Meggs

Excellent thought provoking post D_I_O – some of Meggs thoughts since you asked: • Best new player - Gay, agree . Maddie looked better and better as the season went on. Hanks looks such a natural and I thought Emonson was a worthy addition • Most improved player – Cordner, yes she was great. Lauren Pearce took her game to a whole new level in 2019 and really influenced games • Most underrated player - Downie was always there providing support. Kat Smith is another one who plays her role. Needs to be able to run off not just run with her direct opponent. • Player we missed the most from the 2018 list (aside from Daisy!) - Cranston 100% concur • 3 players we can least afford to lose to expansion - L.Pearce, Paxman, Hore. Young guns Mithen, Zanker and Hanks. Agree that we need to keep most of our senior players to help support the youngsters • 3 players you wouldn’t mind having a chance at another club - Ones we could cover and that have been in and out of the team - Guest, Patterson. Phillips, who's a good player but I think we could upgrade a similar type. A bit controversial but Shelley Scott would be one, Claudia Whitfort and agree with Guest and Patterson. Also I was surprised how far off 2019 recruit Jordann Hickey looked in the practice match, not surprised she didn’t play a game • Best win - A lot of our wins felt like not enough, but I guess Brisbane was most comprehensive. Agree with both points • Worst loss (apart from Round 7!) - Freo. Could have won, should have won. Would have shaped the season. 100% agree. The backline didn’t work, not enough midfield support plus losing Shae Sloane to a season ending knee injury • Best goal/other highlight - Zanker v. the Bulldogs. Can't go past it, not even Newman on the run v. North. Love Zanker, that goal was truly impressive • Keep the coach Y/N? - Y. Continuity between seasons overrides any misgivings at this stage. NFI but probably Y if the Club thinks so. He was able to play a fairly settled team throughout the season apart from losing Sloane early • Player with most potential in 2020 and beyond - Hanks. Great one-touch skills and movement, will find more consistency with experience. Yes indeed, a beauty. Zanker and Mithen worthy of mention • Most important area for improvement in 2020 (besides goal kicking accuracy!) - Better handball-kicking balance. Need to know what to do when the handball game is shut down. V good observation • Type of player most needed in the draft/trade - We definitely seemed to lack strength around the ball in comparison to the Crows. Unfortunately, this type of player will be in hot demand from expansion teams. Yes contested ball winners and girls that have better natural kicking and handballing technique • Off-season wish list – what needs to happen for success in 2020? - As many players as possible to play VFLW, preferably together at Casey. Alignment between the levels is becoming stronger and teams that can have that continuity in the second best comp. will be advantaged. Concur • How should the season be structured with 14 teams in 2020? No conferences! Ideally, a 13 game H&A season. Realistically, a straight ladder with most teams playing each other. And an easier draw for North and Melb to make up for this year Scrap the US style conferences and have one ladder with each team playing each other once

and we also lost the practice match at Casey Fields to North...

We are likely we finish 3rd or 4th (only a momentous win will see us higher) however if the reigning premiers beat the Blues say 48-15 on Sunday afternoon then the final ladder will be in perfect harmony...and demonstrate how Head Office completely stuffed the 2019 finals fixture.

Yes that was me. Maddie’s best game for us. She is becoming important as another mid who can go forward. Hore did well again and Cunningham and Newman kept providing great leading options up the ground. And Lauren Pearce continues her fine season. And yes we have even list which will unfortunately be diluted to support Dill’s rapid expansion. Anyway for us to make finals in 2019 we must win the last 2 games...go girls!

It was very hot out there. Tough conditions for players (and spectators). We worked so hard all day but they have assembled a v good list so it was a ripper contest. Dees had lots of contributors. It was the best all round game I’ve seen from Kate Hore and Paxman, Mithen and Phillips were good all day. L Pearce no coaches votes today but gave her all. The King in the back ‘free’ and the other last qtr one in front ends up being the difference between the two most skillful AFLW sides, which was heartbreaking. It’s going to be really hard for us to make finals from here. Blacktown 2.05pm next Sunday 3 March so Meggs and son will be watching on TV. Incidentally it will also be AVB’s birthday...

Great win on the road for the girls. L Pearce should earn coaches votes 3 weeks in a row. Loved Hanks and Newman's work. As others have commented, Paxman and Cordner (who clearly stopped Sabrina) were dominant. One mention of Katherine Smith who I thought played her best game on Sunday including a nice snap. She has been slowly building and is another promising youngster to complement Mithen, Kemp, Hanks, Zanker, Lampard, Brancatisano and others.

AFL app says ‘Reports: Nil’

The AFLW home and away for us concludes on 16 March at Casey Fields v Adelaide. Ergo the idea of relocating just the AFLW match day thread to the main board is really only for a short duration. From my position there are plenty of other threads on here that are of little interest which I ignore or go bananas. With the Dees in the stronger Conference A who knows whether we will make the finals. I really hope we do. The bloody Pies (Conference B) might make the finals by default like their 2018 brethren. Horrible thought.

1. Neville Jetta vs 3. Clayton Oliver

Thanks for the report DIO. Yes agree Jakkobsen looks better in defence and I thought O’Dea played above her ‘usual level’. Where do you see midfielder Maddie Gay? Never noticed her at Carlton but read she sought tackling advice from Daisy coming from a netball background. I am hoping the win builds confidence for a successful trip to Brisbane this week. Go Dees.

1. Neville Jetta vs 6. Tom McDonald 3. Clayton Oliver v s 2. Max Gawn

Yes Chantel Emonson looks like she’ll be very good. Played well against Roos too, who look like the team to beat at this early stage. L Pearce has started the season off really well, expect coaches votes again. Mithen is a natural footballer and I loved Hanks’ performance.

1. Neville Jetta vs 5. Jake Melksham 6. Tom McDonald vs 4. James Harmes 3. Clayton Oliver vs Jack Viney 2. Max Gawn vs 8. Angus Brayshaw

Jayden Hunt vs 4. James Harmes 3. Clayton Oliver vs Bayley Fritsch 2. Max Gawn vs Michael Hibberd Christian Salem vs 7. Angus Brayshaw

1. Neville Jetta vs Jordan Lewis Alex Neal-Bullen vs 8. Jake Melksham Charlie Spargo vs Jack Viney 6. Tom McDonald vs Billy Stretch

Oscar McDonald v Alex Neal-Bullen Bayley Fritsch vs Aaron vandenBerg Sam Weideman vs 7. Angus Brayshaw

Jack Viney vs 5. Nathan Jones Sam Frost vs Charlie Spargo Jake Lever vs 4. James Harmes Joel Smith vs Christian Salem

Tom McDonald vs Mitch Hannan Jeff Garlett vs Billy Stretch Braydon Preuss vs Jayden Hunt

Christian Petracca vs 8. Jake Melksham Tim Smith vs Jordan Lewis Michael Hibberd vs Josh Wagner

Aaron vandenBerg vs Kade Kolodjashnij James Jordon vs Tim Smith Braydon Preuss vs Tom Sparrow Toby Bedford vs Jake Lever Corey Wagner vs Sam Weideman 

Mitch Hannan vs Jay Kennedy-Harris Corey Wagner vs Austin Bradtke James Jordon vs Kade Chandler Toby Bedford vs Aaron Nietschke Charlie Spargo vs Declan Keilty

Corey Maynard vs Joel Smith Bayley Fritsch vs Oskar Baker Josh Wagner vs Harrison Petty Tom Sparrow vs Marty Hore vs Guy Walker

Andy, Meggs and son were there on Saturday. Weather, low 20’s with a gentle south westerly breeze favouring the Northern/Clyde end. Circling the ground I felt spectators were mostly players’ families and friends but a few diehards were there too ? The match began as an even affair with the Kangaroos kicking to the northern ‘scoring’ end and jagging the first goal. Demons had some good clean H1 passages showcasing the skills of Paxman, O’Dea, Hore and the impressive Lily Mithen. There was plenty of attack on the ball carrier by both teams causing turnovers and often untidy football but also fast moving passages with good clean foot skills, timed leads and strong marking by both sides. In Q2 Hore goaled nicely and new Alice Springs draftee, Jordann Hickey, marked 25 metres out in front and kicked a neat goal. She reminds me of the delisted Mifsud and seemed to find the standard a step up from NT. Demons ruckman Pearce limped off during Q2 with a knee and the Physio worked hard to get her back on. HT score Dees 2.3.15 to Roos 1.3.8. From the outset of Q3 the Roos ruckwoman was Gawn-like with her taps. Led by the outstanding Ash Riddell the Roos dominated clearances and 6 unanswered goals ensued. The Dees struggled to gain any momentum and were pressured into ineffective possessions and missed a number of gettable opportunities including one shank right, a dolly from Newman 10 metres in front. Q4 began brightly with the classy Kate H marking and converting a goal from 30 metres in front but then missed a second from a similar spot later in the Q. Co-Captain Scott who was noticeably vocal all day goaled but the Roos also kicked 2 Q4 goals and won the practice match comfortably 9.2. 56 to 4.10.34. For the Dees, Mithen, Hore, O’Dea and Paxman stood out. CHB Downie was kept busy and exuded effort and code-hoppers FF Cunningham and goal-sneak Newman showed plenty of goalscoring potential. We loved the endeavour of Emonson, Jacobssen and particularly Zanker. Lampard has Sam Blease pace and style while Cordner was serviceable and gave a media interview afterwards. We didn’t notice the other new draft recruits who could have been in a small group of players doing training exercises at the breaks. Women’s footy is not being embraced by many of the traditionalists but the skills and fitness levels are definitely improving. However there are valid industry concerns about the pace of expansion (now 10 teams) and the drain on the available talent pool. Looking at the season ahead, the Dees will miss the inspirational on-field leadership of Captain Pearce, a backline general in Hickey (still recovering from her ACL) and the raw aggression and finishing skills of Rocky C (who just got rubbed out for Rounds 1 and 2 of 2019!). The Roos have recruited well with Riddell, Mo Hope and Emma King and will be very competitive in 2019 and they have ex Demon and Taswegian Humphreys who was a solid 4 quarter contributor for them. The Demons under the leadership of senior coach Mick Stinear, assistants former Demon Pat McKenna (backs), Sam Radford (midfield) and Peter Mercoulia (forward), as well as development coaches Jane Lange, Jon Stinear and Justin Crough will no doubt be getting their charges well prepared for the season opener at Casey Fields against Fremantle on Sunday 3 February at 3:05 pm. We’ll be there. Go Dees!

Saty can you please explain what craft work is?