News 2021 St.Kilda AFLW Media Thread

[jonathons11]

Great work guys
I'm sure I'm not the only one who pops in and catches up with what's going every week or so

So what happens now?
Do we lose any players to any new sides entering into the aflw next year?

Think I heard they are all free to enter the draft if they wish. Will be interesting to see how many do knowing if they wait another year they can enter as a saint anyway.

 

[PoppedCorn]

Thanks
Was wondering that for the following year in 2020

Hopefully we see most of them stay in the vflw and then play for us in the aflw

Can other sides offer big money as a temptation to leave?
Is there a cap etc?

 

[jonathons11]

Thanks
Was wondering that for the following year in 2020

Hopefully we see most of them stay in the vflw and then play for us in the aflw

Can other sides offer big money as a temptation to leave?
Is there a cap etc?

Not really sure as they would have to draft them so it's probably the same as the men's where draft salaries are set.
I guess we'll just have to see what happens with the new teams in 2019 as that is what will happen to us the year after.

 

[George]

 

[George]

Star Saints midfielder Ali Drennan moves to the Kangaroos


http://www.saints.com.au/news/2018-09-14/vflw-drennan-to-kangaroos-hurts

 

[Brains Trust66]

VFLW: Watt, Drennan draw B&F
Star Southern Saints Rhiannon Watt and Ali Drennan were named in the Swisse Wellness VFLW Team of the Year at the VFL/VFLW Best and Fairest Night on Tuesday.

The pair enjoyed a prolific season under the tutelage of Peta Searle, with Watt named as the premier ruck in the competition and Drennan taking her place on the wing.

The announcement came just days after the dominant midfield duo tied in the count for the Southern Saints’ own Best and Fairest.


Polling 123 votes apiece, the pair couldn’t be separated after both enjoyed standout years in their first seasons in red, white and black.

Watt, an ex-Australian volleyballer, has proven herself one of the league’s most dominant rucks and was instrumental in several victories for Peta Searle’s side this year.

The 30-year-old’s prowess in the air and rucking ability was shown on numerous occasions, her dominance out of the centre acting as the Saints’ springboard to launch into attack.

Just as vital to the Southern Saints’ midfield supremacy was Drennan, whose unparalleled athleticism and explosiveness from contest was a major highlight in 2018.

The ex-College basketballer became one of the best contested-ball winners in the league, stamping her name on the competition with a best-on-ground 35 disposals in the Saints’ 30-point win over the Seagulls in Round 2.


While Watt and Drennan capped off their stellar first year in the VFLW system, a host of other Southern Saints were named in the AFL Victoria Female Young Guns representative sides.

Kayla Ripari, Amy Silver, Tara Bohanna, Selena Karlson, Alison Brown, Courteney Munn and Georgia Ricardo earned a spot in the representative match, in which the Southern Saints will be by far the most represented team, with a total of seven Saints making the cut.


Go Saints

 

[Brains Trust66]

Star Saints midfielder Ali Drennan moves to the Kangaroos


http://www.saints.com.au/news/2018-09-14/vflw-drennan-to-kangaroos-hurts

We will miss her as she has played really well this year . I expect her to do well in the AFLW too . We have to expect to lose some players from this year as they want to play in the big league . Still we are building a good team at the moment . The young girls won’t be overawed when we do get into the aflw .


Go Saints

 

[Brains Trust66]

Dominant Southern Saints midfield duo Rhiannon Watt and Ali Drennan have capped off their remarkable debut season together by taking out the VFLW side’s inaugural Best and Fairest.

Tied at 123 votes apiece, the pair couldn’t be separated after both enjoyed standout years in their first seasons in red, white and black.

Watt, an ex-Australian volleyballer, has proven herself one of the league’s most dominant rucks and was instrumental in several victories for Peta Searle’s side this year.

The 30-year-old’s prowess in the air and rucking ability was shown on numerous occasions, her dominance out of the centre acting as the Saints’ springboard to launch into aflw.

Just as vital to the Southern Saints’ midfield supremacy was Drennan, whose unparalleled athleticism and explosiveness from contest was a major highlight in 2018.

The ex-College basketballer became one of the best contested-ball winners in the league, stamping her name on the competition with a best-on-ground 35 disposals in the Saints’ 30-point win over the Seagulls in Round 2.


Winners Rhiannon Watt (L) and Ali Drennan (R) proved a dominant duo for the Southern Saints.

Contested bull Samantha Johnson was named runner-up after the 26-year-old was crucial in the Saints’ engine room, her physicality complementing the explosiveness of Drennan and the aerial dominance of Watt.


Leah Olsen and Alison Brown rounded out the top five, with 86 and 85 votes respectively, and can be extremely proud of their seasons.

2018 Southern Saints Best & Fairest Top 10

Rhiannon Watt 123
Alison Drennan 123
Samantha Johnson 89
Leah Olsen 86
Alison Brown 85
Kayla Ripari 79
Selena Karlson 64
Tara Bohanna 59
Eleanor Brown 55
Courteney Munn 51


Go Saints

 

[Brains Trust66]

Southern Saints show pride

St Kilda’s journey towards fielding a team in the AFLW competition in 2020 took a significant leap this year, with the club’s new VFLW side, the Southern Saints, competing in its inaugural season.

From exciting wins to heartbreaking losses and many lessons learnt in between, the girls rode a rollercoaster of a season that highlighted a bright future ahead for the club’s women’s program.

Finishing the season with five wins, the young Saints showed there was plenty to like for a side that boasted only one current AFLW player (with Brisbane recruit Lauren Arnell joining after Round 5).

The team finished 8th out of a possible 13 teams, and plenty of Saints made a name for themselves in the state league.

Impressively, 44 players debuted for the red, white and black across the season, with seven players featuring in all 14 matches.


Tara Bohanna finished equal third in the competition’s overall goalkicking tally with 15 majors, Rhiannon Watt established herself as one of the league’s premier rucks, while Ali Drennan became one of the best contested-ball winners in the league.


Youngsters Eleanor Brown and Georgia Ricardo showed off the great potential of the talent coming through junior pathways, while the ever-reliable Leah Olsen, Kayla Ripari and Ali Brown contributed week in, week out.

In what was one of the toughest moments of the season, Saints skipper Georgia Walker announced her retirement from football ahead of Round 15, the 19-year-old forced to hang up the boots with ongoing concussion issues.

Under head coach Peta Searle and supported by assistant coaches Stacey Bourke, Dale Robinson and St Kilda Hall of Fame legend Nathan Burke, history was made on Saturday 5 May when Walker led her side onto SkyBus Stadium for their first official match against Carlton in Round 1.

Saints forward Courteney Munn would also write herself into the history books with the club’s first recorded goal, though the Saints were made to wait before they could sing the team song after the Blues ran out 22-point winners.

That moment came a week later, with the Saints recording their historic first win over Williamstown in dominant fashion.

Ali Drennan stamped her name on the competition with a best-on-ground 35 disposals in the Saints’ 30-point win over the Seagulls, while Danielle Lawrence dominated down forward with four goals.

The Saints backed it up for a second week when they returned home to host the Casey Demons in Round 3.

And while it seemed the Saints were on the verge of defeat after heading into the final quarter two goals down, the girls rallied to produce a stunning comeback, upsetting the Demons by eight points.

Rhiannon Watt was superb in the ruck with 40 hit-outs, while Drennan again starred with 22 disposals and 12 tackles.

A week later, the Saints produced a comfortable 36-point win over Essendon in Round 4 to start the season

18-year-old TAC Cup recruit Eleanor Brown showed her huge potential in her first ever VFLW match, collecting 25 disposals, seven tackles and a goal on debut for the Saints.

Round 6 saw the girls return to SkyBus Stadium to take arguably their biggest scalp of the season, outplaying the then-undefeated NT Thunder.

Clinging onto a one-point advantage at the last break, the Saints charged home with three final-quarter goals to win by 20 points.

Saints forward Tara Bohanna was the star with three goals, while Meg MacDonald led the Saints’ defence with 13 disposals and five marks.

But a tough month of football followed for the Saints.

After losses to Casey and Geelong on the road, the Saints suffered two close losses to Melbourne Uni and Hawthorn, and their next win was proving elusive.

The breakthrough came the following week in Round 13, when the Saints, underdogs against the in-form Western Bulldogs, played their best team football to end the Dogs’ six-game winning streak with a 31-point victory.

Bohanna finished with another three-goal haul, Watt dominated once again in the ruck, and Kayla Ripari’s ferocious attack on the football endeared her to teammates and supporters alike.

Another close loss to fifth-placed Darebin showed the Saints were not too far off the mark, but a 38-point loss to Collingwood in wet weather the following week gave the Saints plenty to think and work on.

And with the Saints hoping for one last win in the final game of the season, the Saints again fell agonisingly short in their match-up with Richmond.

The Southern Saints made huge strides in their first year together and were one of the most promising new sides in the VFLW competition.

With another season to build both form and consistency in the VFLW next year, the Saints look set to burst onto the AFLW scene in 2020.


Go Saints

 

[Brains Trust66]

Hopefully any girls that sign for aflw next year only sign for 1 year so they can come play for us the following year when we join aflw.


Go Saints

 

[ScrappyDo]

Hopefully any girls that sign for aflw next year only sign for 1 year so they can come play for us the following year when we join aflw.


Go Saints

Not good that top players will get poached from the teams under development. It really sets up a 2 tier competition with the later entries on the back foot.
Id like to get behind the AFLW, but crikey its been a shockingly bad implementation by head office. Just awful..

 

[George]

http://www.saints.com.au/news/2018-10-23/southern-saints-dominate-draft

 

[ScrappyDo]

http://www.saints.com.au/news/2018-10-23/southern-saints-dominate-draft

I don't get it George. We've lost our top player plus 6 others who l assume are also highly rated to other teams, and that's "headed in the right direction" according to Cox. FMD I'd hate to see what the wrong direction is....

 

[SaintJunior]

I don't get it George. We've lost our top player plus 6 others who l assume are also highly rated to other teams, and that's "headed in the right direction" according to Cox. FMD I'd hate to see what the wrong direction is....

The AFLW contracts are one season long only. So when we come in 2020 if any of the girls want to come back they can.

I know the club had discussions very early this season with the core group re 2020.

 

[ScrappyDo]

The AFLW contracts are one season long only. So when we come in 2020 if any of the girls want to come back they can.

I know the club had discussions very early this season with the core group re 2020.

Phew for that then. Much happier for hearing that SJ, cheers!

 

[George]

Alice Burke makes Academy squad

http://www.saints.com.au/news/2018-11-12/aflw-alice-burke-makes-academy-squad

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-12-19/aflw-list-build-rules-set-for-2020s-four-new-teams
We have been officially given an AFLW license!!!!!!!!
We can pre list players for 2020 from Jan 14 next year.

 

[Dopey BJ]

I think it would be a great way to start by playing Richmond round 1 at Moorabbin in the Womens Maddy's match

 

[George]

 

[Strahany]

I'm assuming that the AFL will be completely funding our AFLW team, otherwise the decision by a club that is barely profitable, even with extensive AFL handouts, to take up an entirely unprofitable venture is reckless, at best, and downright stupid, at worst. Ideally, and AFLW side will bring in another stream of membership and ticket sales, but the women's league is not even close to being in the black, and there's no need for a struggling club to jump on board early when there are plenty of other clubs who can contribute to the foundation of the AFLW, and allow clubs like St Kilda to jump on board once it makes financial sense (or, at least, isn't absolutely bleeding money).

On-field success begets off-field success, and one would assume that our money would be better directed towards a standalone VFL side, which will strengthen what is the only marketable product of this football club; the AFL team. On that point, even if someone is a staunch supporter of having an AFLW side, no matter how much money it will cost, it would still make sense to build a proper VFL side, first, since profits associated with that side (and the improvements that carry through to the AFL side) will put the club in a better position to fund the AFLW program.

I sincerely hope I'm wrong, but there's no absolutely zero indication, from this league or other women's leagues offshoots around the world, that this will be even remotely be the case. I'm 100% for a women's league, but I'm also 100% for realistic expectations. The VFLW is more than sufficient until the product has sufficient demand to justify the expenditure. The last thing I want to see is this lean financial period continue, and put the club on its knees a la North and the threat of relocation to the Gold Coast.

Does anyone have any insight as to whether the AFL will be funding this team?

 

[Pakenhamsaint]

I'm assuming that the AFL will be completely funding our AFLW team, otherwise the decision by a club that is barely profitable, even with extensive AFL handouts, to take up an entirely unprofitable venture is reckless, at best, and downright stupid, at worst. Ideally, and AFLW side will bring in another stream of membership and ticket sales, but the women's league is not even close to being in the black, and there's no need for a struggling club to jump on board early when there are plenty of other clubs who can contribute to the foundation of the AFLW, and allow clubs like St Kilda to jump on board once it makes financial sense (or, at least, isn't absolutely bleeding money).

I suspect the AFL is bankrolling it. After all games are free to go to at the moment. I'm guessing we will be playing some of them at RSEA.

 

[PoppedCorn]

Nahhh
I think we are doing it and going into 10 trillion dollars debt

Afl is all over it
As if we could afford that lol

 

[Dopey BJ]

I'm assuming that the AFL will be completely funding our AFLW team, otherwise the decision by a club that is barely profitable, even with extensive AFL handouts, to take up an entirely unprofitable venture is reckless, at best, and downright stupid, at worst. Ideally, and AFLW side will bring in another stream of membership and ticket sales, but the women's league is not even close to being in the black, and there's no need for a struggling club to jump on board early when there are plenty of other clubs who can contribute to the foundation of the AFLW, and allow clubs like St Kilda to jump on board once it makes financial sense (or, at least, isn't absolutely bleeding money).

On-field success begets off-field success, and one would assume that our money would be better directed towards a standalone VFL side, which will strengthen what is the only marketable product of this football club; the AFL team. On that point, even if someone is a staunch supporter of having an AFLW side, no matter how much money it will cost, it would still make sense to build a proper VFL side, first, since profits associated with that side (and the improvements that carry through to the AFL side) will put the club in a better position to fund the AFLW program.

I sincerely hope I'm wrong, but there's no absolutely zero indication, from this league or other women's leagues offshoots around the world, that this will be even remotely be the case. I'm 100% for a women's league, but I'm also 100% for realistic expectations. The VFLW is more than sufficient until the product has sufficient demand to justify the expenditure. The last thing I want to see is this lean financial period continue, and put the club on its knees a la North and the threat of relocation to the Gold Coast.

Does anyone have any insight as to whether the AFL will be funding this team?

I think you will find by having an AFLW side stage 3 of the redevelopment will be a slam dunk for funding from state and federal funding

On SM-G930F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Dopey BJ]

Think l need some more funding

On SM-G930F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Brains Trust66]

St Kilda’s entry into the AFL Women’s competition was rubber stamped yesterday.

The Saints will enter the competition alongside Richmond, West Coast and the Gold Coast Suns, making the 2020 AFLW season a 14-team competition.

Led by coaching pioneer Peta Searle, St Kilda’s first ever women’s team took the field in the VFL Women’s competition in 2018.

The Southern Saints were one of the biggest surprise packets, finishing with five wins, including victory over one of the eventual finalists in the NT Thunder.

Under the tutelage of Searle, the first woman to be an AFL assistant coach, seven Saints were drafted onto AFLW lists.

Ruckman Rhiannon Watt and explosive midfielders Alison Drennan were the standouts, named joint inaugural winners of the Best and Fairest, and selected in VFLW Team of the Year.


The pre-season signing of iconic Australian brand Reflex was another significant milestone, with the five-year partnership essential to the Saints securing an official start in AFLW.

The support of Reflex provided an immediate impact on the VFL Women’s team but also allowed the club to build towards 2020.

The Saints push in women’s football received a significant boost with the Andrews Labor Government agreeing to fund a $13 Million second stage of the redevelopment at RSEA Park.

Work had already begun on Stage 2, with the majority of the funding will be used to add women’s dedicated facilities, and the building of a 1000-seat grandstand.

The extra additions will also enable RSEA Park to meet broadcast standards and see the return of top-level football to Moorabbin, potentially as early as 2020.

The Saints’ journey to AFLW will again continue in the VFL Women’s next year with a number of players tipped to earn their spot on the club’s inaugural AFLW list at the end of the season.

Plans are also in place to recruit established stars and bring home the players drafted from the Southern Saints this year.

Stay tuned to Saints.com.au to stay up to date with all the news and for opportunities to support the team.


Go Saints