Key Dates

Monday, November 13 2023

• AFLW Draft Nominations Open
• Expansion U18 Talent Pathway Pre-Signing Period Open

Friday, November 17 2023

• Expansion U18 Talent Pathway Pre-Signing Period Close

Monday, November 27 2023

• 2023 W Awards

Sunday, December 3 2023

• 2023 NAB AFLW Grand Final

Friday, December 1 2023

• AFLW Draft Nominations Close

Thursday, December 7 2023

• Trade Period Opens
• Restricted Free Agency Period Opens
• Delisted Free Agency Period (1) Opens

Wednesday, December 13 2023

• Delisted Free Agency Period (1) Closes

Thursday, December 14 2023

• Trade Period Closes (2pm AEDT)
• Restricted Free Agency Period Closes

Friday, December 15 2023

• Delisted Free Agency Period (2) Open

Saturday, December 16 2023

• Delisted Free Agency Period (2) Closes

Sunday, December 17 2023

• AFLW Draft Order confirmed

Monday, December 18 2023

• 2023 AFLW Draft

Monday, February 5 2024

• Supplemental Selection Period Open
• Rookie Signing Period Open

Friday, March 1 2024

• Supplemental Selection Period Closes
• Rookie Signing Period Closes

https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1055048/aflw-draft-and-trade-dates-locked-in

Melbourne has gained access to speedy winger Jemma Rigoni under the father-daughter rule. Her father Guy played 107 games between 1998-2005.

AFLW clubs will now need to hold a pick in the round where the player is bid on in order to match and win access to the player.

https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1066623/talented-mid-heading-to-geelong-under-father-daughter-rules

GOLD COAST is hoping to bolster its key position stocks during the upcoming AFLW Trade Period, with the club chasing deals for Western Bulldogs star Katie Lynch as well as Melbourne's Charlotte Wilson.

Wilson struggled to break Melbourne's best side since moving from Carlton last year. The 22-year-old has played just eight games in two seasons for the Demons, having featured 22 times for the Blues.

Despite the club's interest in the players, there remains a question mark as to how deals will be completed given the Suns don't currently hold a second-round pick ahead of the Trade Period opening on December 7.

https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1066681/gold-coast-suns-chase-western-bulldogs-star-katie-lynch-melbourne-demons-defender-charlotte-wilson-to-strengthen-key-position-stocks

6 hours ago, Dees_In_October said:

...

AFLW clubs will now need to hold a pick in the round where the player is bid on in order to match and win access to the player.

...

I feel something like this is a good step for f/d, f/s and academy picks but also the wording here makes me worried.

If you hold pick 13 and you use it, and the player is drafted with pick 14-18 (end of first round) do you:

a) miss out, because you don't have a live pick in that round? Or

b) Have the ability to match because you had a pick in the round?

If b) it seems to defeat the purpose and if a) the system seems very hard to navigate.

 

I'd suggest something like:

"Payment must include a pick within 1 round (18 picks) of the selection" or

"Must hold a pick in the round where the selection is made. If that pick has already been used, must hold a pick in the subsequent round."

Hopefully we are very active in this space this year. 

15 hours ago, Dees_In_October said:

Melbourne has gained access to speedy winger Jemma Rigoni under the father-daughter rule. Her father Guy played 107 games between 1998-2005.

AFLW clubs will now need to hold a pick in the round where the player is bid on in order to match and win access to the player.

https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1066623/talented-mid-heading-to-geelong-under-father-daughter-rules

Would Jemma Rigoni become our first father-daughter player for our club?

1 hour ago, Lexinator said:

Would Jemma Rigoni become our first father-daughter player for our club?

No Campbell is father\daughter

as usual it's gameplan.

Can't see trading making an enormous difference except that it's always good to refresh and improve.

We've gone for quick players as against the bigger bodied teams that now remain.

We need to work on a greater degree of spread. The corridor use was fantastic against the lesser teams but it came horribly unstuck against the bigger bodied teams who simply crowded the ball carrier and prevented the spread.

Better positioning by the forwards is a given.

I enjoyed the team style of open play and hope we persist.

Not sure where the comp as a whole is going. Will probably find out over the next two to three seasons but I'm not sure that 2023 was a great year for the competition. It needs to find its own space and calendar position somehow.

Personally I don't like Princes Park. It's an old fashioned concrete shell devoid of character but I understand that Casey has significant drawbacks. Wherever it be the team and the comp needs to establish a relatively permanent base in the near future

The list as it currently stands:

 

Loving the thought of drafting Jemma Rigoni as a father-daughter selection next month ❤️💙 there’s a certain phonetic joy in yelling, “GO, RIGONI!” again :)

On 23/11/2023 at 12:53, Lexinator said:

Would Jemma Rigoni become our first father-daughter player for our club?

No, Georgia Campbell is our first, son of Adrian who played for Melbourne in the early 90s

First list change, with Georgina Fowler stepping away from football. All the best to her.

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1471449/fowler-steps-away

Expected some player movement, but all of Birch, Sherriff and West would be a bit extreme. I don't hate it, assuming they can pick up some good picks and find a couple of experienced players, but our depth was already shallow this season without losing three regulars. 

I'd hate to lose Sherriff, she's our best pressure forward. But if we can bring in a pressure forward who kicks goals more regularly that would be an upgrade.

I'd really hate to lose West without an upgrade. Her and Purcell are our true ball winning mids. She had a bad season but showed in the Cats game how vital her contested ball can be to drive our game plan. Without an upgrade we'd be going backwards in the most  important part of any side.

I'm not going to shock anyone with my opinion on Birch. Would be fine with cashing out there. 

The other one we should look to deal is Bannan who hasn't made any progress with her contested game and is still an ordinary pressure player.

I'd also be open to getting out of the Taylah Harris business.

Losing Sheriff is disappointing. IIRC, wasn't she the first player through the Casey Dee's? She's got some good speed. If Birch is going too, I'd like pick 5 from the Hawks thanks - I hope Eliza West stays.

I think Harris' year was injury-riddled, so happy to keep her on board.

We've got a great list and I hope we can keep most of it together. We were in total control for most of the season but failed to transition to finals footy until the last quarter v Geelong.

We're overdue to lose a bunch of players. We've made our luck in that regard, but it would be pretty strange and possibly not even desirable to keep that going another season. Have to hope we can be like Brisbane and weather those losses and improve our best 21 - there are opportunities.

AFLW is interesting with regards to depth. Ours is shallow but so is everyone's. I can only see improvement coming in that area via new players surpassing previously best 21 regulars.

I also see this offseason as perhaps our last best chance to cash in on the respect for our program before we lose that advantage as other clubs catch up. We rightfully didn't take that path for S7, but now's the time.

Birch, West, Sherriff. The bright side is that none of these players would make my top 5 "must keep" list (though some are players I'd be sad to lose from a sentimental standpoint).

Birch's relative youth (26 next season) plus experience is immensely valuable to teams like the Hawks, so I could see us parlaying that into a win for us. She was the guest on the W Show this week and talked a bit about our finals exit, if anyone wants to be an amateur body language analyst:

https://youtu.be/OtoJcWSE0ws?t=1526

West also had a form slump, but as we saw in the QF, we really need that type of player. If we could attract/draft a similar player (or two!) with an upgrade on disposal though...

I see Sherriff as a much more needed player than I would have even one season ago. She does a lot for our forward mix that, yes, maybe could be replaced, but I'd prefer our efforts to be focused on existing gaps. I wouldn't begrudge her the decision to go for some better coin though, as I imagine she's on a low-ish tier, and she's worked really hard to raise her stocks.

We need a refresh so if we can get some decent draft picks it would help.

The kids coming through now are better skilled than most of the girls that have been in the system a while.

So, time to turn the list a bit.

As for Sherriff, she's been good for us but I wouldn't bank on her kicking at goal. She has a terrible case of the yips.

If Birch goes at least we won't have to put up with 'DeeSpencer' making her the whipping girl.

Westy, well...I like what she brings but we could do with a bit more size and skill in the middle.

Until this year I was always a bit down on Casey, but I warmed to her this season as I felt she really started to make more of a contribution and would prefer if we could hold her, but it looks as if she's off to Hawthorn.  I still have time for West, she did go backwards this year but played a good game after coming back from being dropped.  That shows some character which is admirable.

Birch.  Hmm.  I don't really want to be too negative, but when you are being out paced and out maneuvered by Jackie Parry who has the mobility of a semi-trailer it's a worry.  She seems to have really lost a yard and is getting regularly beaten in one on one marking contests, which used to be a strength.  I guess it largely depends on what we would get for her.  I'd prefer a useful ready to go player than a kid from the draft that will need a couple of years as we are still definitely in the "premiership window" (as much as I dislike that term!).

While a bigger bodied 175cm (5'9" in the old money) midfielder would be ideal, I understand that Alyce Parker is looking to leave GWS.  If we could parley any of these prospective losses into securing her that would make me very happy. 😁

Is Birch really only 25? She moved like a 30-year-old this year. She had a poor season but at that age we should get a good pick for her. 

Will be sorry to see Westy and Sherriff leave. 2 honest toilers but if we're looking to improve then upgrading these 2 are obvious options.

 

Have a look at the size and shape of the mids for both sides playing this weekend in the GF.  They are all strong, muscular and solid. 

We cannot afford to lose a player like West, since she can withstand the rigours of the mid-field that is required today to be successful. 

Lose her and we finish up putting Heath and Mithen inside, and was proven in the finals series...that doesn't work any more in 2023 and beyond.

6 minutes ago, george_on_the_outer said:

Have a look at the size and shape of the mids for both sides playing this weekend in the GF.  They are all strong, muscular and solid. 

We cannot afford to lose a player like West, since she can withstand the rigours of the mid-field that is required today to be successful. 

Lose her and we finish up putting Heath and Mithen inside, and was proven in the finals series...that doesn't work any more in 2023 and beyond.

Westy is not the same size and doesn't have the skills...

We are adding a very quick inside/outside player with very good skills in Rigoni, good size will fit nicely into the side next year off half back or on a wing and like her dad will be Bull in the midfield in  couple of years

Edited November 30, 20231 yr by drdrake

50 minutes ago, george_on_the_outer said:

Have a look at the size and shape of the mids for both sides playing this weekend in the GF.  They are all strong, muscular and solid. 

We cannot afford to lose a player like West, since she can withstand the rigours of the mid-field that is required today to be successful. 

Lose her and we finish up putting Heath and Mithen inside, and was proven in the finals series...that doesn't work any more in 2023 and beyond.

Couldn’t agree more George. Further to what you have said we were bullied physically by Adelaide, Brisbane and North. Westy is not in the team for her disposal but what she does well is provide a strong body that is good in the contest which seems to be the way for the AFLW midfielder. She’s a keeper for me if she can focus on wining the ball on the inside and distributing by hand to our runners more.Personally not too fussed about losing Sheriff or Birch. Will be an interesting off season where we could do with a bit of a clean out of some players that are “injury prone” and we have a few light bodied outside players that I think we could afford to lose. How brave our list management team will be is of interest.

1 hour ago, rjay said:

Westy is not the same size and doesn't have the skills...

She has the bulk and the handball skills when she’s on. She was Jack Viney last year, beating a stronger Lions midfield than this year.

Just had a crappy season. I’d hate to lose her unless we got Parker 

Birch and Sherriff can go but I wouldd try and keep West. Yes her foot disposal is shocking ( putting it mildly ) but inside efforts are as good as anyone in the comp. She is like a wolverine on a mooses carcus.