How are media folks able to write with such certainty?

If it's actual knowledge, why don't they elaborate? If it's actually speculation, then their certainty is borderline lying.

Edited December 4, 2024Dec 4 by Timothy Reddan-A'Blew

so she's made her decision to go, i guess

will leave just Lauren Pearce, Sarah Lampard and Paxy Paxman as our only 'original list' members

Thank god she's going. Pick 2 coming our way with us also giving them late picks to help Gold Coast pick up Harris. No talk about Tayla Harris maybe she is staying. That would be an excellent outcome.

Last year the club sent out 5 experienced players and hit the draft.  Lost the depth and with 6-7 injuries were forced to pick rookies and top ups.  AFLW list depth in a 30 player squad is low.  You don’t again cut your experience “ in my view”.    We need to strong bodies like Harris and Mithen.  
 

Note … Lions, Crows, Kangas didn’t hit the draft.  They have got in the required players and kept their core strong players.  That’s why they are again at the top.  Don’t be fooled.  Sure they trimmed the list but only as required.  Dees can trim 3-4 players and draft in from current picks.  
 

TAYLA Harris is needed against these clubs.  She is strong. She creates goals.  She is a presence.  She competes.  You don’t easily get that.  

8 minutes ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Last year the club sent out 5 experienced players and hit the draft.  Lost the depth and with 6-7 injuries were forced to pick rookies and top ups.  AFLW list depth in a 30 player squad is low.  You don’t again cut your experience “ in my view”.    We need to strong bodies like Harris and Mithen.  
 

Note … Lions, Crows, Kangas didn’t hit the draft.  They have got in the required players and kept their core strong players.  That’s why they are again at the top.  Don’t be fooled.  Sure they trimmed the list but only as required.  Dees can trim 3-4 players and draft in from current picks.  
 

TAYLA Harris is needed against these clubs.  She is strong. She creates goals.  She is a presence.  She competes.  You don’t easily get that.  

Lily isn’t a strong body. She gets tossed around like a rag doll by the bigger midfield brutes.

shes depth. If we get a good pick and she gets a good deal with the suns then thats a win win from my perspective. 

17 minutes ago, BDA said:

Lily isn’t a strong body.

Her courage is easily mistaken for strength. I'm amazed she's lasted this long, because she never fails to go and, as you say, is repeatedly thrown around by much larger footballers. 

In the early years of AFLW her guts and desire to do the team-oriented thing meant she held her own. I reckon she's improved her disposal - or at least got better at playing within her limitations. But she's never been a great kick. As the competition has improved, sadly for her, but probably happily for the competition, lots have gone past her now. 

I'll be sad to see her go, because I think she's the sort of person who others love to play with and be around. And she's just fun to listen to. Taking out sentimentality, though, you're right: she's not in the best 20 anymore. 

49 minutes ago, The Taciturn Demon said:

I'll be sad to see her go, because I think she's the sort of person who others love to play with and be around. And she's just fun to listen to. Taking out sentimentality, though, you're right: she's not in the best 20 anymore. 

surely the fact that she's in the team every week, without fail as she's not regularly injured, sais that she quite clearly is in the best 20?

she makes others around her better because she plays a sacrificial game

20 minutes ago, whatwhat say what said:

surely the fact that she's in the team every week, without fail as she's not regularly injured, sais that she quite clearly is in the best 20?

she makes others around her better because she plays a sacrificial game

in a season when the injuries piled up she kept her spot in the team. That doesn't mean she's best 20. Trading a best 18-25 player and a 2nd round pick for pick 2 is a no brainer. As the posters above have stated the game has gone pas her. The younger girls coming into the game now are at such a higher level then when the AFLW started and we need to get more into the team

Edited December 4, 2024Dec 4 by BangBnagBang

While there are exceptions to this, in general in women's sport, they seem to hit their peak earlier than men. AFL players generally hit their peak in their mid to late 20s - 27/28/29 before that they are building their bodies and after they start to decline - yes I know some come in and make an immediate impact and their can also be those who continue to excel well into their 30s. 

However, for a number of reasons women seem to be at their best athletically in their late teens/early 20s. I suspect some of this thought comes into our drafting strategy and moving some players on -or in this case letting them go without much fight. 

I think we might be a little ahead of the curve when it comes to drafting/trading in the AFLW space, the likes of Brisbane and the Crows seem to be ahead with development, but if we hadn't been smashed with injuries this year and the draw was more equitable then we would have been right up in finals again.

4 minutes ago, Red and Blue realist said:

f the curve when it comes to drafting/trading in the AFLW space, the likes of Brisbane and the Crows seem to be ahead with development, but if we hadn't been smashed with injuries this year and the draw was more equitable then we would have been right up in finals again.

Bris and Adel had the huge advantage of both being the first teams in their state and also being able to have the pick of half the state in drafts. While the likes of Melb  had the pick of 1/9 of Vic players. Now the state based draft has gone this will bring Adel and Bris back to a level playing field, hopefully.

Love Lily as a person (based on what I see of her in the media) and of course the grandad connection is great but i have often thought that apart from her desperation she lacks really top line skills.

If she goes we get a great early pick and if she stays she is a one club player.

On another note I saw something in the media about Tayla Harris looking to move on.  I really rate her and would be disappointed if she were to move on. She makes us better when she is playing

If either Lily or Tayla leave I'll be devastated.  Just putting that out there.  

10 minutes ago, Katrina Dee Fan said:

If either Lily or Tayla leave I'll be devastated.  Just putting that out there.  

I think both should go.  Really liked the development of our talls this year and I think to get the pick upgrade from 10 to 2 for Mithen is a big win for the club.

Your keep Pearce, Paxy needs to retire and we have a young list that will contend for the flag again very quickly.

Some ruthless decisions need to be made, but bringing in absolute high end young talent is key.

Love Miffo and she should be acknowledged for playing some great footy and helping us win a flag

remember that later goal to win a final?

She has not been as dominant as I thought she might be but has never given anything less than 100% committment

Having said that - you would jump at pick 2 

21 minutes ago, drdrake said:

I think both should go.  Really liked the development of our talls this year and I think to get the pick upgrade from 10 to 2 for Mithen is a big win for the club.

Your keep Pearce, Paxy needs to retire and we have a young list that will contend for the flag again very quickly.

Tayla plays a very different role to Loz, Loz is purely a ruck, whereas Tayla is a forward who can play other roles.  She was set for a big season before her shoulder injury, and I think she deserves to have next year with us with two good shoulders (first time in her playing career she would have that).  Lily by her own words did not have a good season, but you know what?  She's human.  The role she played off the field was impactful in getting the morale up - I have no doubt that without Lil there, we'd have lost more games.  The moral was shattered after the Essendon game.  She played a huge role in helping that team get their sense of belief back.

Tayla Harris is a gun and should not be traded under any circumstances. Our young talls showed great promise, our future is secure, but they are still callow.
 

If we want to challenge in the next 2 years we have got to hold onto her.  We have enough young players on our list there is no need to trade her. 

2 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Last year the club sent out 5 experienced players and hit the draft.  Lost the depth and with 6-7 injuries were forced to pick rookies and top ups.  AFLW list depth in a 30 player squad is low.  You don’t again cut your experience “ in my view”.    We need to strong bodies like Harris and Mithen.  
 

Note … Lions, Crows, Kangas didn’t hit the draft.  They have got in the required players and kept their core strong players.  That’s why they are again at the top.  Don’t be fooled.  Sure they trimmed the list but only as required.  Dees can trim 3-4 players and draft in from current picks.  
 

TAYLA Harris is needed against these clubs.  She is strong. She creates goals.  She is a presence.  She competes.  You don’t easily get that.  

There is so much in here that rings true and is a big reason why we didn't make the 8 this year.  We can't afford to lose key players, and it would be shattering to the team structure to lose either or both Lily and Tayla.  If we trade them for draft picks, then don't expect us to be in the finals next year. 

I never think a player owes a club.  But crikey after the goodwill and support shown her by mfc I'll be really disappointed in her as a person if she leaves.

At Carlton she was criticised for spending time promoting herself when should be focused on training etc, rumours of demanding a huge salary and iirc not much demand for her services. 

With us she won a flag.

Injuries aren't her fault but she has played just 12 games in 3 seasons.  Really missed this year.

Why does she want to leave?

 

7 minutes ago, Lucifers Hero said:

I never think a player owes a club.  But crikey after the goodwill and support shown her by mfc I'll be really disappointed in her as a person if she leaves.

At Carlton she was criticised for spending time promoting herself when should be focused on training etc, rumours of demanding a huge salary and iirc not much demand for her services. 

With us she won a flag.

Injuries aren't her fault but she has played just 12 games in 3 seasons.  Really missed this year.

Why does she want to leave?

 

There were a lot of misconceptions about her departure from Carlton, which I had a long conversation with both her and her mother about a couple of years ago.  She didn't want to leave Carlton, she was delisted.  She also told me the figure being quoted in the media about what she was demanding was not remotely true.  She came to Melbourne at the lowest pay rate available, by her own choice, and opted to focus purely on her football.  Her first season at Melbourne saw her as the second highest goal kicker in the league and finished second in the club best and fairest behind Daisy Pearce.  Her second season saw her playing more a ruck/midfield role, so less goal scoring opportunities, yet, she kicked the winning goal in the grand final.  Her mother told me that if it was up to her, she would have stayed with Melbourne after the exhibition games, but in Lisa's words, it was Tayla's choice, and ultimately she was happy she was at Melbourne.  I don't think it would be Tayla's choice to leave Melbourne, I'd say it's possibly Melbourne exploring possible trades.  Which disappoints me somewhat, if true.  But then nothing official has come from either Melbourne or Tayla, and I take the media speculation with a grain of salt.

I'm not remotely across the AFLW salaries but if you're an established player who isn't making bonus endorsement money like Harris what's the attraction to shifting states for a half year commitment? Good luck to her if she goes but I don't understand why unless there's a ridiculous contract and/or promises of a key leadership role.

We must be on world record pace for breakup of a premiership team.

2 minutes ago, Katrina Dee Fan said:

There were a lot of misconceptions about her departure from Carlton, which I had a long conversation with both her and her mother about a couple of years ago.  She didn't want to leave Carlton, she was delisted.  She also told me the figure being quoted in the media about what she was demanding was not remotely true.  She came to Melbourne at the lowest pay rate available, by her own choice, and opted to focus purely on her football.  Her first season at Melbourne saw her as the second highest goal kicker in the league and finished second in the club best and fairest behind Daisy Pearce.  Her second season saw her playing more a ruck/midfield role, so less goal scoring opportunities, yet, she kicked the winning goal in the grand final.  Her mother told me that if it was up to her, she would have stayed with Melbourne after the exhibition games, but in Lisa's words, it was Tayla's choice, and ultimately she was happy she was at Melbourne.  I don't think it would be Tayla's choice to leave Melbourne, I'd say it's possibly Melbourne exploring possible trades.  Which disappoints me somewhat, if true.  But then nothing official has come from either Melbourne or Tayla, and I take the media speculation with a grain of salt.

Thanks for the background.

Why would mfc want to trade her?

I'm with @spirit of norm smith and @Supermercado real risks of losing experience and premiership players.  Especially as some players eg Paxy are getting older and don't have much longer in the game.

This year we saw how much pressure that brings on young players.

4 minutes ago, Lucifers Hero said:

Thanks for the background.

Why would mfc want to trade her?

I'm with @spirit of norm smith and @Supermercado real risks of losing experience and premiership players.  Especially as some players eg Paxy are getting older and don't have much longer in the game.

This year we saw how much pressure that brings on young players.

Exactly, why is the big question.  As I said, nothing official has come from either Melbourne or Tayla, so as far as I'm concerned it's speculation from the media.

I wouldn't be surprised if Paxy does retire.  She's 36, and the issues with her foot this year is not a quick fix.