Jump to content

AFLW Sign, Draft and Trade Period 2023-24

Dees_In_October
Dees_In_October
in AFLW Melbourne Demons

Featured Replies

  • Author

Wow, this kind of exodus has been such a long time coming that I'm almost (almost!) relieved the other shoe has finally dropped. Most upset about Gay, who I have in my "top 10 players to please, please let us keep". On the fringes of that, but still. The one consolation is there were definitely questions about her durability (always have to find a silver lining - we could lose Hanks and I'd still find something to nitpick to make myself feel better!).

As for reasons for leaving, I agree the "stick-together-ness" after the premiership that had such huge buy-in was always going to have an abrupt expiration date on it. Even if we had gone back to back, I suspect this would have played out to some extent. And who know what kinds of expectations were set in exit interviews regarding what 2023 might look like for these players...

Of course, pay is probably the big one. The next few seasons in particular the pay raises could be the difference for some between being a year-round full-time athlete and not. Faced with that decision, with the opportunity to fulfill what was likely previously a pipedream for many? Well, the day I begrudge an AFLW player for moving for money hasn't arrived yet. Getting closer though.

  • Quote
    • Like 6
     
    • Author

    From list manager Todd Patterson (more here):

    "It was a really disappointing end to the season, not just the last game but a series of games leading up to that. We've been thoroughly reviewing the program and the playing list, not just as that occurred, but for a period of time before that.

    ...

    Once we actually put the remaining players on the whiteboard and have a look at the nucleus, we're really comfortable with where we're at.

    What has been missing through the expansion periods, our retention, our success having us at the back of the draft, and concessions, is we've really missed out on getting some young talent through the door.

    That'll be a key focus for us, getting up the draft order as high as we can and really targeting that next wave coming through with our already established 22-25 year olds, who are some of the best players in the competition."

  • Quote
    • Like 3
    • Thanks 2

    Given what Todd has said, I wonder if some of those that are leaving might have had a less than positive end of season interview with the coaching/list staff.  At the end of the 2020 season Elise O'Dea, Maddy Guerin, Harriet Cordner, Bianca Jakobsson and Alisha Newman (and one other I can't recall just now) all headed off to other clubs, and the talk was how we obviously had problems if such a list of departures was occurring.  But my understanding was that most, if not all, of those losses were club initiated, with the players not fitting in with our future plans and them being informed it would be best for them to look elsewhere.  Our three seasons after that we went 25-4 in H&A, and prelim, runners up, premiers.

    Maybe we are looking at a repeat in 2023.  But perhaps not three seasons till the next flag. 🙂

  • Quote
    • Like 8
     
    8 hours ago, Katrina Dee Fan said:

    Harris has been carrying injuries all season.  Banno I'm not sure.

    Surely you do know, Kat. The covid outbreak. We’ve known about it from the start. Not an excuse, but an explanation. 

  • Quote

    The only player I've seen us linked to is Lily Johnson of Port Adelaide (no idea), but I'd really like to find a smaller forward who can create goals out of nowhere.

  • Quote
    • Like 2
     

    But the Demons will pick up Port Adelaide teenager Lily Johnson to bolster their depth, while the club could head to the December 18 draft with as many as three first-round picks as part of their ongoing list regeneration.

    Wild West: Eagles, Dockers set for Trade Period signing spree - https://www.afl.com.au/news/1070871

    Edited by Nascent

  • Quote
    • Like 2
    7 hours ago, Supermercado said:

    The only player I've seen us linked to is Lily Johnson of Port Adelaide (no idea), but I'd really like to find a smaller forward who can create goals out of nowhere.

    Might be in with a shot to get Alyssia Pisano in the draft. Will probably go top 5 but sounds like we might have one of those selections at the end of the trade period.

    Dominated for the Ranges this year and kicked 38 goals in 14 games. One of smoothest moving natural kicks of the footy I've seen in the girls league.

     

    Edited by Nascent

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    • Thanks 3

    • Author

    Alyce Parker is off the table!

    Seeing some of the highlights packages (usual disclaimers about the lower level etc.), the draft is exciting. It's nice to think that 2023's 18 year olds were 12 year olds when the league started, right at that age where a tough choice used to be made.

    6 hours ago, BangBnagBang said:

    Bounces and hadballs right and kicks left

    I'm choosing to view this as evidence of brilliance 😆

    Some more on Rigoni from Draft Central, where she's the top power ranking pick in a small pool of utilities:

    Jemma Rigoni (Oakleigh Chargers / Vic Metro)
    04/06/2004 | 172cm | Victoria

    Rigoni is a talented over-ager with explosive speed and the confidence to break the lines. Tucking the ball under her arm, she takes off and has proven to be able to play forward, back and then off a wing, making her a versatile utility. She is good overhead and reads the play well, with some of her fundamentals in her kicking and execution being the next step in her development. She is tied to Melbourne through the father-daughter rule – dad Guy played 107 games for the Demons – and is tipped to head there in the second round.

     

    Our draft picks in the indicative order:

    16, 35, 56, 74

  • Quote
    • Like 2

    If Birch wants to go to nth then let her.

    Stoked that Rigoni's daughter will play for us. That's great. 

    Happy Hanks has signed on as well as our captain 

  • Quote
    • Like 2

    6 minutes ago, Nascent said:

    Would imagine Birch moves for pick 19 from North.

    We paid pick 8, 48 and Ashleigh Guest for Birch.

  • Quote
    • Sad 1

    Gay to Essendon?

    Wilson to Gold Coast?

    Can't see either of these clubs have much currency other than involving their top picks.

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    1 hour ago, dees189227 said:

    If Birch wants to go to nth then let her.

    Tomorrow night’s B&F should be fun.  Not a lot of love for Libby from many of the DA.

    😬

    Unlike last year’s… that was nothing but fun!

     

  • Quote

    41 minutes ago, deanox said:

    We paid pick 8, 48 and Ashleigh Guest for Birch.

    19 is their earliest pick and I haven't heard any rumours of North players wanting out that would net them additional first rounders. 

    Perhaps another club or player will get involved. But like Luke Jackson, we can only ask for what they have.

  • Quote
    • Like 1
     

    Some prospects that we might look at with pick 2 in the vic pool

    https://central.rookieme.com/afl/player/brooke-barwick/

    https://central.rookieme.com/afl/player/alyssia-pisano/

    https://central.rookieme.com/afl/player/jessica-rentsch/

    https://central.rookieme.com/afl/player/kristie-lee-weston-turner/

     

    And our f/d selection in Jemma Rigoni

    https://central.rookieme.com/afl/player/jemma-rigoni/

    Edited by Nascent

  • Quote
    • Thanks 2
    • Love 1

    Without knowing what the draft pool is like I reckon Pick 5 and 26 for sheriff and west is more than fair. Good business I reckon.

    pick 19 for birch seems unders for an AA defender but she did have a poor season so maybe not.

  • Quote
    • Like 1

    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

    Guest
    Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
    Reply to this topic...
    Go to topic listing

    Featured Content

    • PREVIEW: Fremantle

      A month is a long time in AFL football. The proof of this is in the current state of the two teams contesting against each other early this Saturday afternoon at the MCG. It’s hard to fathom that when Melbourne and Fremantle kicked off the 2025 season, the former looked like being a major player in this year’s competition after it came close to beating one of the favourites in the GWS Giants while the latter was smashed by Geelong to the tune of 78 points and looked like rubbish. Fast forward to today and the Demons are low on confidence and appear panic stricken as their winless streak heads towards an even half dozen and pressure mounts on the coach and team leadership.  Meanwhile, the Dockers have recovered their composure and now sit in the top eight. They are definitely on the up and up and look most likely winners this weekend against a team which they have recently dominated and which struggles to find enough passages to the goals to trouble the scorers. And with that, Fremantle will head to the MCG, feeling very good about itself after demolishing Richmond in the Barossa Valley with Josh Treacy coming off a six goal haul and facing up to a Melbourne defence already without Jake Lever and a shaky Steven May needing to pass a fitness test just to make it onto the field of play. 

      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • NON-MFC: Round 06

      The Easter Round kicks off in style with a Thursday night showdown between Brisbane and Collingwood, as both sides look to solidify their spots inside the Top 4 early in the season. Good Friday brings a double-header, with Carlton out to claim consecutive wins when they face the struggling Kangaroos, while later that night the Eagles host the Bombers in Perth, still chasing their first victory of the year. Saturday features another marquee clash as the resurgent Crows look to rebound from back-to-back losses against a formidable GWS outfit. That evening, all eyes will be on Marvel Stadium where Damien Hardwick returns to face his old side—the Tigers—coaching the Suns at a ground he's never hidden his disdain for. Sunday offers two crucial contests where the prize is keeping touch with the Top 8. First, Sydney and Port Adelaide go head-to-head, followed by a fierce battle between the Bulldogs and the Saints. Then, Easter Monday delivers the traditional clash between two bitter rivals, both desperate for a win to stay in touch with the top end of the ladder. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons?

        • Sad
        • Like
      • 87 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • REPORT: Essendon

      What were they thinking? I mean by “they” the coaching panel and team selectors who chose the team to play against an opponent who, like Melbourne, had made a poor start to the season and who they appeared perfectly capable of beating in what was possibly the last chance to turn the season around.It’s no secret that the Demons’ forward line is totally dysfunctional, having opened the season barely able to average sixty points per game which means there has been no semblance of any system from the team going forward into attack. Nevertheless, on Saturday night at the Adelaide Oval in one of the Gather Round showcase games, Melbourne, with Max Gawn dominating the hit outs against a depleted Essendon ruck resulting from Nick Bryan’s early exit, finished just ahead in clearances won and found itself inside the 50 metre arc 51 times to 43. The end result was a final score that had the Bombers winning 15.6 (96) to 8.9 (57). On balance, one could expect this to result in a two or three goal win, but in this case, it translated into a six and a half goal defeat because they only managed to convert eight times or 11.68% of their entries. The Bombers more than doubled that. On Thursday night at the same ground, the losing team Adelaide managed to score 100 points from almost the same number of times inside 50.

      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • PODCAST: Essendon

      The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 14th April @ the all new time of 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we dissect another Demons loss at Kardinia Park to the Cats in the Round 04. Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show. If you would like to leave us a voicemail please call 03 9016 3666 and don't worry no body answers so you don't have to talk to a human.

        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 60 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • PREGAME: Fremantle

      The Demons return home to the MCG in search of their first win for the 2025 Premiership season when they take on the Fremantle Dockers on Saturday afternoon. Who comes in and who goes out?

        • Clap
        • Love
        • Like
      • 384 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • VOTES: Essendon

      Max Gawn leads the Demonland Player of the Year ahead of Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca, Kade Chandler and Jake Bowey. Your votes please. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 & 1.

        • Like
      • 24 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland
    View All