Craig T

20 hours ago, Dees_In_October said:

70% of applicants for the draft have nominated nationally. So it's definitely heading more towards being a true national draft, which is exciting.

Yes this is interesting.  I would assume that the highly rated girls who know they are going to be drafted would be in a position to nominate the state in which they want to play, knowing they will be selected.  But for the girls who aren't so confident of being picked up going national definitely improves their chances.  For example the Eagles and Dockers only have seven picks between them, so if you nominate WA you'd need to be in at least the top seven selections for the entire state or you're going to miss out.  There is always the Supplemental Selection Period after the draft, but I'm sure they don't want to be left hanging and hoping.

3 minutes ago, Dees_In_October said:

How would it work for spectators? I'm assuming the oval is some distance from the seating, with the race track in the middle?

I'm assuming they'd tart up Glen Huntly Park which is beside the track.  Otherwise the idea of an oval that could be used for matches would probably not be possible.

3 hours ago, demonglory said:

Such a surprise to hear Essendon been difficult to deal with.....

 

From the AFLW website;

"The Demons have been adamant throughout that pick No.13 must be included in any trade talks, but it's understood the Bombers had initially put forward their pick No.53 in an attempt to secure the deal."

#53 for Maddie Gay.  Yep, nothing's changed at Bomberland! 🤣

11 minutes ago, sue said:

Sorry, just a little crappy joke based on the subtitle being AFL National Womens league.

No probs, just my take on how it might effect the women's program and my day long expeditions to Casey.

8 minutes ago, sue said:

Great news, but I was hoping theh men's team could use it as well.... 😀

If it goes ahead I'm sure they will.  But I doubt they'll be playing any games for premiership points/finals there should a ground be built.  But the women might. 😁

The beginning of the end for Casey?

Melbourne commences Caulfield feasibility study

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1477323/melbourne-commences-caulfield-feasibility-study

It's about a quarter of the distance from my abode so I'm all for it. 😁

No news so far on Charlotte Wilson and Gold Coast.  Maybe WE are being unreasonable and insisting on Charlie Rowbottom in exchange. 😆

Seriously, I wonder if we are trying to talk her into staying.  We need big defenders and could do a hell of a lot worse than her.

A few interesting comments from Todd Patterson in his farewell thank you to Birch....

“Libby has been one of the most highly regarded defenders in the competition...." - not is, but has been.

"This deal gives her a tremendous opportunity to extend her career, which we respect...." - not continue her career, but extend, which suggests she had no future at Melbourne.

Maybe I'm reading too much into those words, but no such interpretation could be taken in the farewells to West or Sherriff.

If I'm right that's now two third places and twice runner-up to Lauren Pearce. 😍😔

1 hour ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

Yeah at one of our BBQs at Gosch’s this year she was on the mic with Robbo. It didn’t help that our tent was close to a bank of speakers but holy cr4pp, she was insufferable. We literally couldn’t hear a thing other than her unlistenable voice. Robbo was just as loud but at least he was kind to our ears. 

I think I know the day you are talking about.  And yes, most irritating. 🥴

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. 🙂

50 minutes ago, Dee-monic said:

Why are so many of our players keen to leave a club still in the premiership window? Are they chasing more money or is there some other reason? I'm not trying to stir, just genuinely curious.

I am wondering if the increasing salaries, which is a wonderful and deserved thing, might be a factor here.  Originally there wasn't much difference between say, Tier II and Tier III salaries, just a couple of thousand dollars.  But now it is creeping towards 10K (and soon will be and then more), so the difference is significant.  We would have a number of good players who would be on Tier III, so it is naturally becoming harder to turn down offers from clubs that don't have as much talent and can offer a Tier II contract.

1 hour ago, pitmaster said:

You've just identified the fundamental problem with the game at all levels at the moment. The AFL's push to keep the ball moving means free kicks that would have been obvious in earlier eras are now just ignored. 

The could start by banning the "overhead backwards handpass" which is almost invariably a half throw. But if the rules were played as written the game would eventually become cleaner and better to watch as played adapted to the new interpretations.  sorry that should read "rulings".

"Interpretations" is the AFL's word and it's messing up the game.

Allelujah!  I've been saying this for ages!  There are some tweaks that are needed with the rules, but so much of the "inconsistency" would be eliminated if the umps just umpired by the rules as they are written.  You aren't permitted to hold a player who isn't in possession - so penalise it every time it happens.  As soon as you start "interpreting" you run into trouble.  The "Oh that was tiggy touchwood, she/he/they were hardly held and it shouldn't have been a free" opens up the situation to every ump's individual interpretation of just how much you can hold before you play a free kick.  And if you payed it every time players would stop doing it, except in those relatively rare situations where giving a way a professional free is a better option than not.

I know the general consensus is the less free kicks the better, you don't want a game dominated by frees, but if you started paying them players would stop giving as many away.  What you want is a game with less frees due to less rule infringements, not a game with less frees because umpires are "interpreting" the rules to keep the number of frees down.

In the second AFLW season I was at a match between the Dees and Bris out at Casey, and at a ball up 30 metres out from our goal a Bris player was holding on to Daisy.  One of the non-officiating umpires spotted it, and what did they do - gave the Bris player a warning.  Is that what it says in the rules?  Give a warning?  But that's not the worst of it.  Twenty seconds later there was another ball up in the same spot, and I assume because she been drilled to do it the Bris player instinctively held Daisy again.  Suddenly she froze, and turned to the same umpire, and written all over her face was "Oh s@#t!".  The ump looked directly at her for a couple of seconds, and then just looked away.

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. 😁

28 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

Fun fact: The girl who just sang the National Anthem is named Rachael Leahcar. Her name is palindromic. 😃 

Top spot! 😁

51 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

 

They’re bussing their fans to Ikon tomorrow.
It’s our home game… let’s make sure they don’t outnumber us!

IF YOU CAN, PLEASE ATTEND!!!

❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙

Will be there with bells on.  Well, not bells, but Dee paraphernalia. 😈

And I hope the Geelong "designated fan bays" are not where I usually sit......will not be happy.......... 😠

If we are over our reported health issues from last week we should win and reasonably comfortably.  However the pessimist in me can't but help worry that a full recovery in a week is questionable for everyone with this particular illness.  @WalkingCivilWar's reassurances about how they appeared at training is heartening, but the pressure and intensity of a final will really test their fitness.

6 hours ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

Can’t rule out illness. 

Is there something we don't know?

44 minutes ago, Dees_In_October said:

It's smart to be reactive, a bit defensive and absorb pressure early in a final (though perhaps we were just flat). But it felt like took ages to get out of that mode against the Roos. What I really want is for us to control the footy and keep it in our hands, just for a few minutes here and there, without necessarily going all-out attack handball-chain-happy. But that very clearly doesn't mesh with the game plan we're trying to execute...

 

I think your “handball-chain-happy” comment is a very insightful one.  Last year we were, statistically, the best defensive team in the history of the comp.  This year we are, statistically, the best offensive team in the history of the comp.  That doesn’t happen by accident.  I think we have become way too obsessed with the pretty, flashy looking ball movement that, to be honest, even on a really good day if all goes well, comes off leading to a goal about two or three times.  Last year we were as tough as nails and swung into the flashy stuff when it was suitable.  Now we try to artificially manufacture it all the time, even when it’s clearly just not on.  And teams are of course ready for it, and the good ones are making us pay.

Also, we nearly always start slowly and find ourselves under the pump.  Again, it’s us not playing hard, percentage football when the heat is on at the start of the game, but trying to dazzle with flair.  And how often when we do start to move the ball forward by hand do we have to stop, run in circles, and go sideways because all our forwards have come too far up the ground and there’s no one to kick to?

Yesterday at the ground I said early in the game to my friend that the Kangas were going with a quick kick from the clearances strategy, just get the ball forward by foot.  If that is the team plan, and everyone is ready for it, then it's a good, basic plan.  You'll be in front and take marks from the inevitable short kicks.  Melbourne did not adapt to deal with this.  Conversely, when we tried to occasionally break from the handball game and hack it forward (usually as the handball chain wasn't working) it was so unexpected that no one was ready.  The ball was coming into the forward line with no consistency, and the forwards didn't seem to be helping by failing to lead which meant "passes" were basically either going nowhere near them or landing on their heads, giving the north defenders an easy task to fist it away.

I'm looking for positives, and for those who are too here is one.  The last time were in this position was in 2021, after losing to the Dogs when we outplayed them but kicked 2.12 and lost, and then followed that up with a performance against Collingwood that was appalling, showing all the signs of a team that was still suffering from the hangover of kicking 2.12 the previous week.  The next week Mick made a few changes (Daisy forward, Zanker onto the ball, etc.), and we got things going again against St. Kilda.  But here's the good bit.  Our next three matches were against probably the then three best teams in the comp - Adelaide, Freo in Perth, and Brisbane.  And we beat all three.  It was done with absolute grit and commitment mixed with belief in team mates.

We can do it again.

1 hour ago, old55 said:

The game was entirely played on the northern side. We didn't try to switch and when the ball did come out the southern side the Mackin sisters on the wings couldn't capitalise - fumbled too much.

Alyssa Bannan is quite frankly hopeless in the contest. She dominates weak opposition. We'd be better served playing her on the fat side wing and switching. She can outmark and outrun any opposition winger.  They did move her there in the last qtr but we didn't use her.

Bannan is just plain hot and cold.  She kicked three in the prelim against Brisbane in '22 season 1 and was instrumental in sparking us against the Crows in the qualifying final in '22 season 2.  She can perform against the good teams, but she either plays a blinder or hardly touches it.

I was hoping that by this season she might start to show more consistency, but maybe that's just the type of player she is going to be. 🤷‍♂️

Just got back from the game and obviously pretty disappointed but not overly surprised.  I had a feeling it wasn't going to be close, either after six consecutive wins for us the law of averages would go their way and they'd win and win big, or we might get a break early and they'd start doubting themselves against one of the big three and drop their bundle.

My fear is that with our easy start to the season we got into some bad habits.  Too much Harlem Globetrotter football, flipping it around too much and it not really mattering when we did so.  So we got out of the habit of playing direct, efficient football and that's now killing us against the better teams.  We can obviously match the physical stuff, we did it so well last year, we were as hard as anyone.  But, as I said, we've gotten into the habit of beating weaker teams with our big skill advantage and not being direct and efficient.

Geelong are, in my opinion, comfortably the best of the rest.  If we play the way we did today there is a real chance we will get done.  But if we get back to how we can and should be playing, we can still win the flag.  I'd like a rematch against both the Lions and Kangas (or the Crows for that matter), and if we are on our game I would really fancy our chances.  I just worry we may not be able to fix our problems fast enough.

6 hours ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

She also cornrows her hair, many players do. But the cornrowing must stop when the braids leave the scalp, like this…

 

So they cornrow from the hairline back across the scalp then ponytail the rest of the hair which is loose (unbraided). If they do cornrow their hair all the way from scalp to tips, they must secure the loose braids in a bun. Players probably don’t do this because sometimes a bun can become loose. The point is there’s to be no braids flying around during play as there’s the potential for inflicting eye injuries.

Fun fact: Westy is a gun cornrower and does her teammates’ hair on GameDay. 😃

Fair enough, but then how does Sabrina Frederick get away with her loosely tied back dreadlocks?

12 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

She was very superstitious about cornrowing her hair on GameDay. Last season she did it for every game. The rules changed this season and now hair can’t be cornrowed all the way to the tips because plaits are considered dangerous in play or, as she told me, “Apparently my hair’s a weapon.” She was not impressed. 

Hmmm.  So what is that hairstyle that Anne Hatchard is permitted to play with? 😕

1 hour ago, godees said:

West was awful against Brisbane. Panicked disposals which cost us goals and field position repeatedly. If she can’t handle the pressure of home and away then how is she going to be in finals?

Fwiw I think she is probably just down on confidence and she definitely has it in her to be one of our best, as she showed most of last season. It’s a big call to drop her.

What was that story about her having to change her lucky hairstyle?  Something about the tight cornrows (or something like that) being considered dangerous?  Apologies if I've got it all wrong, I don't know a lot about hairstyles! 😟

I would assume Paxy, Gay and Mackin A are definite to get back in if fit.  We've lost Rhi and Casey, and Gall is out, so that's a straight forward three for three from last week.  However I'd like Campbell back so Tayla can spend more time rampaging across half forward, and with North's tall forwards Wilson might be needed.  So two more need to go to make room.  Ivey and......?

From the selected extended list of 24 that would mean, Ivey, Johnson and one more to go.  It's a hard call.