Especially if we go backwards this season! Will be hard to make too much of a fuss if we end up winning another flag, haha.
Women's Footy Crows AFLW Season 2023 Pre Season Discussion
- Thread starter Firewalker
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Especially if we go backwards this season! Will be hard to make too much of a fuss if we end up winning another flag, haha.
Here comes the latest AFL stitch-up.
www.afl.com.au
The AFL has updated the language of their pre-signing clause that would allow the four newest clubs to pre-sign players from the upcoming draft if they are in their zone. This means Port could pre-sign Young and Goody, essentially getting two extra first round selections for free.
The players have to agree to it, but particularly in the case of Young, if she knows Port are going to take her anyway, why wouldn't she agree to it and help her side get an extra first round selection? In fact, if either player turns it down that probably says something.
The little-known rule that could see top prospects skip the draft
A player signing rule could open the door for some of this year's best draft prospects to be signed by clubs ahead of time
www.afl.com.au
The AFL has updated the language of their pre-signing clause that would allow the four newest clubs to pre-sign players from the upcoming draft if they are in their zone. This means Port could pre-sign Young and Goody, essentially getting two extra first round selections for free.
The players have to agree to it, but particularly in the case of Young, if she knows Port are going to take her anyway, why wouldn't she agree to it and help her side get an extra first round selection? In fact, if either player turns it down that probably says something.
I take it that the Power can pre draft 2 players. Allowed 3 and I believe 1 was Scholz from Glenelg. Whilst Ewings was Pick 1 in SA. Still means that they can have 1st draft pick of Piper Window SANFLW B&F Premiership player & AFL Academy 33 SANFLW games - Glenelg, Molly Brooksby AFL Academy Norwood or Brooke Boileau All Australian South Adelaide
- Thread starter
- #104
What a crock of s**t, just adjusting/making up rules as they go along now. Absolute pissant compromised league, thinking Port’s Head of Footy just emails through to Nicole Livingston or Laura Kane what rules they want/players they want and they make it happen. The fact they got Matilda Scholz the way they did was already underhanded and this is just the same.Here comes the latest AFL stitch-up.
The little-known rule that could see top prospects skip the draft
A player signing rule could open the door for some of this year's best draft prospects to be signed by clubs ahead of time
The AFL has updated the language of their pre-signing clause that would allow the four newest clubs to pre-sign players from the upcoming draft if they are in their zone. This means Port could pre-sign Young and Goody, essentially getting two extra first round selections for free.
The players have to agree to it, but particularly in the case of Young, if she knows Port are going to take her anyway, why wouldn't she agree to it and help her side get an extra first round selection? In fact, if either player turns it down that probably says something.
The whole SANFL clubs academies alignment thing has always been bullshit and how it only now matters if they are somehow engulfed in Port’s Academy. Just like in the men’s comp unless it’s a NSW or QLD academy they never ever should have players tied to a club post under 16s.
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NTRabbit
Brownlow Medallist
As an aside. Crows AFLW membership pack arrived today. Wasn’t expecting anything to be honest. Not sure the Beanie or thermos is going to get used up here!. A balmy 29 degrees today.View attachment 1783421
My pack arrived last week, wasn't expecting it because I thought I'd opted for the gift voucher, which I also received?
- Thread starter
- #106
Whiteley not named, I for one am shocked…
Randall named down back, Ruck trio all named a good move, Waterhouse stiff to miss out
jenny61_99
Premium Platinum
Yes, I got the gift voucher with the men’s membership!
- Thread starter
- #109
Was not her best performance in the limited time she was given against Geelong, would’ve came down to her or Goodwin and they went Goodwin. Still feel Kustermann is/will be more comfortable in the midfield but has just has been pigeonholed at halfback for the moment, still hoping that time will come…
Probably time to roll over this thread into a in season general chat too.
Interesting 10 players named as training squad.
2023 AFLW Development Players
Zoe Venning – West Adelaide
Maddy Lane – Central District
Lauren Breguet – Central District
Morgan Johnston – Norwood
Erin Sundstrom – North Adelaide
Aprille Crooks – North Adelaide
Isabelle Starmer – North Adelaide
Soriah Moon – South Adelaide
Caitlin Couch – South Adelaide
Jorja Hooper – South Adelaide
2023 AFLW Development Players
Zoe Venning – West Adelaide
Maddy Lane – Central District
Lauren Breguet – Central District
Morgan Johnston – Norwood
Erin Sundstrom – North Adelaide
Aprille Crooks – North Adelaide
Isabelle Starmer – North Adelaide
Soriah Moon – South Adelaide
Caitlin Couch – South Adelaide
Jorja Hooper – South Adelaide
Pretty happy with that team. The four ruck-sized players all in which I think is a good idea. Randall back which is always my preference. No Whiteley. Interchange feels about right, too. I wonder if they'll stick with Gould/McKinnon in the ruck and Allan up forward, or if they'll rotate?
Interesting that Varnhagen has leapfrogged Kustermann, not sure what to make of that.
Interesting that Varnhagen has leapfrogged Kustermann, not sure what to make of that.
- Thread starter
- #112
AFLW: Talented footballers join Crows training
Adelaide has welcomed 10 train-on players this season
This article’s accompanying picture showing Venning in Crows kit is a hard thing to see for myself, absolute tease.
Starmer another I was keen on the club taking. Crooks is originally from Tassie & wouldn’t be surprised if she made her way onto a list somewhere in the future.
Pretty ominous performance from Melbourne last night. Coasted for a half and blew out the cobwebs, and then 8 goals to 0 in the second, against a decent opposition in Collingwood.
We're going to have to be markedly better than last year if we want to win another flag. Here's hoping we can really put Port to the sword today and kick the season off right!
We're going to have to be markedly better than last year if we want to win another flag. Here's hoping we can really put Port to the sword today and kick the season off right!
Interesting that the Crows named Randall down back, but had her play forward.
Not sure if there is a better place to put this, but given that we're half-way through the AFLW season now, I thought I'd write a review for the Crows so far, as well as individual player reviews.
Mid-season Review
On paper, the Crows are in the middle of a dynasty. Three premierships from six completed seasons, plus a fourth grand final appearance and a prelim loss to the eventual premiers. Even in the one season we missed the finals, we were a single win away from playing in the grand final. With a record like that, you'd expect that the Crows have been a consistent, settled side with a reliable game-plan filled by specific players.
In reality, however, that is not the case. The Crows are a team which has had to repeatedly reinvented itself, shuffle players around, and find new role players. Tellingly, the only player from our 2017 premiership who is still playing the same role she was back then is Ebony Marinoff. Even if you look at the 2019 premiership, only four players are still playing the same role, namely Marinoff, Hatchard, Ponter and Sarah Allan - the latter of which has missed the entire season so far. Hell, even from our 2022 premiership, only one year ago, 8 out of the 21 players (Button, Nield (nee Gore), Phillips, Considine, Hewett, Mules, Saint (nee Woodland), Rajcic) are no longer in the side.
The 2017 premiership was built on a contested style of football that surged the ball forward at all costs to the class of Phillips and Perkins. That style was rendered inert almost immediately by the improved standards of the comp in 2018, and the introduction of the lasso rule (which at that point counted not just between the arcs, but all over the ground). With Matthew Clarke taking over in 2019, the Crows reinvented themselves as team which attacked through short kicking and overlapping handball, before kicking to a near-empty forward line to allow the likes of Thompson and Ponter to run back towards goal. That style was again countered immediately by teams zoning against us in 2020. So in 2021 we reinvented ourselves yet again as a highly defensive team that stifles an opposition, and then launches counterattacks on the rebound, and were rewarded with two grand final appearances and one flag. But in the most recent season, with Phillips gone, we struggled to post big scores, managing more than four goals only 4 times in 13 matches. And accordingly, the top sides in Melbourne and Brisbane each beat us twice with pace and sheer offensive power.
Coming into the 2023 season, we have clearly focused on finding a way to create more goals than last year. While losing Saint (nee Woodland) last season didn't help matters, it has given us the flexibility to completely reimagine our forward line, with only Ponter remaining from the prior structure - and even she is now spending time in the "Erin Phillips role", often starting in the clearances before heading back towards goal. Gould has been re-cast as a key forward, an opportunity which was only really possible given the strong return of Jess Allan. A 36 year old Bonner has been brought in to add some flair up forward, with mixed results. The emergence of Kelly as a pacey wing option has allowed us to relocate Jones up forward where she offers some serious speed. And the other forwards in the mix (Waterhouse, Randall, Hatchard, Martin, etc) have been somewhat more purposeful selections rather than just casting whichever midfielder we least want in the clearances to rot up forward. The output so far has vindicated this approach, with an average score of 71.2 per game, nearly double the 37.3 we averaged per game last season. Admittedly, the score is inflated somewhat by the extra two minutes per quarter being played in 2023.
Of course, it's difficult to put too much stock in our form so far, given that we haven't faced many top sides yet. Still, we have faced two sides (Richmond and Gold Coast) who have 3-1 records in their other matches so far and come away with comfortable wins. Unsurprisingly (and perhaps concerningly) these two matches have seen our lowest outputs (41 and 47 points respectively). Still, considering the biggest score we've conceded in the past three years is 53, maybe that's not far off what is required.
Our defence has been injury-hit, with leader Sarah Allan yet to play a match and not expected back until round 9, along with injuries to Allen and Thompson. Biddell has had to stand up as our key defender without Allan alongside her and has done a great job. Randall has come back and lent her experience at points as well. Without Allen and Thompson back there, our defence is extremely young and inexperienced, with Tonon (10 games prior to this season), Prowse (7), Mueller (5) and Goodwin (5) all 20 years old or or younger. Despite that, they have only conceded a total of 18 goals so far this year. Prowse and Mueller in particular look natural in their defensive roles and seem likely to hold onto them even once the injured players return. Are they good enough to stop a Melbourne onslaught? I'm not confident - but if we are able to restrict Melbourne from scoring a big score in round 6, then Allan's return on the eve of the finals will bode well.
Our midfield has been interesting this year. Hatchard is playing good football but is still off her best. Marinoff has been phenomenal, but was curtailed by a heavy tag in round 5 that other clubs are certain to copy. In previous years, we relied on the Marinoff/Hatchard duo to dominate matches, but not nearly as much in 2023. Jess Allan has come from nowhere to suddenly lead our ruck, while other midfielders have stepped up with Charlton, Kelly, Newman and Ballard all having career-best seasons, and Martin starting to impact on clearances again.
So far, we haven't been seriously challenged in a match, with our narrowest winning margin being 29 points. However, the form we've seen so far is mostly irrelevant. Realistically, Melbourne is still the team to beat and if we can't get past them, we're not winning a fourth flag. Brisbane and Richmond seem to have dropped away slightly, North are still sniffing around, and Geelong has stepped up, but I doubt any of them will get close to Melbourne this year. If someone is going to beat them, it will need to be the Crows. We will need to show that we can restrict Melbourne's scoring prowess - their lowest score so far this year is 70 points - while still posting a decent score of our own. Can we do it in a final? This Saturday's match will give us some indication, at least!
Mid-season Review
On paper, the Crows are in the middle of a dynasty. Three premierships from six completed seasons, plus a fourth grand final appearance and a prelim loss to the eventual premiers. Even in the one season we missed the finals, we were a single win away from playing in the grand final. With a record like that, you'd expect that the Crows have been a consistent, settled side with a reliable game-plan filled by specific players.
In reality, however, that is not the case. The Crows are a team which has had to repeatedly reinvented itself, shuffle players around, and find new role players. Tellingly, the only player from our 2017 premiership who is still playing the same role she was back then is Ebony Marinoff. Even if you look at the 2019 premiership, only four players are still playing the same role, namely Marinoff, Hatchard, Ponter and Sarah Allan - the latter of which has missed the entire season so far. Hell, even from our 2022 premiership, only one year ago, 8 out of the 21 players (Button, Nield (nee Gore), Phillips, Considine, Hewett, Mules, Saint (nee Woodland), Rajcic) are no longer in the side.
The 2017 premiership was built on a contested style of football that surged the ball forward at all costs to the class of Phillips and Perkins. That style was rendered inert almost immediately by the improved standards of the comp in 2018, and the introduction of the lasso rule (which at that point counted not just between the arcs, but all over the ground). With Matthew Clarke taking over in 2019, the Crows reinvented themselves as team which attacked through short kicking and overlapping handball, before kicking to a near-empty forward line to allow the likes of Thompson and Ponter to run back towards goal. That style was again countered immediately by teams zoning against us in 2020. So in 2021 we reinvented ourselves yet again as a highly defensive team that stifles an opposition, and then launches counterattacks on the rebound, and were rewarded with two grand final appearances and one flag. But in the most recent season, with Phillips gone, we struggled to post big scores, managing more than four goals only 4 times in 13 matches. And accordingly, the top sides in Melbourne and Brisbane each beat us twice with pace and sheer offensive power.
Coming into the 2023 season, we have clearly focused on finding a way to create more goals than last year. While losing Saint (nee Woodland) last season didn't help matters, it has given us the flexibility to completely reimagine our forward line, with only Ponter remaining from the prior structure - and even she is now spending time in the "Erin Phillips role", often starting in the clearances before heading back towards goal. Gould has been re-cast as a key forward, an opportunity which was only really possible given the strong return of Jess Allan. A 36 year old Bonner has been brought in to add some flair up forward, with mixed results. The emergence of Kelly as a pacey wing option has allowed us to relocate Jones up forward where she offers some serious speed. And the other forwards in the mix (Waterhouse, Randall, Hatchard, Martin, etc) have been somewhat more purposeful selections rather than just casting whichever midfielder we least want in the clearances to rot up forward. The output so far has vindicated this approach, with an average score of 71.2 per game, nearly double the 37.3 we averaged per game last season. Admittedly, the score is inflated somewhat by the extra two minutes per quarter being played in 2023.
Of course, it's difficult to put too much stock in our form so far, given that we haven't faced many top sides yet. Still, we have faced two sides (Richmond and Gold Coast) who have 3-1 records in their other matches so far and come away with comfortable wins. Unsurprisingly (and perhaps concerningly) these two matches have seen our lowest outputs (41 and 47 points respectively). Still, considering the biggest score we've conceded in the past three years is 53, maybe that's not far off what is required.
Our defence has been injury-hit, with leader Sarah Allan yet to play a match and not expected back until round 9, along with injuries to Allen and Thompson. Biddell has had to stand up as our key defender without Allan alongside her and has done a great job. Randall has come back and lent her experience at points as well. Without Allen and Thompson back there, our defence is extremely young and inexperienced, with Tonon (10 games prior to this season), Prowse (7), Mueller (5) and Goodwin (5) all 20 years old or or younger. Despite that, they have only conceded a total of 18 goals so far this year. Prowse and Mueller in particular look natural in their defensive roles and seem likely to hold onto them even once the injured players return. Are they good enough to stop a Melbourne onslaught? I'm not confident - but if we are able to restrict Melbourne from scoring a big score in round 6, then Allan's return on the eve of the finals will bode well.
Our midfield has been interesting this year. Hatchard is playing good football but is still off her best. Marinoff has been phenomenal, but was curtailed by a heavy tag in round 5 that other clubs are certain to copy. In previous years, we relied on the Marinoff/Hatchard duo to dominate matches, but not nearly as much in 2023. Jess Allan has come from nowhere to suddenly lead our ruck, while other midfielders have stepped up with Charlton, Kelly, Newman and Ballard all having career-best seasons, and Martin starting to impact on clearances again.
So far, we haven't been seriously challenged in a match, with our narrowest winning margin being 29 points. However, the form we've seen so far is mostly irrelevant. Realistically, Melbourne is still the team to beat and if we can't get past them, we're not winning a fourth flag. Brisbane and Richmond seem to have dropped away slightly, North are still sniffing around, and Geelong has stepped up, but I doubt any of them will get close to Melbourne this year. If someone is going to beat them, it will need to be the Crows. We will need to show that we can restrict Melbourne's scoring prowess - their lowest score so far this year is 70 points - while still posting a decent score of our own. Can we do it in a final? This Saturday's match will give us some indication, at least!
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Player Reviews
I have rated every player on our list, except for those who (a) have been unavailable all season so far due to injury, or (b) have never played a game for the Crows. 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 last season.
#1 - Caitlin Gould (7.5+) - Has been recast this year as a full forward, a move born out of both necessity (given the departures of Phillips and Woodland last year) and opportunity (given the returning Jess Allan). A return of 9 goals so far (with only one behind) is enough to see her at 7th in the comp for goals, and she is equal 2nd in the comp for goals plus goal assists. Despite this, she has still managed to contribute around ten hitouts per match, including 17 against Richmond when McKinnon was left out the side.
#2 - Eloise Jones (6.5=) - It's difficult to assess Jones' season. After averaging 14.5 touches on the wing in season 6, she has struggled to regain that form on the wing. She has spent more time up forward this season though, a move which has paid dividends and fills an area of need, giving up genuine speed up forward. In particular, she spent the majority of rounds 4 and 5 up forward and kicked 6.1 over those two matches.
#3 - Amber Ward (1-) - Ward appears to be the deepest of depth at this stage, with Whiteley and Varnhagen both given games ahead of her despite us missing multiple experienced defenders. The emergency list is the closest she has come to selection so far. Sadly, I suspect she has already played her last match for the Crows.
#4 - Zoe Prowse (6.5+) - Prowse has been one of this season's biggest improvers so far. After finally finding a spot as a key defender for the last four matches of last season, Prowse has now established herself in that role, while increasing her average disposals, marks and tackles by around 25% compared to that time period. Her contested marking has been a real feature, and she has clean hands for a tall. The days of playing as an undersized ruck seem to be behind her now. The only real question mark is whether she will hold her spot once Sarah Allan returns, but at this stage it seems likely. Received her first ever coaches vote in round 5.
#5 - Rachelle Martin (6+) - Martin was tried as a small forward for the first half of last season, and it didn't really work, with only two goals from 6 matches before they started playing her through the middle again. This season she is sharing the two roles fairly evenly, and it has been working better. She's had some fantastic clearances, with all the pace and power that she normally displays, but she has also managed to get among the goals when playing forward, kicking 4 so far. Her tackle numbers are starting to rise again.
#7 - Keeley Kustermann (1-) - Looked okay in the preseason, but has not yet come close to adding to her one-game tally, not even named on the emergency list.
#8 - Najwa Allen (5-) - Was looking good in the first two games of the season, but injury came at a bad time and she has yet to return. She is still our preferred option in her role, and nobody has set the world on fire there in her absence, so she should be back soon in her role. Still a touch one-paced but uses the ball well and is deceptively tall.
#9 - Deni Varnhagen (2) - Played her first match in three seasons when she played in round 4. Whiteley was preferred as depth ahead of her, and after Whiteley failed to perform they shuffled the deck chairs and gave Varnhagen a run. She still gets a bit of a ball and seems fairly fit, but the pace of the game has gone past her, and she doesn't have enough other weapons to make up for it.
#10 - Ebony Marinoff (9.5+) - Other than a minor blip against Gold Coast courtesy of a Lucy Single tag, Marinoff has once again been exceptional this season. And even in that match, Marinoff had 18 touches and 13 tackles, while holding Single to 8 touches (half her average). Even including that match, Marinoff has averaged 27 touches a game, more than last season (albeit with 8 minutes of extra play time per match). She is once again leading the entire competition in kicks (108), tackles (52), and inside 50s (equal 1st with Garner on 40, the next best after that has 25). I can't find a metres gained stat, but I suspect she would be leading that as well. However, the most impressive part of Marinoff's game this year has been her disposal efficiency - up from 50% for most of last season to 60.7% this season, including kicking efficiency of 57.4% (up from 47.2% last season).
#11 - Sarah Goodwin (5) - Seems to have found a spot in the side as a small defender, along with Mueller and Tonon, and is probably performing the second-best of that group. Does some nice things and reads the play well, but seems a bit suspect defensively. It's hard to say what her role will be long-term - probably midfield, but it's pretty stacked in there at the moment. Is in danger of losing her spot if/when the likes of Allan, Thompson, and Allen return to the side, particularly if Randall continues playing down back.
#12 - Chelsea Biddell (8.5-) - Biddell has been great again this season, albeit she misses having Sarah Allan back there to help her out. She is still posting close to midfield numbers (averaging 14.6 disposals a game including 9.8 kicks) while stifling the best tall forward each week, but hasn't quite been at her miserly best that we saw last year.
#13 - Kiera Mueller (6+) - Has not missed a game since debuting in round 9 last season. This season she has really upped her game, both offensively and defensively. Offensively, she has almost doubled her disposal average (9.4, up from 5.0), and she has shown strong defensive instincts. Of the current crop of short defenders, I think she is the one most likely to stay in the role long-term.
#14 - Stevie-Lee Thompson (4.5-) - After two consecutive career-best seasons in 2022, Thompson has been one of the more disappointing players this season. Her pace is still a weapon, but her disposals and tackles are down this season, and her decision-making hasn't been as good. The injury in round 3 came at a bad time for her, and she was left out the side in round 5 despite being available.
#15 - Danielle Ponter (8.5+) - Is having clearly her best season to date. Consistency has always been the issue with Ponter, but outside of a poor game in round 1 against Port, she has played well in every other game. Her best is fantastic and she can do things very few other player can do. She is also a proven big-game performer, so her performance during the first five rounds is very encouraging. Hard to believe she only just turned 23 years old a couple of months ago!
#17 - Maddi Newman (7.5+) - Continues to build season after season, and has relished a more well-defined role on the wing in 2023, which has seen her disposal average jump for 13.7 last season to 19.4 this season. We make it a point to get the ball in Newman's hands because of her penetrating and creative kicking, and she is also useful dropping back into defence as needed (averaging 2.8 rebound 50s per game). After being (unfairly) dropped for the season 6 grand final, Newman has played every game since then and is one of our first picked.
#19 - Jess Waterhouse (4.5+) - Was left out of the side in round 1, but has played every match since then. As we continue to try and find an effective forward line structure, Waterhouse offers a real point of difference with their pace and smarts. Good around 9-10 touches a match, Waterhouse's main contributions are non-statistical, things like little taps to a teammate's advantage, pressure acts, and so on. The only disappointing aspect of Waterhouse's season so far has been a lack of goals - only one scored in their four matches so far.
#20 - Hannah Munyard (4.5-) - Missed the first four rounds of the season with a strained hip, and only found her way back into the side in round 5. I thought she was decent in that match. Munyard's main issue has always been finding enough ball. It's not clear what her role in the side is at the moment, with Waterhouse having taken her forward-mid role.
#21 - Montana McKinnon (5.5-) - McKinnon is clearly our least-preferred ruck option, as evidenced by her being left out of the side in round 2 to add some smaller players, and then missing round 3 so Whiteley could play instead. As frustrating as our stubborn refusal to try her in defence is, I guess she wouldn't be there for long anyway with Sarah Allan due back in a few weeks. For all of that, McKinnon has actually played quite well as a second-string ruck, averaging 14 hitouts a game and offering a point of difference to Jess Allan. Is still useful behind the ball for her intercept marking.
#22 - Lisa Whiteley (2.5-) - Was only brought in for one match after Allen's injury, and although she committed herself fairly well defensively, she only managed three touches, and hasn't played another match since. She remains a marginal depth player whose primary value to the side is her versatility.
#23 - Niamh Kelly (7.5+) - Burst out of the blocks in round 1 with a BOG performance against Port that had us wondering if we had a new superstar on our hands after she spent the off-season in Australia for the first time in her career. Her performances since then haven't lived up to that lofty standard, but have nonetheless been a marked improvement over last year. Even taking out the 28 touches from round 1, Kelly is still averaging 16 touches per match, nearly double the 8.8 last season. Unlike last season she is now kicking it 75% of the time (last season it was 50% of the time). She has also found a way to hit the scoreboard more often, with three goals from five matches (compared to six goals from 30 matches prior). Most importantly, with Jones and Thompson mostly moved out of the midfield, Kelly is our only midfielder with genuine pace, and she is not scared to use it.
#25 - Teah Charlton (7.5+) - Charlton just keeps getting a bit better each season. Her disposal count is slightly up (14.0 per game compared to 13.1 last season), her tackle count is way up (9.0 per game compared to 5.0), she is taking more marks (1.6 per game compared to 0.8) and has kicked 3 goals (up from 4 goals in her prior 35 games). Very smart footballer and super consistent, you just know what you're going to get from Charlton.
#26 - Chelsea Randall (7-) - Randall's output has been slightly down this season, as she has again been thrown all over the ground as our very own Ms Fixit. I've been pleased to see her back in defence for the last couple of weeks, but it's hard to see her staying there once Allan, Allen and possibly Thompson return to the backlines. I still think her best position is down back either clamping down on an athletic forward, or else as a floating defender. But it would be nice to see how she goes up forward now that we have a reasonably well-functioning forward line. Or perhaps in the midfield when the likes of Hatchard is resting up forward. Or possibly as a tagger, locking down on the opposition's best midfielder. Or maybe...
#27 - Abbie Ballard (6+) - Her output has started to grow this season, up to 11.6 touches a match (from 7.8 last season), but still probably needs to get a bit more of the ball in the role she plays. Ballard is still tackling well (4.4 tackles per game) and is as good as anyone on our list as nailing a short kick to advantage. Other than a poor game against Essendon (6 disposals, although she did get two goals) she has been pretty consistent, but would still be among the last players selected in the side each week. Has now played 18 matches in a row, but has yet to put her position beyond doubt.
#28 - Brooke Tonon (4.5+) - After going in and out of the side like a yoyo last season, Tonon seems to have established a place in defence this year, at least for now. She has played all five matches, and has an offensive weapon in a powerful kick, but still doesn't get enough of the ball, averaging only 8.4 touches a match (up from 6.1 last season). Defensively, she seems a bit suspect. Of the Mueller/Goodwin/Tonon trio, she seems the most likely to lose her spot once Allan returns.
#31 - Yvonne Bonner (5) - Bonner looked great in the preseason hitout, and started off strong in round 1 with two goals, but hasn't done much since, kicking only one goal in the last four matches. She gets involved up the ground a bit, and averages 8.8 touches a game, but she has a bad habit of either spraying her kicks, or else getting run down before she can dispose of it. She lacks awareness a bit and is not as fast as she clearly thinks she is. Useful to plug a gap while we redevelop our forward line, but I don't think she's a long-term player. I wouldn't be surprised if she loses her place in the side once Sarah Allan returns, with Randall taking Bonner's spot up forward.
#32 - Jess Allan (7.5+) - Has just waltzed back in after five seasons away and immediately claimed the #1 ruck role for herself. Her output of 115 hitouts (23 per match) is enough to have her ranked 5th in the competition, not bad considering she has shared the duties with McKinnon in three games (she is 15th in the comp in terms of ruck contests attended). Tellingly, she has the best hitout win percentage of any ruck in the comp, with 58.7%. But it's not just the number of hitouts, it's the quality. Of her 115 hitouts, 41 have been to advantage, which has her ranked 3rd in the comp for hitouts to advance. She was also functioning as a second midfielder in the first three rounds, good for 10 touches and 3 tackles a game, but her disposals have dipped in the last two games (3 and 6 respectively).
#33 - Anne Hatchard (8=) - Still has yet to get back to her seasons 3-6 form, but even a lesser Hatchard game is still pretty damn good. Compared to last season, her disposal efficiency is back above water again at 56.8%, although it must be said that is the weakest disposal efficiency among the top 20 disposal winners in the comp (Hatchard is 13th in the comp for disposals, after Marinoff and her shared the 1st and 2nd spots respectively last season). She also has the equal-worst kicking efficiency among that group with 44.4%. The emergence of other midfield options (Kelly, Charlton, Martin back in the centre, etc) has offered us the flexibility to play up forward occasionally, and she has found ways to create goals despite being a poor kick for goal, mostly through gut running and smarts. On the other hand, her contested marking is well down this season, with only one so far (compared to around 1 per game last season).
I have rated every player on our list, except for those who (a) have been unavailable all season so far due to injury, or (b) have never played a game for the Crows. 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 last season.
#1 - Caitlin Gould (7.5+) - Has been recast this year as a full forward, a move born out of both necessity (given the departures of Phillips and Woodland last year) and opportunity (given the returning Jess Allan). A return of 9 goals so far (with only one behind) is enough to see her at 7th in the comp for goals, and she is equal 2nd in the comp for goals plus goal assists. Despite this, she has still managed to contribute around ten hitouts per match, including 17 against Richmond when McKinnon was left out the side.
#2 - Eloise Jones (6.5=) - It's difficult to assess Jones' season. After averaging 14.5 touches on the wing in season 6, she has struggled to regain that form on the wing. She has spent more time up forward this season though, a move which has paid dividends and fills an area of need, giving up genuine speed up forward. In particular, she spent the majority of rounds 4 and 5 up forward and kicked 6.1 over those two matches.
#3 - Amber Ward (1-) - Ward appears to be the deepest of depth at this stage, with Whiteley and Varnhagen both given games ahead of her despite us missing multiple experienced defenders. The emergency list is the closest she has come to selection so far. Sadly, I suspect she has already played her last match for the Crows.
#4 - Zoe Prowse (6.5+) - Prowse has been one of this season's biggest improvers so far. After finally finding a spot as a key defender for the last four matches of last season, Prowse has now established herself in that role, while increasing her average disposals, marks and tackles by around 25% compared to that time period. Her contested marking has been a real feature, and she has clean hands for a tall. The days of playing as an undersized ruck seem to be behind her now. The only real question mark is whether she will hold her spot once Sarah Allan returns, but at this stage it seems likely. Received her first ever coaches vote in round 5.
#5 - Rachelle Martin (6+) - Martin was tried as a small forward for the first half of last season, and it didn't really work, with only two goals from 6 matches before they started playing her through the middle again. This season she is sharing the two roles fairly evenly, and it has been working better. She's had some fantastic clearances, with all the pace and power that she normally displays, but she has also managed to get among the goals when playing forward, kicking 4 so far. Her tackle numbers are starting to rise again.
#7 - Keeley Kustermann (1-) - Looked okay in the preseason, but has not yet come close to adding to her one-game tally, not even named on the emergency list.
#8 - Najwa Allen (5-) - Was looking good in the first two games of the season, but injury came at a bad time and she has yet to return. She is still our preferred option in her role, and nobody has set the world on fire there in her absence, so she should be back soon in her role. Still a touch one-paced but uses the ball well and is deceptively tall.
#9 - Deni Varnhagen (2) - Played her first match in three seasons when she played in round 4. Whiteley was preferred as depth ahead of her, and after Whiteley failed to perform they shuffled the deck chairs and gave Varnhagen a run. She still gets a bit of a ball and seems fairly fit, but the pace of the game has gone past her, and she doesn't have enough other weapons to make up for it.
#10 - Ebony Marinoff (9.5+) - Other than a minor blip against Gold Coast courtesy of a Lucy Single tag, Marinoff has once again been exceptional this season. And even in that match, Marinoff had 18 touches and 13 tackles, while holding Single to 8 touches (half her average). Even including that match, Marinoff has averaged 27 touches a game, more than last season (albeit with 8 minutes of extra play time per match). She is once again leading the entire competition in kicks (108), tackles (52), and inside 50s (equal 1st with Garner on 40, the next best after that has 25). I can't find a metres gained stat, but I suspect she would be leading that as well. However, the most impressive part of Marinoff's game this year has been her disposal efficiency - up from 50% for most of last season to 60.7% this season, including kicking efficiency of 57.4% (up from 47.2% last season).
#11 - Sarah Goodwin (5) - Seems to have found a spot in the side as a small defender, along with Mueller and Tonon, and is probably performing the second-best of that group. Does some nice things and reads the play well, but seems a bit suspect defensively. It's hard to say what her role will be long-term - probably midfield, but it's pretty stacked in there at the moment. Is in danger of losing her spot if/when the likes of Allan, Thompson, and Allen return to the side, particularly if Randall continues playing down back.
#12 - Chelsea Biddell (8.5-) - Biddell has been great again this season, albeit she misses having Sarah Allan back there to help her out. She is still posting close to midfield numbers (averaging 14.6 disposals a game including 9.8 kicks) while stifling the best tall forward each week, but hasn't quite been at her miserly best that we saw last year.
#13 - Kiera Mueller (6+) - Has not missed a game since debuting in round 9 last season. This season she has really upped her game, both offensively and defensively. Offensively, she has almost doubled her disposal average (9.4, up from 5.0), and she has shown strong defensive instincts. Of the current crop of short defenders, I think she is the one most likely to stay in the role long-term.
#14 - Stevie-Lee Thompson (4.5-) - After two consecutive career-best seasons in 2022, Thompson has been one of the more disappointing players this season. Her pace is still a weapon, but her disposals and tackles are down this season, and her decision-making hasn't been as good. The injury in round 3 came at a bad time for her, and she was left out the side in round 5 despite being available.
#15 - Danielle Ponter (8.5+) - Is having clearly her best season to date. Consistency has always been the issue with Ponter, but outside of a poor game in round 1 against Port, she has played well in every other game. Her best is fantastic and she can do things very few other player can do. She is also a proven big-game performer, so her performance during the first five rounds is very encouraging. Hard to believe she only just turned 23 years old a couple of months ago!
#17 - Maddi Newman (7.5+) - Continues to build season after season, and has relished a more well-defined role on the wing in 2023, which has seen her disposal average jump for 13.7 last season to 19.4 this season. We make it a point to get the ball in Newman's hands because of her penetrating and creative kicking, and she is also useful dropping back into defence as needed (averaging 2.8 rebound 50s per game). After being (unfairly) dropped for the season 6 grand final, Newman has played every game since then and is one of our first picked.
#19 - Jess Waterhouse (4.5+) - Was left out of the side in round 1, but has played every match since then. As we continue to try and find an effective forward line structure, Waterhouse offers a real point of difference with their pace and smarts. Good around 9-10 touches a match, Waterhouse's main contributions are non-statistical, things like little taps to a teammate's advantage, pressure acts, and so on. The only disappointing aspect of Waterhouse's season so far has been a lack of goals - only one scored in their four matches so far.
#20 - Hannah Munyard (4.5-) - Missed the first four rounds of the season with a strained hip, and only found her way back into the side in round 5. I thought she was decent in that match. Munyard's main issue has always been finding enough ball. It's not clear what her role in the side is at the moment, with Waterhouse having taken her forward-mid role.
#21 - Montana McKinnon (5.5-) - McKinnon is clearly our least-preferred ruck option, as evidenced by her being left out of the side in round 2 to add some smaller players, and then missing round 3 so Whiteley could play instead. As frustrating as our stubborn refusal to try her in defence is, I guess she wouldn't be there for long anyway with Sarah Allan due back in a few weeks. For all of that, McKinnon has actually played quite well as a second-string ruck, averaging 14 hitouts a game and offering a point of difference to Jess Allan. Is still useful behind the ball for her intercept marking.
#22 - Lisa Whiteley (2.5-) - Was only brought in for one match after Allen's injury, and although she committed herself fairly well defensively, she only managed three touches, and hasn't played another match since. She remains a marginal depth player whose primary value to the side is her versatility.
#23 - Niamh Kelly (7.5+) - Burst out of the blocks in round 1 with a BOG performance against Port that had us wondering if we had a new superstar on our hands after she spent the off-season in Australia for the first time in her career. Her performances since then haven't lived up to that lofty standard, but have nonetheless been a marked improvement over last year. Even taking out the 28 touches from round 1, Kelly is still averaging 16 touches per match, nearly double the 8.8 last season. Unlike last season she is now kicking it 75% of the time (last season it was 50% of the time). She has also found a way to hit the scoreboard more often, with three goals from five matches (compared to six goals from 30 matches prior). Most importantly, with Jones and Thompson mostly moved out of the midfield, Kelly is our only midfielder with genuine pace, and she is not scared to use it.
#25 - Teah Charlton (7.5+) - Charlton just keeps getting a bit better each season. Her disposal count is slightly up (14.0 per game compared to 13.1 last season), her tackle count is way up (9.0 per game compared to 5.0), she is taking more marks (1.6 per game compared to 0.8) and has kicked 3 goals (up from 4 goals in her prior 35 games). Very smart footballer and super consistent, you just know what you're going to get from Charlton.
#26 - Chelsea Randall (7-) - Randall's output has been slightly down this season, as she has again been thrown all over the ground as our very own Ms Fixit. I've been pleased to see her back in defence for the last couple of weeks, but it's hard to see her staying there once Allan, Allen and possibly Thompson return to the backlines. I still think her best position is down back either clamping down on an athletic forward, or else as a floating defender. But it would be nice to see how she goes up forward now that we have a reasonably well-functioning forward line. Or perhaps in the midfield when the likes of Hatchard is resting up forward. Or possibly as a tagger, locking down on the opposition's best midfielder. Or maybe...
#27 - Abbie Ballard (6+) - Her output has started to grow this season, up to 11.6 touches a match (from 7.8 last season), but still probably needs to get a bit more of the ball in the role she plays. Ballard is still tackling well (4.4 tackles per game) and is as good as anyone on our list as nailing a short kick to advantage. Other than a poor game against Essendon (6 disposals, although she did get two goals) she has been pretty consistent, but would still be among the last players selected in the side each week. Has now played 18 matches in a row, but has yet to put her position beyond doubt.
#28 - Brooke Tonon (4.5+) - After going in and out of the side like a yoyo last season, Tonon seems to have established a place in defence this year, at least for now. She has played all five matches, and has an offensive weapon in a powerful kick, but still doesn't get enough of the ball, averaging only 8.4 touches a match (up from 6.1 last season). Defensively, she seems a bit suspect. Of the Mueller/Goodwin/Tonon trio, she seems the most likely to lose her spot once Allan returns.
#31 - Yvonne Bonner (5) - Bonner looked great in the preseason hitout, and started off strong in round 1 with two goals, but hasn't done much since, kicking only one goal in the last four matches. She gets involved up the ground a bit, and averages 8.8 touches a game, but she has a bad habit of either spraying her kicks, or else getting run down before she can dispose of it. She lacks awareness a bit and is not as fast as she clearly thinks she is. Useful to plug a gap while we redevelop our forward line, but I don't think she's a long-term player. I wouldn't be surprised if she loses her place in the side once Sarah Allan returns, with Randall taking Bonner's spot up forward.
#32 - Jess Allan (7.5+) - Has just waltzed back in after five seasons away and immediately claimed the #1 ruck role for herself. Her output of 115 hitouts (23 per match) is enough to have her ranked 5th in the competition, not bad considering she has shared the duties with McKinnon in three games (she is 15th in the comp in terms of ruck contests attended). Tellingly, she has the best hitout win percentage of any ruck in the comp, with 58.7%. But it's not just the number of hitouts, it's the quality. Of her 115 hitouts, 41 have been to advantage, which has her ranked 3rd in the comp for hitouts to advance. She was also functioning as a second midfielder in the first three rounds, good for 10 touches and 3 tackles a game, but her disposals have dipped in the last two games (3 and 6 respectively).
#33 - Anne Hatchard (8=) - Still has yet to get back to her seasons 3-6 form, but even a lesser Hatchard game is still pretty damn good. Compared to last season, her disposal efficiency is back above water again at 56.8%, although it must be said that is the weakest disposal efficiency among the top 20 disposal winners in the comp (Hatchard is 13th in the comp for disposals, after Marinoff and her shared the 1st and 2nd spots respectively last season). She also has the equal-worst kicking efficiency among that group with 44.4%. The emergence of other midfield options (Kelly, Charlton, Martin back in the centre, etc) has offered us the flexibility to play up forward occasionally, and she has found ways to create goals despite being a poor kick for goal, mostly through gut running and smarts. On the other hand, her contested marking is well down this season, with only one so far (compared to around 1 per game last season).
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Saint is worth less than Bodey apparently.
Oh well, mid round or end of round are essentially equivalent for us anyway since Port aren't finishing in the top half of the ladder.
Oh well, mid round or end of round are essentially equivalent for us anyway since Port aren't finishing in the top half of the ladder.
Band 4? She must've not been offered much to cross to Port. Maybe she did really just leave to play for her childhood team.
Happy to trade the pick for Hannah Ewings who was dropped by Port for disciplinary reasons.
TEAMS: Rising Star axed for disciplinary reasons, Dees cop injuries, Giant to debut
The teams are in for round seven's Friday and Saturday matches, as well as squads for Sunday
www.afl.com.au
Happy to trade the pick for Hannah Ewings who was dropped by Port for disciplinary reasons.
TEAMS: Rising Star axed for disciplinary reasons, Dees cop injuries, Giant to debut
The teams are in for round seven's Friday and Saturday matches, as well as squads for Sunday
The Port subforum keeps mentioning she is overweight compared to last season. I don't see that personally, but could this be a "training standards" dropping?
El Doederino
Norm Smith Medallist
- Apr 22, 2018
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Lol imagine not meeting the standards of that shower
The talent is there, would back our team to get her fit.
Also looks better in our colours.
Whyalla teen thriving in Crows Academies Program
An eight-hour round trip won’t stop Hannah Ewings
jello_bello
Senior List
- Aug 17, 2009
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Congratulations to Kiera Mueller who receives a rising star nomination this round:
www.afl.com.au
Well deserved. Such an improved player this year.
Courageous Crow, tenacious Tiger nab Rising Star nominations
Kiera Mueller and Emelia Yassir are the AFLW Rising Star nominees for round seven, 2023
www.afl.com.au
Well deserved. Such an improved player this year.
Fantastic, she has really established herself as a quality small defender this year, as opposed to just a midfielder we don't have room in the guts for.Congratulations to Kiera Mueller who receives a rising star nomination this round:
Courageous Crow, tenacious Tiger nab Rising Star nominations
Kiera Mueller and Emelia Yassir are the AFLW Rising Star nominees for round seven, 2023
Well deserved. Such an improved player this year.
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