. Has only kicked four goals this year, but gets involved a reasonable amount around the ground. She tries to do a bit too much when she gets the ball, and is greedy around goals when better options are on. I'd like to see her just take the first option and dish off to a teammate at times.

#32 - Jess Allan (7-) - Allan has remained the clear favourite for our #1 ruck role, and has done very well whether playing as the sole ruck, or sharing the duties with Gould or McKinnon, though I think her tandem with McKinnon has been the most successful. Statistically speaking, though, her output is noticably down compared to the first half of the season - most likely due to playing better teams with serious midfielders. She is averaging 18 hitouts per game in the back half of the season (down from 23), 2.4 tackles (down from 3.2) and around 8 touches per match. Still, she has the best hitout win percentage of any lead ruck in the comp, and is 5th in the comp for hitouts to advantage with 67. One thing that hasn't worked - she has tried to float forward at times and get involved up there, but has yet to register a score. In fact, she has yet to even kick a goal at AFLW level.

#33 - Anne Hatchard (8.5+) - Probably the most harshly marked player on our list (including by me), even Hatchard's weaker games are better than most players manage in a season. She has performed better in the back half of the season (before being rested in round 10), with her dispoal efficiency in rounds 6-9 going at around 60% (up from 56.8%) and her kicking efficiency going at around 52% (up from 44.4%), all while increasing her average touchesper game from 25.0 to 27.3. This is particularly impressive considering that stretch of four games included Melbourne, Brisbane and North. She has yet to get back to her marking best - her season 6 performance of 69 in the minor rounds is still the record at AFLW level - but is doing well enough to be 6th overall for the comp with 43 (Davidson in 2nd place has 48). Is averaging 26 touches a game and is 13th in the comp for overall disposals despite missing round 10 (she is 10th in the comp for average disposals). This has been Hatchard's best season to date for tackling, averaging 6.1 per game. Her weakest game of the season was against Brisbane (19 touches, 3 marks, 2 tackles) so hopefully she can remedy that this weekend!

#39 - Sarah Allan (7) - It's difficult to rate a player who missed the first eight rounds. I guess the best thing that could be said is she came back looking like Sarah Allan, and played admirably against North Melbourne in a game that saw the defence under seige. Her performance against West Coast was less impressive, but none of the defence were good in that game. She is vital to our finals chances, so it's good to have her back!

 

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#19 - Jess Waterhouse (5+) - Waterhouse offers a point of difference to our forward line, often managing to dish the ball out to our forwards, or nullify contests until someone like Jones can arrive on the scene. A lot of her value to the side is non-statistical, just positioning in a contest that prevents a rebound 50, or a little knock-on to a better spot, etc. That side of her game is quite good, but unfortunately she struggles to get involved on the scoreboard. Waterhouse hasn't kicked a goal since round 3 which really isn't good enough for a small forward (in that time she has kicked 4 behinds). She is niggly and gets on opposition's nerves, although she has a bad habit of giving away frees. She has been left out the side for the first week of the finals.

My impression on Jess is that she has yet to learn/re-learn the game and is trying to play as a striker. She play's on the off-side line and run towards goals. I am hoping she is given a chance to use the SANFLW season to develop a weapon and improve her running patterns to be more damaging and efficient.