Craig T

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.

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

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

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.

Just got back from training. Excellent news - Paxy took part in full training and seemed fine. 🤩 Hopefully she'll stay that way! Maddie Gay and Aimee Mackin started apart from the main group, then joined them for basic ball movement stuff, and then separated again during the final match simulation. They were both moving well with no apparent restrictions, especially Maddie. I had a brief chat with Aimee at the end and though she was a little non-committal about being right for Sunday did say she was tracking well and seemed positive. Rhi Watt was there but obviously took no part. Gaby Colvin showed up late (either doing some work indoors, overslept or didn't get the email about the earlier session 🤣), did a few run throughs and then headed back inside, so I don't think she's much chance for this week. Casey Sherriff was wearing the extra large wrist brace, so she's still obviously still having problems and her involvement was limited.

I doubt it will be a sellout (sadly, but then it is the only game in Melbourne so maybe), but I guess give Ticketmaster a go.

Well we know that at least Ben Brown will be there. 😁

I wish I could be so optimistic. You have my admiration. 😁

Yep, have to say I'll really be pleased if we win on Sunday. Who plays will be important but I think fate might be against us.

I don't want to be too negative, but I'm worried for next week. Potentially Lampard, Gay, Paxy, Colvin, A Mackin, Chaplin, Goldy and Hanks (absolutely should be no concern but the tribunal has been so inconsistent on tackles that anything could happen) may all be unavailable. I'm also concerned that we've beaten the Kangas six times in a row, and it doesn't matter if you're the better team in the end the law of averages will get you. Beating a team nine times out of ten still means there's that tenth time. We really missed a chance last night to set ourselves up. Imagine If we'd had Gold Coast next week for a week off and straight through to the Prelim? Brisbane had the three big motivations - the GF loss, playing for a top four spot and to atone for their poor effort last week - but we should have been ready for that. We yet again were jumped, ironically the only game where we've come out hard was against Adelaide. Nearly always slow starters, it's as if we want to let the oppo play their best so we can then put in place our counter measures and then take control. Coming out with steam coming out our ears might not be a bad idea now and then. And as has been said the team selection was weird. With Paxy a late withdrawal we go with Gall over Campbell? With the three emergencies all being talls we didn't have a like for like, but we went for the least experienced option in a game of such importance?

And Sarah Lampard hopefully before the season is out. Not to mention Gaby Colvin and Aimee Mackin both of whom could be right to go this week, too.

It says something about this team that I'm prepared to make such a journey for each Casey game. I couldn't imagine a sporting team more deserving of fan support. The banner episode last week is a typical example of how you just have to love them. 🙂

Have to agree with the criticisms of Casey. I attend all my AFLW matches via public transport and Casey is a nightmare. I'm currently, temporarily, living in the northern suburbs and it's around three hours each way. Even from my regular abode in the inner city it's still usually over two hours each way. The wind nearly always has an adverse impact on the quality and spectacle of the match and I'd argue it has produced our three poorest performances this season, the loss to Adelaide and two scrappy wins over the Dogs and Dockers. If the club wants to grow the support for the women's team and the AFLW in general they need to play their matches where the majority of the supporters have more ready access, and the best of the game can be showcased.

Absolutely. Much prefer Suns/Bombers over Lions.

Still a chance Collingwood could finish fourth (win their last two and the Suns beat Essendon, or Essendon win but the Pies overtake them on percentage).

And I also had those very same thoughts about Ellie watching the dogs get thrashed by Sydney on the weekend. She busts her gut every week and I get the feeling the club is no longer really invested in their women's program. The team looks like they've checked out for the year. But she has shown loyalty in the face of big offers in the past, and she has won a premiership there, so she may stick. But I wouldn't blame her for looking elsewhere. As I said to a friend this weekend, we'd take her at the Dees. 😁

Paul Callery! Now that takes me back! I wonder who in this team reminds me of Ray Biffen? 🤣

I don't like the sound of this tendon issue.........

Yes, not a bad idea. You may well be right about Garner, she might almost be "untaggable", or at least very difficult to have a significant impact upon. I know it's hard to believe but Riddell is probably smaller than Heath. I couldn't believe just how tiny she was when I first saw her in the crowd at a VFLW game a few years ago.......I almost trod on her. 🤣

I remember during the first 2022 season there was a time, due to COVID concerns, the players were instructed not to come into physical contact with the fans by the fence at the end of games, not to cross the boundary line and just to interact with the fans at that distance. At one game some fans were calling to Tayla to come over and sign some stuff, but she explained she wasn't allowed to, and glancing at the security guard beside her added, "Imagine if I crossed the line and I was tackled to the ground by the security, how would that be!" 🤣 Meanwhile Shelley Heath ran up to the line, looked down, lined her toes up on it with great care and then stood to attention like a 12 year old at school assembly. 🤣 As I've said many times to others, I find it hard to praise Heath enough. She's fantastic. One of my very favourites in a team of favourites.

Garner is probably the toughest shut down job in the AFLW. Big bodied mid with the ability to get a lot of the ball and use it about as well as anyone. Very hard to stop. Curbing her influence to some degree should be one of our priorities, and Heath probably deserves first crack, but I suspect Stinear might not go that way. He often seems to like to back our midfield against the opposition's, I think banking that our greater depth of mids will eventually overwhelm theirs, even if they have a couple that are more dominant (Marinoff and Hatchard at the Crows, for example). Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Garner and Ash Riddell get a LOT of the ball, more than any of our mids, but hopefully weight of numbers - Hanks, Purcell, West, Paxy, Mithen, MacNamara, Hore, Mackin B. - will win out in the end. Then again Stinear might go with one of his other tactics - let the match unfold and then move Shelley Heath onto who ever is doing the most damage at quarter or half time. She usually gets the job done. 🙂

Might be some tough calls at selection this week. Assuming they are fit, Paxy, Harris, Pearce and Gay would be most likely to come back into the side, and possibly Colvin as well to help counter North's tall forwards. Who do you drop? If Pearce is back then at least one of Campbell or Watt goes, and maybe Wilson and/or Chaplin make way for Gay/Colvin, but they all did what was expected of them this week and would be unlucky to miss. And that's not even considering how to fit Harris and Paxy in. It's a good problem to have, but we still need to get the selections right against the Kangas. No good having the depth if you pick the wrong players!

As I feared the loss of Paxy was crucial. Against Adelaide she is vital, as we need her to fill her role to enable our greater midfield depth to overwhelm their two stars. We also committed the cardinal sin, for most of the game, of allowing Marinoff to run around unchecked. Let her and Hatchard get 60 touches between them as they did today and you lose. Last year in our two victories over the Crows Marinoff had a total of 26 touches. As @poita said, coaching wasn't great today. Great game from Eden. Last season she was equal third in the competition goal kickers with little recognition, with that form continuing in 2023. She's now leading all comers this year......maybe people will start to take notice. 🙂 As for the umps, my neutral, Carlton supporting friend was as aghast as I was. So it wasn't just our Demon bias.