AFLW General AFLW Talk Thread

[RussellEbertHandball]

They probably should. The AFLW holds little interest for supporters of 17 clubs right now, and the one who it does have some interest for is one of the smallest clubs in the country. For a league which is already having its struggles attracting viewers and attendees, North being what they currently are is terrible for the growth of the game.

Usain Bolt dominated sprinting for nearly a decade. You didn't see World Athletics says lets change the rules to stop his dominance - let his opponents only run 97m, to make it more equal.

Brisbane played in 4 grand finals in a row and the AFL didn't change the rules to make things more even.
Geelong played in 4 grand finals in 5 years and the AFL didn't change the rules to make things more even.
Hawthorn played in 4 grand finals in a row and the AFL didn't change the rules to make things more even.
Richmond played in 3 winning grand finals in 4 years and the AFL didn't change the rules to make things more even.

North so far have only played in 2 consecutive grand finals for 1 flag. I expect that to change to become 3 and 2 in a few weeks time. Same output as the current Brisbane men's team record over the last 3 seasons, without the advantages of Brisbane's academy/father-son type benefits.

Its up to the other sides to raise their standards across the board and match North, not manipulate things to stop North.

There is no soft cap limit on AFLW teams, so if 17 clubs want to win, they can spend more than they are doing now.

You want to grow the game - then grow the skills of other sides. Having 4 or 5 teams the standard of North, means the game improves and grows, not reducing the standard of one team to the shitty levels of the others.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Brisbane played in 4 grand finals in a row and the AFL didn't change the rules to make things more even.

Brisbane didn't go two years and counting without losing a game with a percentage of over 300%.

Geelong played in 4 grand finals in 5 years and the AFL didn't change the rules to make things more even.

Geelong didn't go two years and counting without losing a game with a percentage of over 300%.

Hawthorn played in 4 grand finals in a row and the AFL didn't change the rules to make things more even.

Hawthorn didn't go two years and counting without losing a game with a percentage above 300%.

Richmond played in 3 winning grand finals in 4 years and the AFL didn't change the rules to make things more even.

Richmond didn't go two years and counting without losing a game with a percentage above 300%.

None of the examples you've listed are even in the same stratosphere of what North are doing right now. And none of them occurred in a competition in its infancy and desperately looking to attract fans of 17 other teams.

You want to grow the game - then grow the skills of other sides. Having 4 or 5 teams the standard of North, means the game improves and grows, not reducing the standard of one team to the shitty levels of the others.

North looms among potential new homes for former AFLW No.1 pick

Raging NAB AFL premiership favourite North Melbourne is one of several clubs in the market for a young Western Bulldogs star if she chooses to leave

www.afl.com.au

The #1 draft pick from two years ago is set to ask for a trade to North. The gap looks like getting wider before it gets smaller.

 

[Amarula]

So the AFL needs to sit down with North and work something out. Yeah, the record is great, but you’re about 80% of the reason why the game is going backwards”.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Brisbane didn't go two years and counting without losing a game with a percentage of over 300%.



Geelong didn't go two years and counting without losing a game with a percentage of over 300%.



Hawthorn didn't go two years and counting without losing a game with a percentage above 300%.



Richmond didn't go two years and counting without losing a game with a percentage above 300%.

None of the examples you've listed are even in the same stratosphere of what North are doing right now. And none of them occurred in a competition in its infancy and desperately looking to attract fans of 17 other teams.

North looms among potential new homes for former AFLW No.1 pick

Raging NAB AFL premiership favourite North Melbourne is one of several clubs in the market for a young Western Bulldogs star if she chooses to leave

www.afl.com.au

The #1 draft pick from two years ago is set to ask for a trade to North. The gap looks like getting wider before it gets smaller.

Premierships are all Australian Football really worries about - its the only measure of success that counts in its culture. The fact they dominate so much doesn't mean it will last forever. Others need to raise their standards.

 

[Amarula]

Premierships are all Australian Football really worries about - its the only measure of success that counts in its culture. The fact they dominate so much doesn't mean it will last forever. Others need to raise their standards.

True. So how long would it take of North (or any single club for that matter) being unbeatable for supporters of all the other clubs to rapidly lose interest? If North were still unbeaten this time next year, or the year after, and Collingwood, Richmond and Essendon were still on the bottom, and their members were complaining about “why should we continue to prop up a competition where we have no chance of winning anything for many years”, would those “big clubs” (along with the AFL’s little darlings GWS and GCS) just meekly accept that situation?

 

[raptalia]

Premierships are all Australian Football really worries about - its the only measure of success that counts in its culture. The fact they dominate so much doesn't mean it will last forever. Others need to raise their standards.

I am not sure that Premierships are all that David Koch worries about. At times Koch seems more concerned with social status and PR than the core business but I do agree that it is up to the others to lift their standards.

I always made that point when Port dominated the SA competition and the SANFL hierarchy tried to hold us back by giving us the most difficult to manage country zones and stacking the draw. Geez those were the days, the bastards did every thing they could to beat us but we overcame that. Those were the days my friends.

As I post this the WBBL has just kick started and the competition for an audience heats up. The thing is I can watch women's cricket and sometimes forget that I am watching women play. I find that impossible with AFLW I guess it is a question of the relative standards within the particular sport. There is much larger gap between the skill levels of men and women in Aussie Rules than there is in men and women's Cricket. It is early days yet so hopefully the gap in Australian Rules gets smaller.

 

[Amarula]

I expect that we’ve already got the right connections with India Rasheed and her family to offer her a big contract at the appropriate time, but by god that was an impressive finals debut.

They surely owe us for doing the right thing with Sarah Goodwin, who I also thought was impressive yesterday. She adds a lot of speed and good disposal to their ageing midfield. We need India to do a Sarah-in-reverse. It’s only fair.

 

[radiojake]

I expect that we’ve already got the right connections with India Rasheed and her family to offer her a big contract at the appropriate time, but by god that was an impressive finals debut.

They surely owe us for doing the right thing with Sarah Goodwin, who I also thought was impressive yesterday. She adds a lot of speed and good disposal to their ageing midfield. We need India to do a Sarah-in-reverse. It’s only fair.

aren't we already square with Philips finishing up back at Alberton ?

 

[Amarula]

aren't we already square with Philips finishing up back at Alberton ?

Would have thought there was always the expectation that Erin would come home as soon as Port got a team together

And while it’s good to see Sarah playing such good footy where she’s clearly happier, we did do the right thing by her and allow her to leave us after just one season.

 

[radiojake]

Yeah I was being a bit cheeky

If Indi did decide to ask for a trade to Port I can see the huge similarities with Goodwin's trade

Hopefully Indi stays though she is looking very good

 

[Duckimus Prime]

I expect that we’ve already got the right connections with India Rasheed and her family to offer her a big contract at the appropriate time, but by god that was an impressive finals debut.

They surely owe us for doing the right thing with Sarah Goodwin, who I also thought was impressive yesterday. She adds a lot of speed and good disposal to their ageing midfield. We need India to do a Sarah-in-reverse. It’s only fair.

Its not our fault, because it wasn't a trade but the Crows got band 4 compensation for Ash Woodland when we signed her.

That's their leading goal scorer in Season 6 and 7, and All Australian, AFLW's leading goal scorer in S6. And got an end of second round pick and I think that was also the "senior players" draft as well.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Melbourne knock crows out of the AFLW finals. Now for India to ask for a trade to Port.

 

[Grave Danger]

Melbourne knock crows out of the AFLW finals. Now for India to ask for a trade to Port.

NO MILLION BUCKS FOR YOU!

EDIT: Looks like Carlton W have handed the McClelland $Million to Brisbane today too. Can't say it's not deserved after Hawthorn pinched it last year (I think).

 

[Amarula]

India was again very very good in this game. She will be a huge gain.

 

[Amarula]

Poppy playing at least as well for Carlton. They really don’t deserve her.

Commentators straining hard to avoid any mention of Matilda when Poppy gets a very Matilda-esque goal by playing on after a strong contested mark.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Weren't Hawthorn fraud finalists?

And Melbourne and Adelaide playing off for a prelim final spot, both teams we beat

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Weren't Hawthorn fraud finalists?

And Melbourne and Adelaide playing off for a prelim final spot, both teams we beat

After we beat them, I said they were a fake top 2 side as they were 1-2 against 2024 top 8 sides, and 7-0 against bottom 10 2024 sides. They then played Essendon (8th in 2024) and won and North.

After we played GWS and missed out on finals by %, I said I reckon the Hawks will go out in straight sets, just like last year.

Percentage isn't the be all and end all, but its a decent indicator and the Hawks had 2nd the worst % of the final 8 teams, just a tick over 100% and St Kilda the worst on 87%.

I don't want to bag the Hawks for the sake of it, they did have some injuries, but the bloody FIXture this year has been a shocker by the AFL.

Given we now are playing 12 games, the top 8 sides the next season should be playing 4 or 5 finals team and most of them should be by Rd 6 or 7.

The Hawks played 3 of the 2024 finalist late in the season, us in Rd 10, Essendon in Rd 11 and North in Rd 12.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Reckon it will be a North v Brisbane GF given they are hosting PFs next week.

North have been the best expansion side the years they have been in the comp and Brisbane have been the most consistent original side.

North are the only expansion team to make a GF - 2023 or win a flag - 2024. 2020 they made the PF by covid cancelled the 2020 season after the semi finals.

Brisbane haven't won as many flags as Adelaide, but they were raided heavier than Adelaide was after the 2017 season and up to the final expansion teams in 2022 got their initial concessions and signings. They have made 6 GFs for 2 flags compared to the crows 4 GFs for 3 flags.

Geez watching the post game stuff, I can't stand Ruby Schleicher's voice. It's more annoying than Kelly Underwood's, but the content of what she says is better than Underwood's.

 

[Amarula]

Think our team would have beaten all four teams who played today quite comfortably.

 

[radiojake]

Think our team would have beaten all four teams who played today quite comfortably.

I reckon if every team played every team that Port make finals definitely

St Kilda with 85% making the 8 is certainly a stat

 

[TazD]

I reckon if every team played every team that Port make finals definitely

St Kilda with 85% making the 8 is certainly a stat

I still can't believe we lost to them.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Hawthorn 4 goals over 8 quarters of finals footy (and 2 of those were consolation goals late against Carlton)

 

[Jojay]

Operation: Poppy to Port, please

 

[Amarula]

Indie Pop

 

[raptalia]

After we beat them, I said they were a fake top 2 side as they were 1-2 against 2024 top 8 sides, and 7-0 against bottom 10 2024 sides. They then played Essendon (8th in 2024) and won and North.

After we played GWS and missed out on finals by %, I said I reckon the Hawks will go out in straight sets, just like last year.

Percentage isn't the be all and end all, but its a decent indicator and the Hawks had 2nd the worst % of the final 8 teams, just a tick over 100% and St Kilda the worst on 87%.

I don't want to bag the Hawks for the sake of it, they did have some injuries, but the bloody FIXture this year has been a shocker by the AFL.

Given we now are playing 12 games, the top 8 sides the next season should be playing 4 or 5 finals team and most of them should be by Rd 6 or 7.

The Hawks played 3 of the 2024 finalist late in the season, us in Rd 10, Essendon in Rd 11 and North in Rd 12.

Yes, in a 12 game season you cannot afford a bad patch. Hawthorn started the season well and we started poorly that made the difference. Hawthorn won 5 from the first 6 games while Port won 2 from 6. Part of that maybe down to the uneven draw but we lost a couple that we should not have lost.

Hawthorn were clearly pretenders as they managed just 0.3 in five consecutive quarters of finals footy. That should tell the AFL that they have to get to a 17 game minor round ASAP. A 17 game season would take the lop sided draw out of the equation.

I note that Lauren Arnell is in favour of the Wildcard round and wants it introduced into the AFLW. Given this season's results and Port's ladder position (we finished 10th) it is easy to see why.