AFLW Rd 5 Geelong vs Brisbane Lions Sat. 2nd March @ Moreton Bay Sports Complex

[Cursed Cat]

Bella hasn't been named for the Lions.

hm, perhaps I should check the opposition team before commenting next time!

 

[winty]

hm, perhaps I should check the opposition team before commenting next time!

I was looking forward to that match up too until I had a closer look at Brisbane's side.

 

[Cursed Cat]

I was looking forward to that match up too until I had a closer look at Brisbane's side.

I reckon Bella is well positioned to be the best ruck in the comp in a year or two; really vigorous player - Qld had some real talent coming through at the U/18 champs last year ..

 

[Shai]

yup, another ruck, represented Vic Country last year (personally I thought the Qld ruck showed heaps more potential, can't remember her name though - might have been Bella ..?).

no sign of Hannah Burchell unfortunately, she's running out of time to have much impact this year, which is a shame ...

game is 15:45 AEST

edit: spuriously claimed Caris had been AA in 2018. She hadn't.

Lions have 2 good ruck options, both young. Bella & Wardlaw.

They did get raided for want of a better word but still have a very good team, with winners in every part of the ground.

 

[Turbocat]

Will be interesting to see how Rene Caris goes against Lauren Bella - both 2018 draftees, both rucks - here's an example of the nomination system rendering the draft a bit silly:
Caris couldn't be taken by anyone other than Geelong, while Bella could only be drafted by Brisbane this year - Caris went at #35, Bella @ #45, yet I'd rate Bella the far brighter prospect and reckon she might have had a look-in for the top 10 in an open draft ...

Its still grates on me the ability to specify location..yet Im not sure why. They get paid less , they are not professional etc. perhaps its just something im not used to... after all I have made comment that the concept of the draft is almost something that should be replaced for the elite players. I visualise a walk thru the lobby like in JerryMc .. maybe each club gets the ability to sign a player by some method or other.. it would allow a method of self determination for the best players.. and the other than would just take what they could get.

Let me blunt the womens game has a long way to go..but it has so many pluses if it was publicised the right way , im not talk some superficial token comp it has the potential to be the bench mark for womens sport in australia. there will always be some that go the national way but the ability to earn a very good income is something that most womens sports offer very few players. To do that we must move away from inked up near 40 year old players and get talented younger players , freshed faces and good news stories that would look like young girls older sisters. Relatable players. Some cross pollination is happening but more would be good. Hickey or someone involved with the men thru the year. A whole club approach.

..

 

[Cursed Cat]

Its still grates on me the ability to specify location..yet Im not sure why. They get paid less , they are not professional etc. perhaps its just something im not used to... after all I have made comment that the concept of the draft is almost something that should be replaced for the elite players. I visualise a walk thru the lobby like in JerryMc .. maybe each club gets the ability to sign a player by some method or other.. it would allow a method of self determination for the best players.. and the other than would just take what they could get.

Let me blunt the womens game has a long way to go..but it has so many pluses if it was publicised the right way , im not talk some superficial token comp it has the potential to be the bench mark for womens sport in australia. there will always be some that go the national way but the ability to earn a very good income is something that most womens sports offer very few players. To do that we must move away from inked up near 40 year old players and get talented younger players , freshed faces and good news stories that would look like young girls older sisters. Relatable players. Some cross pollination is happening but more would be good. Hickey or someone involved with the men thru the year. A whole club approach.

..

I think it is inevitable that talented young players will supersede these older players - however I also recognise that players like Hickey, Daisy Pearce, McWilliams, the McIntosh (40 in June!) helped to keep the women's game alive and in many ways set benchmarks for the likes of Nina Morrison, Prespakis and future generations to aim to surpass ..

I'm with you on the AFLW's potential to be Australia's (and even the worlds - because women's sport seems to get short shrift globally, not just here) premier professional women's comp - and also agree that there is still a long way to go. Gillon and co. need to step up every bit as much as the women themselves do - I think all are working with the best intentions, however some of the planning at the top level has been a bit haphazard.

I don't dislike the nomination process necessarily; it is just different to what we're used to with the AFL's draft system (as you conceded) - my main issue is that without a genuine 'open draft' then some players are drafted with an artificially inflated pick, very much like the Caris/Bella example you just quoted ..

With a bit of a tweak the nomination process could become the main mechanism and focus for drafting new players.

As you mentioned, perhaps the AFLW could alter the current process so that every club has a good crack at getting players near or around their region, e.g. Metro could be narrowed to Melbourne/Collingwood/Carlton; more of a 'zoning' type deal.
As long as the Geelong Falcons Footy Factory remains exclusively ours of course

 

[Cursed Cat]

Lions have 2 good ruck options, both young. Bella & Wardlaw.

They did get raided for want of a better word but still have a very good team, with winners in every part of the ground.

Yeah they still look pretty strong on paper Shai; they are the only team from conference B to beat a team from conference A so far this year ..

Also, Aussie Rules is getting a good run in Qld schools etc these days, so there are more and more Qld girls coming through.
My family moved up here last year and my daughter was able to do Auskick straight after school, at her school.

They had a really strong team at the champs last year .. Gold Coast's introduction will dilute Brisbane's access to an entire state's worth of young players, but the way things are going there should be enough good young players coming through to top up each list annually ..

 

[Turbocat]

I think it is inevitable that talented young players will supersede these older players - however I also recognise that players like Hickey, Daisy Pearce, McWilliams, the McIntosh (40 in June!) helped to keep the women's game alive and in many ways set benchmarks for the likes of Nina Morrison, Prespakis and future generations to aim to surpass ..

I'm with you on the AFLW's potential to be Australia's (and even the worlds - because women's sport seems to get short shrift globally, not just here) premier professional women's comp - and also agree that there is still a long way to go. Gillon and co. need to step up every bit as much as the women themselves do - I think all are working with the best intentions, however some of the planning at the top level has been a bit haphazard.

I don't dislike the nomination process necessarily; it is just different to what we're used to with the AFL's draft system (as you conceded) - my main issue is that without a genuine 'open draft' then some players are drafted with an artificially inflated pick, very much like the Caris/Bella example you just quoted ..

With a bit of a tweak the nomination process could become the main mechanism and focus for drafting new players.

As you mentioned, perhaps the AFLW could alter the current process so that every club has a good crack at getting players near or around their region, e.g. Metro could be narrowed to Melbourne/Collingwood/Carlton; more of a 'zoning' type deal.
As long as the Geelong Falcons Footy Factory remains exclusively ours of course

The changes to the draft process that i was thought floating ... was not just relating to W. Bottom teams seem to be under seige from the moment the take a talented kid from out of their area.. Just who do you thing the Crows will be talking to in qld , and I have already mentioned STK interest in the King B.

I agree whole heartedly with all you say... my only emphasis that id like the W game to take on is .. it can not succeed without men watching it. Men watch more sport than women , its the power base they have to woo ..not the left wing sisterhood , so id like them to forget the PC crap , and do not get tempted into political doctrine. By all means be an example to young girls... and boys but forget responding to the bleating narrative. Develop a thick skin and a good left foot. ..and till they are pulling paying crowds etc talk footy not modern families and let ideas from old grey haired males just peater out like a chunky v8 from the 60's low on fuel . Let it go thru to the keeper and be the better "man".

I especially like the Falcons being our own development factory.. and I certainly hopeteh girls are doing and being paid to do plenty of schools and talks etc to build a tide of talent. If we dont get a supreme talent each and every year then we are going it wrong. Every single talented girl should be targeted.

 

[Cursed Cat]

The changes to the draft process that i was thought floating ... was not just relating to W. Bottom teams seem to be under seige from the moment the take a talented kid from out of their area.. Just who do you thing the Crows will be talking to in qld , and I have already mentioned STK interest in the King B.

I agree whole heartedly with all you say... my only emphasis that id like the W game to take on is .. it can not succeed without men watching it. Men watch more sport than women , its the power base they have to woo ..not the left wing sisterhood , so id like them to forget the PC crap , and do not get tempted into political doctrine. By all means be an example to young girls... and boys but forget responding to the bleating narrative. Develop a thick skin and a good left foot. ..and till they are pulling paying crowds etc talk footy not modern families and old let ideas from grey haired males just peater out like a chunky v8 from the 60's low on fuel . Let it go thru to the keeper and be the better "man".

I especially like the Falcons being our own development factory.. and I certainly hopeteh girls are doing and being paid to do plenty of schools and talks etc to build a tide of talent. If we dont get a supreme talent each and every year then we are going it wrong. Every single talented girl should be targeted.

Your turn of phrase (chunky V8 from the 60s low on fuel ) often gets a grin out of me Turbo - as always, some astute points made in a highly original way.

I reckon we've got a very good Falcon coming our way in 2020 in Lucy McEvoy, hopefully others too ..

 

[cats_09]

With this weekends main event not fair away, I though this was a good story to kick off the afternoon with:

PHEOBE McWilliams turned to an unlikely source when she wanted to recapture some strong form.

The Geelong key forward was given a special pair of red footy boots for last year's VFLW Grand Final (when she was playing for Hawthorn, coincidentally against Geelong's VFLW side).

The Hawks won the flag, and McWilliams had 13 disposals, took six marks and was named her side's second-best player.

McWilliams promptly retired the boots to keep as a memento.

Or so she thought.

Heading into Geelong's round four clash against Carlton last weekend, the 33-year-old wanted to feel as good as she did on the way to that VFLW premiership, and pulled out her red boots again.

She then played her best game in the blue and white hoops, finishing with 10 disposals, six marks, three tackles and a goal as the Cats won a nailbiter by five points.

"We really played our style of footy in the first half. As a forward, I felt really supported by the other forwards," McWilliams said...

...It will be a tougher task for McWilliams and her Geelong teammates this weekend, taking on a resurgent Brisbane with a defensive line-up featuring Leah Kaslar, Kate Lutkins and a vastly improved Shannon Campbell.

Kate Darby and debutant Rene Caris will be lining up alongside McWilliams, with Boyd and fellow forward O'Connor both suspended.

As well as her red boots, McWilliams will be taking some advice into the game from Geelong key forward Tom Hawkins.

McWilliams works several days a week at Geelong with the club's media team. Upon hearing she was a fan of Hawkins, her work manager arranged a coffee with the Cats' AFL star.

"We sat down for an hour and he ran me through what he thinks when he goes out on the field. We have a lot of similarities in the roles we play, so we talked about when the opposition drops defenders back and when they hit you (as a distraction technique)," she said.

"He has a really positive and confident mindset. He was saying it's a good thing that defenders are keeping a close eye on you … it means you must be doing the right things.

"Often as women we are down on ourselves, but he was really confident, and I thought, 'Why aren't I like that?'. It was really good to learn from him."

Hears hoping that McWilliams keeps wearing the lucky red boots

https://womens.afl/news/16867/red-l...geb19drBYHFn3jxAPPt-t7zU9a0EAONdHUGAuchx8ocxE

 

[Turbocat]

With this weekends main event not fair away, I though this was a good story to kick off the afternoon with:



Hears hoping that McWilliams keeps wearing the lucky red boots

https://womens.afl/news/16867/red-l...geb19drBYHFn3jxAPPt-t7zU9a0EAONdHUGAuchx8ocxE

This...
"We sat down for an hour and he ran me through what he thinks when he goes out on the field. We have a lot of similarities in the roles we play, so we talked about when the opposition drops defenders back and when they hit you (as a distraction technique)," she said.

"He has a really positive and confident mindset. He was saying it's a good thing that defenders are keeping a close eye on you … it means you must be doing the right things.

"Often as women we are down on ourselves, but he was really confident, and I thought, 'Why aren't I like that?'. It was really good to learn from him."

I dont think just as women.. I dont think its a sex related attitude. Hawkins has shown big game perfromance and it doesnt surprise me that he would have a mindset like that. Doesnt mean you dont fail..but it shows an inner focus on belief. Guys like Bretton and Diesel Williams .. Its raining and its cold..great Diesel would say cause they other guys will be off their game. Dermie though he was made for Sept ..when other were concerned with the big occasion he revelled. So its probably a big lesson for anyone listening to someoen like TH. ".. Hey if they are focused on you its a positive they rate you and are worried about what you might do.."

 

[cats_09]

Just caught a bit of Channel 7s pre-game and they were talking about the lack of Friday night football in AFLW - Bec Goddard made the point that the women aren't professional athletes, they have to work during the week etc, so to play Friday night it really would require the game to be between 2 Melbourne based teams where the women were able to get off work early so they could prepare for the game (depending on where they actually work & the cooperation of their employer) and the game being played centrally to make it as easy as possible for all players.

Sam Lane then spoke about how we have already had 2 Friday night matches this year with the next (and currently last scheduled) to be played in round 7 in Canberra. But she was pushing for more Friday night games and "that we need to start paying them more"; ie, lets treat them better then we currently are so that we can see the best of these players in prime time & not just random timeslots on the weekends.

They also then went into discussion about how we are getting to the business end of the season, not just in terms of finals but also that with 4 new teams coming in next season that this is going to be an important time for teams & players ahead of being potentially raided. It was mentioned about the need for the public to get behind the teams and how people want players to follow the development of players but it's really hard at the moment because all players are signed on only 6 month contracts - maybe the AFL/AFLW needs to rethink that and actually allow teams to sign players on extended contracted (even just 2 summers worth rather than 1) so that teams are getting value out of players they are drafting, developing and also those who may go through some injury issues & miss either games or the season (max 9 games per season anyway), and it could also help clubs & players where rehab is required in the off season.

Hopefully the contract situation is reviewed because 6 month contracts & 13 hours per week, really isn't beneficial to the long term development of this league

 

[cats_09]

Another point they were talking about (wanted to keep separate to the above) is an update on our injuries:

- Meg McDonald still has a blackeye from last week (haven't seen it yet, but they said it will be shown during the day)
- Burchall (quad) and Webster (ankle) were both listed as 1 week on the injury list. So we might be a chance of seeing them either next week or in Canberra if they can get themselves up

 

[patience]

Are they playing in a forrest?

 

[cats_09]

I mean to add to one of my earlier posts, that I guess when they were discussing the Friday night matches that the Round 7 Friday night clash is in Canberra between GWS & Geelong - so not only is that a match between interstate teams, but both teams are actually playing interstate on the Friday night; hoping all players have good employers

 

[cats_09]

Meg McDonald ranked in the top 5 in the comp for intercept marks, and also the #1 intercept player in the comp

Glad to have her in our defence

 

[cats_09]

Woohoo Darby - nearly screwed it up but held her composure to kick the opening goal

And apparently she did really well in our VFLW practice match last week - though I think she was back into the side once we had 2 suspensions

 

[winty]

Nice start.

Gee, Purcell has an impressive side-step.

 

[cats_09]

Surely that was a Geelong free kick - Brisbane forward drops the mark but picks up the lose ball before dropping it cold once tackled

 

[winty]

Brisbane player just dropped the ball as soon as they were tackled. If that's not incorrect disposal, I don't know what is.

 

[winty]

Brisbane player running off the bench just runs through the restricted area then.

 

[cats_09]

Brisbane happy to flood back once we take possession - we are going to need to be smarter with our disposal going forward & can't really afford to just keep bombing long.

Need to work harder to find open players because we surely have open players based on the number of free Brisbane players in our forward 50

 

[winty]

If Frederick-Straub was to commit a crime tonight, the cops could dust McDonald's arms and jumper for her fingerprints. They'd be all over her the amount of times Frederick-Straub is grabbing her off the ball.

 

[winty]

Surely if there was a free kick on the 50m arc and someone takes a bounce and hacks a shot from 30m out, they've definitely played on to advantage. Ridiculous to call that kick back.

 

[cats_09]

Love our defence - another week where we have held up under a barrage of the opposition, but we need to start doing better & being more destructive when we have the ball & opportunities in front of goal.

Message at 1/4 time has to be about lowering the eyes & not just kicking long in hope because we are playing in Brisbane's hands by doing that - starting running forward as a team, look for the open player & if we start making the Brisbane defenders accountable by using our open players, they won't be able to keep dropping off