AFLW Round 4 - Melbourne v Carlton

[Dee Gee 148]

NAB AFL Women’s Competition / JLT Community Series double header

NAB AFL Women’s Competition – Round 4
Melbourne v Carlton
Casey Fields
Saturday 25 February, 11.35am EDT

JLT Community Series – Week 2
Melbourne v Carlton 
Casey Fields
Saturday 25 February, 2.05pm EDT

Gates
Gates will open at 11.00am. Gate 1 is for membership scans, entering with pre-purchased tickets and those tickets purchased on the day and Gate 2 is for membership card scans and pre-purchased tickets only.

Access and Ticketing
Entry is free with a Melbourne Football Club membership. If you are not a member, as this is a fully ticketed event, a ticket to the 2017 JLT Community Series match will need to be purchased for entry to the JLT Community Series and AFL Women’s matches.

We encourage you to pre-purchase your ticket for both games through Ticketmaster.

Access to JLT Community Series matches is subject to capacity and is not guaranteed. 

Family Fun Day
Visit our free Family Fun Day located on the Village Green near the main entrance for a range of great activities! The Family Fun Day will run from 11am-2pm.

Parking
Limited public parking will be available on site at the south end of Casey Fields. Get there early to secure your spot. Nearby street parking is also available.

Membership and Merchandise
Memberships and merchandise will be available for sale from the Melbourne marquee located outside the main entrance at Gate 1 from 10.45am. Support the women’s team with a membership from $75! 2017 scarves will also be available for members to collect.

Kick to Kick
Kick to kick will take place on the ground following the completion of the JLT Community Series match. Bring your footy and enjoy one of footy's greatest traditions!

TV Times
NAB AFL Women’s Competition – Round 4: Fox Footy –11.30am EDT Live
JLT Community Series match: Fox Footy – 2.00pm EDT Live

Social Media
Keep up-to-date on game day with our live coverage of the game on Twitter (@melbournefc) and follow the hashtags #AFLWDeesBlues and #JLTSeries

Get a behind-the-scenes insight into the day by following us on Instagram (@melbournefc), liking us on Facebook (facebook.com/melbournefc) and adding us as a ‘friend’ on Snapchat (melbourne_fc).

Website
melbournefc.com.au will also publish quarterly updates live from the game.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Backs: Brooke Patterson, Mia-Rae Clifford, Katherine Smith

Half Backs: Daisy Pearce, Laura Duryea, Shelley Scott

Centre: Harriet Cordner

Half Forwards: Karen Paxman, Deanna Berry, Lily Mithen

Forwards: Sarah Lampard, Jessica Anderson, Cat Phillips

Followers: Lauren Pearce, Mel Hickey, Elise O’Dea

Interchange: Emma Humphries, Richelle Cranston, Aliesha Newman, Jasmine Grierson, Maddie Boyd, Alyssa Mifsud

Emergencies: Sarah Jolly, Ainslie Kemp

In: Newman

Out: Jolly

Injured/unavailable: Stephanie De Bortoli, Meg Downie, Pepa Randall

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The last thing we should do is get arrogant, but jeez I've got a good feeling about the Melbourne AFLW team. OUR team.

'Twas a great win last week against the Dogs and thank christ we didn't have to hear that horribly remade 'Daughters of the West' team song.

We're going in to this round with the momentum off of our back to back wins against what is considered to be one of the top 2 teams in this comp.

What's working in our favour this week is their best player Brianna Davey is out with a back injury and another key defensive player is out for the season with an ACL. This is a massive advantage having her out as she is probably one of the best in the comp and according to Carlscum match preview, they are resorting to putting Darcy Vescio up at CHB. As always, this mightn't be the case on game day but the advantage this provides shouldn't be understated. Need to capitalise and dominate.

They came off second best against Adelaide last week by a whopping 3 in points in a thrilling one goal game. After being so heavily beaten they will be looking to come out firing this week. Many will refer to the practice match we had prior to Round 1 where we got one goal and they beat us by 44 points. I think that's irrelevant now as the team has well and truly clicked and are starting to look dangerous up forward. Not to mention that the Demon ladies themselves will want to make up for the praccy spanking - Laura 'Irish' Duryea (Number 11) looked absolutely filthy so lets hope she irons someone out.

This is another MUST win game as we sit 4th on the Ladder, equal with Carlton, and we simply have to get the win to jump over them to 3rd and keep our grand final chances alive. Also looking for Freo and the Giants to get a win as well to keep the Lions and Adelaide stagnant.

Alyssa Mifsud found her feet last week and booted 3 majors, giving us a great key forward target to work alongside Jess Anderson. Considering our forward line was considered to be our weakness, it's great to see it finally gelling together. Rocky was back in the team last week and again missed an easy shot on the run in front of goal, but I'm willing to let it slide as she wasn't in the Round 2 game where we lifted as a team. Hopefully she steps up this week and boots a couple.

Daisy Pearce again was terrific, getting 26 touches and showing the comp that she's still the best. Kazza Paxman did even better by getting 27, could these two be the first AFLW players to crack 30 disposals in a shorter game?

I think we can seriously win this one.

 

 

[Dee Gee 148]

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-02-23/melbourne-ready-to-march-forward

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,754]

I note The Age today has this game listed to start at 11.35 pm. I'm surprised the Council has allowed them to leave the lights on so late at night.

[Akum 2,660]

14 hours ago, Dee Gee said:

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-02-23/melbourne-ready-to-march-forward

This article includes an interview with Jasmine Grierson (no 19), who I think has flown under the radar a bit with the standout performances of the "big 3" mids (Daisy, Elise O'Dea & Karen Paxman). Jas has been very very good off half back - she's good in the air, knows when to run with the ball and her disposal is excellent. I'm surprised that she was only switched there recently because she looks so comfortable there, and also that she's the second youngest on the list.

It's the improvement in these younger players - as well as Jas there's been others like Lily Mithen, Alyssa Mifsud, Deanna Berry & Katherine Smith - that has driven the team's improvement over the past couple of weeks. It's a much more even team now, rather than relying on a handful of good players.

[deanox 9,914]

Turned this on at half time and wow the quality has improved so much since the first couple of games I saw. 

 

Daisy and Mifsud both looking great. Cranston is a tank. The foot skills and tackling has really improved across the board. 

 

...except from the Carlton payer who did aRicho and hit the post from a set shot in the goal square.

[Akum 2,660]

Looks like our big 3 mids (Paxman, O'Dea & Daisy) dominating again.

Would be great to see one of them be the first to rack up 30 possessions in the new comp.

[deanox 9,914]

30 possies in this would be close to 60 equivalent in the men's due to the shortened game time!

[deanox 9,914]

Classic Melbourne.  19 points up at 3/4 time but switched off as the last quarter starts and it's back to 6 with 8 minutes to go. 

 

Need the next goal. 

[deanox 9,914]

Scores level. Carlton have all the run. 

[Akum 2,660]

This is the whole season right here.

[deanox 9,914]

Cranston alone in the goal square puts us 6 points up with 2.30 to go!

[Eelesie 217]

Sneaky player out the back!!!

 

[Akum 2,660]

Rocky!!!!!!!!!!!

[Return to Glory 8,435]

Great win by the Melbourne girls! Well done

[Deemented Are Go! 3,677]

YESSS!

Go Dees!! Great to hang on with the season on the line.....against Carlton.........(listening, boys ?!)

Bring it home, Girls, would love to take my twin daughters to a AFLW Grand Final in its first year!

Great Stuff

[dazzledavey36 54,873]

Huge win after they beat us on the practice match by over 40 points.

Well done girls.

[Whispering_Jack 30,041]

Well that was never in doubt, wasn't it?

[KingSlayer33 170]

I only watched from halfway through the 3rdQ but Daisy is an absolute gun. There was a moment late in the game when she got the ball in the back pocket and was so composed in drawing the opposition player before handballing the lookaway to a free teammate that illustrated perfectly her skill level.

Great intensity from all on the field too.

[SaberFang 7,151]

We really need the top two teams to have heavy percentage losses this round to stand much of a chance at playing finals.

[deanox 9,914]

13 minutes ago, SaberFang said:

We really need the top two teams to have heavy percentage losses this round to stand much of a chance at playing finals.

Not exactly: they play each other next round, then we play Adelaide the week after.

If Adelaide lose both and we win we'll take second spot.

The only way we take top spot is of Adelaide win next week, we beat them the week after and we can turn the % around. But then we risk finishing third on %.

[Whispering_Jack 30,041]

2 minutes ago, deanox said:

Not exactly: they play each other next round, then we play Adelaide the week after.

If Adelaide lose both and we win we'll take second spot.

The only way we take top spot is of Adelaide win next week, we beat them the week after and we can turn the % around. But then we risk finishing third on %.

Er ... please. The competition hasn't reached the half way mark yet.

What happened to taking things one week at a time?

[BAMF 4,350]

14 minutes ago, KingSlayer33 said:

I only watched from halfway through the 3rdQ but Daisy is an absolute gun. There was a moment late in the game when she got the ball in the back pocket and was so composed in drawing the opposition player before handballing the lookaway to a free teammate that illustrated perfectly her skill level.

Great intensity from all on the field too.

28 possessions, 14 contested,  5 marks, 6 tackles, 7 clearances, 107 dream team points. 

Absolute gun.

[deanox 9,914]

1 hour ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Er ... please. The competition hasn't reached the half way mark yet.

What happened to taking things one week at a time?

Half way mark doesn't mean much when we are talking seven games and only two finalists. 

If it's easier, think of it as we've just played round 20 and have 3 games to go, because that is the situation we're dealing with!

[deanox 9,914]

1 hour ago, Night Crawler said:

28 possessions, 14 contested,  5 marks, 6 tackles, 7 clearances, 107 dream team points. 

Absolute gun.

In just over half the game time the blokes get. 

[Lucifers Hero 39,752]

2 hours ago, Akum said:

This is the whole season right here.

Agreed.  If we miss a top 2 spot the %age we gave up today will be a major factor.

Having said that the umpires didn't help us (I rarely comment on them so feel my gripes today are legit)...In the first quarter the Blues first goal was from a non-free, free kick.  The second was from a dubious free, beautifully staged for by the Carlton player.  They went goalless until the last when they were given a non free in their F50 that set up the first goal of that quarter (their 3rd for the game).  Unfortunately, that set their momentum going and we were caught flat footed.  And even tho we won, there went our big %age boost.

By the way the AFL has decided that whoever finishes on top hosts a Home Grand Final. 

Lots to play for still!

Edited February 25, 2017 by Lucifer's Hero