14 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Big question.... Should the Women's League split from the AFL. Funding aside one cannot help but think that the AFL's heart isn't in the competition

It would kill it if it split but the way the AFL deal with it now is a slow death anyway.

They want to get women involved in the game on the cheap.

Time to treat it right.

14 hours ago, WERRIDEE said:

Went to the game and it was another cracker. Unfortunately didn't have the legs in the last and should have been further in front at 3 quarter time, can't give a good team a sniff. Said hi to Purcell she said hi back, should have asked her about her knee but didn't, said good luck to Stinear he said thanks. It was a good day too bad the last quarter didn't go to plan like last week.

If we can keep the team together and have no injuries then we should have a good crack at the flag. Purcell was probably the difference between not winning the flag and winning the flag, she will be a huge bonus next year and Brisbane and North can't stay on top forever.

GO DEES!

It was a great almost game. Keeping the team together is important and yes Purcell was again a massive loss for us this season, same as last year. She has not had much luck. Hopefully next year she'll get both her knees scraped everyday as some extra support as we really need her.

If fit and healthy we can compete with the best. What we are missing is that massive strong forward/mid that North have targeted. Against smaller teams lie ours they can break those tackles and go.

1 hour ago, BDA said:

and another thing, scheduling finals for 1pm on a saturday and sunday is braindead

does the ALF want to promote the game or not?

Let’s be honest, BDA. The scheduling of these finals only minimally impacts attendance numbers, if at all.

Night matches, twilight matches, Saturday afternoon, Sunday afternoon, Friday night… if folks wanna go, they’ll go.

To answer your question though… the AFL wants to APPEAR to be promoting the game.

Actually promoting it, not so much

Edited yesterday at 02:511 day by Ghostwriter

15 hours ago, Dee in a Kilt said:

Do you think we saw Paxy’s last game as a Dee??

Based on the regular season, it had all the appearances the dramatic increase in player skill levels over 10 years had finally passed Paxy. But today she was brilliant and showed leadership.

Thoughts?

She's still playing her role and is fit enough to keep up the pace of the game. This balances out being less skillful, Though she has better skills and game knowledge (where to run) that a lot for the new and existing players going into the teams. Watching some of our handballs skills looked like young teens playing the game, not women in the AFLW. Still a big spread of skills across even within a single teams.

If she can run and cover the ground she'll get another year if she wants to continue to put the effort in.

15 hours ago, Dee in a Kilt said:

Do you think we saw Paxy’s last game as a Dee??

Based on the regular season, it had all the appearances the dramatic increase in player skill levels over 10 years had finally passed Paxy. But today she was brilliant and showed leadership.

Thoughts?

Just Paxy’s presence in the rooms and on the field is priceless. The younger players are all the better for it, and imho it’s enough to compensate for some of her shortcomings.

The game is passing by her, she’s the first to agree with this. But she still does enough to warrant her inclusion and there’s no denying her enduring determination and desire to succeed.

As a person she has character and integrity in spades, always has time for fans, is as sweet off-field as the next player and is awesome to chat with. Paxy is someone every club should have.

PS Paxy is also hella fun at the B&F every year. I’m looking forward to partying with her again in two weeks. 🥳

Just finished the replay to supplement my live viewing (somewhat distracted by some exuberant young demons I attended with!), and gosh, we gave that a red hot go!

I'll admit I had zero expectations for this game, at one point thinking, "If we can get within five goals, I'll be happy" which is exactly the kind of defeatist attitude that I'm glad our players don't have!

The effort and intensity and mindset of our team in this game was so, so impressive. I shouldn't have expected anything less because they've so rarely let me down in this regard. I loved the physicality we brought early within the contest. And a little extra out of it (I'm crediting Edo on Birch to @Ghostwriter!!).

The last quarter was tough against the fresh legs and North's finishing power, but our players left it all out there. Couldn't ask for much more. It's hard to take, but it was the QF that got us in the end and we weren't far off it there either.

Still, playing finals in a short season has extra value. An extra 3 games each season adds up, especially against quality, and for those that don't make it or bounce in then out, it lengthens the development process.

Well done to the Dees fans who got along and were rewarded with a real display of Demon spirit. I only wish our numbers could have matched our team's effort. A lot to think about there.

We move on quickly with the trade period (Thursday, December 4 - Wednesday, December 10) and the national draft (Monday, December 15).

So excited for 2026!

ALSO - Thanks to everyone who’s made the discussion here a joy to be part of this season. The track watchers especially, and everyone who has kept the contract info, injury lists, game threads, votes threads, nominations, etc., updated and ticking over.

Agreed @The Taciturn Demon Molly O might be rotated through the midfield next year to compliment the inside mids. Molly can run and gun and be a huge asset in years to come.

1 hour ago, Dees_In_October said:

ALSO - Thanks to everyone who’s made the discussion here a joy to be part of this season. The track watchers especially, and everyone who has kept the contract info, injury lists, game threads, votes threads, nominations, etc., updated and ticking over.

A seconded from me as a remote Dee supporter.
Thanks for the feedback on the crowd ratio too.

I guess I really noticed even the lack of participation on the AFLW threads on Demonland that there's a huge ratio of supporters that just don't get into the MFC W games.
I think the club needs to take this seriously and also take it up with the AFL who definitely don't take it seriously.

AFLW is a huge grass roots opportunity to grow the game.
It's more affordable, accessible (well apart from the Casey problem - we need to move to a central melbourne ground), it's family friendly.
If more young boys and girls get into the game and get the chance to get closer to the players and the action in general, it will only grow the game.

But..... the AFL is a complete corporate entity beholden to their broadcast partners.
Can't help but see the parallels with politics these days.
The AFL aint interested in the punters.

Something needs to give and I think it's got to be a longer season to play everyone once at least and accessible, centrally located footy grounds to play the matches at accessible times.
1pm start times are just stupid for finals and most games. kids sports are usually not finished and it's the kids we need to get along to the games with families.
3 or 4pm start times works much better for attending and viewing surely.

What's with the bemoaning of our crowd? I went to the QF and whilst I don't know the attendance number it seemed vaguely the same as the number yesterday, maybe slightly less, but we weren't playing a Victorian side.

FCS folks, North have won 26 games in a row and their men's side hasn't won a game in 5 years. There is a 50-100k supporter base there absolutely desperate for relevance and success....some of them were like ravenous junkyard dogs when Garner kicked that goal, it was genuinely bizarre. They are incredibly frustrated and starved of success.

Of coure they're getting around them....

2 hours ago, darkhorse72 said:

It was a great almost game. Keeping the team together is important and yes Purcell was again a massive loss for us this season, same as last year. She has not had much luck. Hopefully next year she'll get both her knees scraped everyday as some extra support as we really need her.

If fit and healthy we can compete with the best. What we are missing is that massive strong forward/mid that North have targeted. Against smaller teams lie ours they can break those tackles and go.

I just did a scratch around via ChatGPT on injuries this year.
and... it was mentioned in the broadcast that Tayla Harris missed all of 2024 with her shoulder.
We've been up against it with injuries and even having players out for a few weeks disrupts fitness to go with teams like Lions and North. Here's a rough (not perfect list from chatgpt).

We had a soft draw but I reckon we did pretty well for a very disrupted season and another reason why i should be longer I reckon. We were pulling from unlisted players pool at one point I thought.

It also doesn't mention Goldrick but she was out for a couple of weeks with a fractured eye socket I think? and had a disrupted start coming back from Ireland I thought.

Players who missed the entire season or the overwhelming majority of it. All are 2+ games.

Player	Injury	Notes
Olivia Purcell	Knee (ACL)	Listed “Season” all year. Out entire 2025 season.
Grace Beasley	ACL rehab	Still in ACL recovery; listed 8–10 weeks in Aug → season effectively gone.
Aimee Mackin	Knee (Inactive)	Listed inactive long-term. Did not play the season.
Jacinta Hose	Back surgery / knee	Listed Inactive + “Season”. No 2025 return.
Blaithin Mackin	Knee / hamstring	Listed 10–12 weeks early → missed almost all regular season.
Tahlia Gillard	Knee (MCL)	Listed 7–9 weeks then 5–7 weeks. Long absence (2+ games).

---

🟧 Medium-Term Injuries (Missed Multiple Games)

These players had multi-week absences = definitely missed 2+ games.

Player	Injury	Estimated Out	Notes
Sarah Lampard	Calf	4–8 weeks	Missed at least 2–4 games.
Denby Taylor	Foot (stress response)	4 weeks	Missed ~3 games.
Gab Colvin	Knee (MCL) + later wrist	3–4 weeks, then 2 weeks	Combined knee layoff = 2+ games. Wrist injury late season.
Maeve Chaplin	Hamstring	Missed two finals	Explicitly reported missing two games before prelim.

---

🟨 Short-Term Injuries (Likely 1–2 Games, Not Clearly 2+ Confirmed)

These players had injuries publicly listed, but evidence only confirms 1 game out, or timing unclear.

Player	Injury	Notes
Eden Zanker	Concussion	Missed semi-final; unclear if she missed 1 or 2 games total.

14 minutes ago, fr_ap said:

What's with the bemoaning of our crowd? I went to the QF and whilst I don't know the attendance number it seemed vaguely the same as the number yesterday, maybe slightly less, but we weren't playing a Victorian side.

FCS folks, North have won 26 games in a row and their men's side hasn't won a game in 5 years. There is a 50-100k supporter base there absolutely desperate for relevance and success....some of them were like ravenous junkyard dogs when Garner kicked that goal, it was genuinely bizarre. They are incredibly frustrated and starved of success.

Of coure they're getting around them....

2,000 vs 7,000 = not “slightly less”

We’re talking about W engagement, not W engagement in terms of how the men’s counterparts are faring.

Attendance numbers are poor. End of story

It was a really gritty effort by the girls with a surprising tactical change in method. Credit to North they took their moments, and our girls tried hard to hold on but ran out of gas.

Some dodgy knees into our girls on the ground by North was stinky though our girls stood up to that and didn’t take a backward step. Even a sooky shove from Squibby Burch didn’t impact Zanker.

The W game didn’t have the drive of recent years with promotion lacking. It is an entertaining game to watch and deserves more of a following. In past years there was more of a connection with the supporters and a closeness, but now they cordon off such a small section or usher the girls off the ground so quickly. Please just align the season with the VFL to give those not playing a chance or provide extra volume to the season.

Human interaction and following is a funny psychology, in that controversy and negativity get the clicks and eyes. The W game is just too damn wholesome with great people but yet a controversial or a tv show or 6 picking the eyes out of it.

I hope Mick S says, but can understand his desire to see something new or he’s the type that would leave to give Shae Sloane the opportunity. He was I believe still living in Anglesea, that is a huge commitment.

I’d like Zanker to stay. She is a quality player, but would like some fresh faces too if her level. Hopefully Purcell gets back as poor Hanksy had a human back pack for the last month of games.

I’d keep Paxy over Bannan, they still offer a high level, but that said, tthe future is Beasley, Gall, Pisano and the next draft crop.

Let’s get around all of our Dees in twenty six!

Edited yesterday at 07:031 day by DEE32

13 minutes ago, Ghostwriter said:

2,000 vs 7,000 = not “slightly less”

We’re talking about W engagement, not W engagement in terms of how the men’s counterparts are faring.

Attendance numbers are poor. End of story

Okay...but surely you understand that the Men's has a significant influence on W attendance. It doesn't exist in isolation ....they are literally marketing to the same supporter/customer base using the same brand.

Yes, there are W fans who aren't M fans and plenty of M fans who aren't W fans (yet), but the overlap in the middle of that Venn diagram (people who will have an interest in any/all things their club does, like you and me) is by far the biggest component.

Every supporter base is either under/over penetrated in terms of their engagement converting to attendance. Ours has been relatively high (comparing attendance vs membership) for some time now in the Men's, as we had a period of success. There actually isn't a lot of juice left to squeeze out of our supporter base. Despite that our W engagement is not that bad across the board..certainly ahead of other clubs.

North's penetration has been very low in the Men's, which means far more opportunity for the W. People need their fix somehow....It's no surprise that with a historic all conquering team that has won 26 in a row, their conversion is currently through the roof. Winning does that. In all sports, in every continent, for all of history.

For what it's worth, I know several people (middle level, not "company guys" who'll spin a tale) in the Ops team at AFL house involved with AFLW, and all the engagement metrics are tracking about where they should be given its maturity, rapidly improving standard and competing sports in the landscape.

Considering we are a very small market which is highly saturated with sporting content, and the total societal stigma the W is fighting against, it's going fine. The attendances rival and sometimes exceed A-League and Rugby.

its a build....was never going to happen quickly.

I went with my daughter, as I have throughout the season. I totally agree with all the supportive responses that have been aired here. It was a magnificent effort by our women! I enjoyed the game throughout. I was extremely proud to be a Demon because of the way our team, our leaders and our coaches went about it. It is true, this team deserves stronger support. One way we believers can assist is to speak positively and spread the word. If this sounds a little evangelistic, please seek out the exploits and passions of mother superior Hore, sister Paxy and novice Gillard! Football is a religion!

Edited yesterday at 06:191 day by waynewussell

6 hours ago, Ghostwriter said:

I’m not good at estimating the ratio of fans but I’m excellent at knowing when my team has nowhere near the support of the opposition 😕

A DA member who is good at estimating said he thinks of the 7,000-odd fans, we’d be lucky to claim 1,000 of them. I think he was being generous 😕

I’m with you …we were incredibly outnumbered…the roars & booing from the Nth Supporters ..it was ear splitting

An interesting thought about attendance to games is for AFL men’s there’s AFL membership of MCC membership where there would be many ‘neutral’ supporters going as there membership allows or to get worth out if it.

I wonder if there is worth in combining the Melbourne FC membership to include the W team with maybe a small increase in cost. We are one club after all.

And finally, there’s a need for education to the non-believers around the realities of the W game being a lot shorter in time and only 16 on the field. Of course there’s lower scores, of course there is a fatigue with a need to cover more ground, and for some ridiculous reason they are officiated differently.

So whilst the marking is now the same level and kicking is getting to the same level distance wise, they are inherently different games, that should not be judged with the same lense.

2 hours ago, DEE32 said:

An interesting thought about attendance to games is for AFL men’s there’s AFL membership of MCC membership where there would be many ‘neutral’ supporters going as there membership allows or to get worth out if it.

I wonder if there is worth in combining the Melbourne FC membership to include the W team with maybe a small increase in cost. We are one club after all.

And finally, there’s a need for education to the non-believers around the realities of the W game being a lot shorter in time and only 16 on the field. Of course there’s lower scores, of course there is a fatigue with a need to cover more ground, and for some ridiculous reason they are officiated differently.

So whilst the marking is now the same level and kicking is getting to the same level distance wise, they are inherently different games, that should not be judged with the same lense.

Totally up for a combined membership package. I think it's a great idea

15 hours ago, fr_ap said:

What's with the bemoaning of our crowd?

You couldn't really get a better team to watch than Melbourne's over the last ten years. Brave, honest, often punching well above their weight in a competition that has given huge advantages to non-Melbourne teams. Kate Hore is one of the most sublimely skilled footballers I've ever seen.

Our crowds are poor.

Casey absolutely doesn't help, but it doesn't explain a few thousand at games ten minutes from the CBD.

17 hours ago, Dees_In_October said:

We move on quickly with the trade period (Thursday, December 4 - Wednesday, December 10) and the national draft (Monday, December 15).

Just had a quick squiz at Rookie Me's power rankings and - whoa! Queensland footy seems to be thriving!

17 hours ago, Dees_In_October said:

I loved the physicality we brought early within the contest. And a little extra out of it (I'm crediting Edo on Birch to @Ghostwriter!!).

Thanks, DIO 😅 So proud of Edo and I don’t mind that she went off-script. I asked her to do it in the first few minutes of the match and she said she’d rather “toy with her for three quarters then put her on her arze at the start of the last (quarter).” We agreed her plan was the best. All good though, Birch ended up on her arze regardless and for that I’m grateful to our Edo.

10 hours ago, Brownie said:

Totally up for a combined membership package. I think it's a great idea

The added cost wouldn’t impact greatly on the overall cost, and knowing one’s AFL membership includes W membership might encourage more people to attend W matches.

W membership gets us into every H&A match (including interstate) and the membership packs are always great.

Combining the two makes a lot of sense.

2 hours ago, The Taciturn Demon said:

Just had a quick squiz at Rookie Me's power rankings and - whoa! Queensland footy seems to be thriving!

I have a family member who heads up NSW AFL development. He says girls AFL footy has exploded in NSW and Queensland, far exceeding expectations. He didn't have an answer for why this is.

Having grown up in Sydney playing rugby, here's my thoughts. Don't forget the two rugby codes dominate in NSW and Queensland. IMO, girls would be far more attracted to AFL than rugby league or union. All those scrums and rucks and lying over each other Greco-Roman Wrestling-esque after a tackle are all pretty blockey.

As an aside, he says he frequently asks AFL players to come and talk at community events. He's had to stop Toby Greene from attending as Toby is such an abysmal public speaking, it has been embarrassing.

Edited 23 hours ago23 hr by Dee in a Kilt
Stuffed up formatting

16 hours ago, Brownie said:

Totally up for a combined membership package. I think it's a great idea

I've been wondering about this for... 10 seasons at this point. I truly don't understand why this doesn't exist. Even just an "add-on" of a W game for every M membership option. Or the three-game membership is that, plus an option to "add-on" a W game. Considering that currently W memberships give access to all Victorian Melbourne games (including away games, and Home games not at Casey), I wouldn't think this is a stretch.

7 hours ago, The Taciturn Demon said:

You couldn't really get a better team to watch than Melbourne's over the last ten years. Brave, honest, often punching well above their weight in a competition that has given huge advantages to non-Melbourne teams. Kate Hore is one of the most sublimely skilled footballers I've ever seen.

Our crowds are poor.

Casey absolutely doesn't help, but it doesn't explain a few thousand at games ten minutes from the CBD.

Yes, it's not like our team has been cellar dwellers and we finally got it together this season. We dominated for years (admittedly without quite getting the ultimate result due to ~ factors ~ e.g., the "state" teams). Relative to the league we've always been one of the better teams to watch. I've very rarely seen W players representing us drop their heads or treat the jumper with anything other than respect and passion.

And just on the annoyance with the turnout on Saturday, I will say that all I ever hear as an excuse for not coming to watch Dees W (aside from the ones that will just never be interested) is that people don't want to go to Casey. So I think that's why people are disappointed.

6 hours ago, Ghostwriter said:

Thanks, DIO 😅 So proud of Edo and I don’t mind that she went off-script. I asked her to do it in the first few minutes of the match and she said she’d rather “toy with her for three quarters then put her on her arze at the start of the last (quarter).” We agreed her plan was the best. All good though, Birch ended up on her arze regardless and for that I’m grateful to our Edo.

This is only the second time in my history of watching football that I've condoned this. The other was Jack Viney's request to Goodwin to "come off the line" at the start of the 2021 GF, and that was pure desperation and a bit of left-over 2000 GF trauma on my part. Generally, I think such distractions rarely end well, but in both these cases, I just didn't care 😆

4 hours ago, Dee in a Kilt said:

Having grown up in Sydney playing rugby, here's my thoughts. Don't forget the two rugby codes dominate in NSW and Queensland. IMO, girls would be far more attracted to AFL than rugby league or union. All those scrums and rucks and lying over each other Greco-Roman Wrestling-esque after a tackle are all pretty blockey.

Yep. I think people in NSW and Qld (generally speaking) view Aussie Rules as the "weaker" option and are therefore more willing to allow their girls to play it, especially all the girls who want to play rugby. For both codes, you often hear from girls that what they like most (aside from the camaraderie of playing with a big group of friends) is the chance to tackle and test themselves physically. Hopefully the AFL are aware of the inroads they're making from an unexpected demographic.