Dees_In_October

6. Hanks 5. Heath 4. Purcell 3. Gillard 2. Hore 1. Paxy

That was a well planned and mature performance. After the first quarter, took away their strengths, played with a disciplined structure but ferocious attack on the footy and player, control and even a bit of tempo footy. Every player clear in their role and the team's aims for each phase of the game. A slow start and a few goals left out there, but that's pretty standard! The mids set the tone. Heath, Purcell and Hanks were focused and aggressive. Who said we couldn't shut down Garner? Oh yeah, that was me! Well, that was about as close to shut down as she gets. Watching live you appreciate how well Paxy moves across the ground. A few head in hands disposal choices tonight though not alone there. Credit to Fitzsimon and Sherriff for their forward pressure (7 & 6 tackles) and Zanker for her tireless efforts to always make a contest. As good as bags of 5 snags are, a spread of 5 individual goalkickers has its own value. We made PLENTY of mistakes with ball in hand (telegraphed kicks into the corridor!) but could often mop it up through weight of numbers and sheer will, while also capitalising better on their mistakes. Our attack has got a lot of the attention this season, but this was a great defensive effort, particularly in that 3rd quarter (very similar to the final last season). Loved Gillard's game and Wilson had some impressive one-on-ones. Six to one marks i50, considering North's talls - that was telling. Great Demon crowd - felt like it was just red and blue people and that one North guy calling for a free kick every few seconds! And all after the Lions took down the Crows. That was a better spectacle, a more free-flowing game. But nothing beats a Dees win.

Those are some good ins, but we're definitely on a bit of an injury rollercoaster. Sucks for Lampard. Fingers crossed that they really are just being careful with Harris and she can get some continuity soon. Some background to the game... Princes Park win-loss record: Melb 6-0; Nth 3-1 Melbourne's win-loss record against North: 5-1 (in 6 meetings, the average margin has been 7.3 points) North's 2023 formline: The Roos have 6 wins on the board, their only loss coming against Brisbane (4th) in R4. Their wins have been against the currently placed 6th, 9th, 10th, 13th, 15th and 16th (Melbourne's: 6th, 8th, 14th, 16th, 17th and 18th). Both teams have played and beaten Geelong (Melb: +49; Nth +9) and GWS (Melb: +77; Nth: +30). North has the stingiest defense in the league, with only 126 points conceeded, compared to 198 for the Dees. Randall is North's leading goalkicker with 14, next best is Shierlaw with 8. Selected teams avg. games experience: Melb 41.5; Nth 37.8 Last time they met: Our last match-up in the 2022B PF was a physical affair, with North putting immense pressure on our ball carriers. To some extent, it was the Roos' wayward kicking and failure to create good forward entries that put them out of the game (18 i50s in the 3rd for just 2 behinds), as the Demon defence stood firm. North played with a spare back, and Kearney in particular cleaned up behind the ball, while Garner had a typically prolific game. In the end, Paxman and Hanks pushed us across the line and a bit of Daisy brilliance sealed the deal for a 16-point win. Also notable given Harris is out is that she was limited in this game by an early injury, forcing the likes of Zanker into the ruck. This time round we're playing a second ruck anyway, though of course we'll still miss her as an aerial threat.

Relevant to our discussion. Puts Garner and Riddell as the best midfield partnership: https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1054849/four-on-the-floor-aflws-most-powerful-engine-rooms "Between the two of them, Garner and Riddell are responsible for 23 per cent of North Melbourne's disposals, 32.2 per cent of its inside 50s and 40.8 per cent of its clearances."

Tests all round! https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1453638/rd8-injury-report-five-demons

I'm a full Dees games at "Princess" Park convert now too. I used to not like that it wasn't "ours", but the benefits clearly outweigh those cons. If they could work out a way to cover that ugly Carlton logo, I'd be happy for us to play our home games there, with maybe just one out at Casey for old times' sake and to force interstate teams or Geelong to travel there haha. Of course, this is all until we build our proper club home base and AFLW boutique stadium... in the distant, distant future.

For those unaware, apparently (according to The W Podcast with Sam Lane) the average attendance for this season could reach the metric the AFL has required to unlock an extra game next year, so 12 H&A instead of 11. Some very good attendances in the last few rounds are needed though. The AFL has kept this quiet, but it's all detailed in the new CBA. Currently I think the average is about on par with last season, which is impressive given there were definitely some double headers that bolstered those figures and none this season. Anyway, we all like to whinge about the short season, so here's a chance to do something about it by getting along to games and get whoever to tag along. I'd also imagine that strong crowds at Ikon will beget more Dees home games there...

I love that this thread just became a Heath fanclub meeting. Should happen every week! Underrated GF moment: On the Garner tagging question, I reckon we go Heath on Riddell. We could put a lot of energy into Garner with not much effect. It's a tricky one.

That's good news. Although the injury report last week didn't even list Harris or Colvin. Or Gay, though I guess technically she's being managed more than injured. Any word on the length of Colvin's injury? Ankle I think? Can we get some money from the soft cap for a dog grooming service for the rest of the year? Money well spent though Poppy might not agree 😄

https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1054453/top-four-battles-set-to-shape-mcclelland-trophy-race

6. Bannan 5. Hanks 4. B. Mackin 3. Purcell 2. McNamara 1. A.Mackin Apologies to the backline who didn't get much of a look-in but I'm sure held their structure and concentration for 99% of the game, just weren't really tested. If I was them, I'd have jumped the fence for an ice cream during the last quarter, so credit to them.

The fact that this didn't even register for me during the game says... something! Absolutely. This game was meaningless in terms of any player's form or ability due to the quality of opposition, but it's a battle in itself to ignore the scoreboard and keep pushing in those conditions. They'd have loved to kick several more, but we can't say it was for lack of trying. There were some tired kicks in the last. Play of the day for me (with apologies to Banno) was the Irish connection for the Sherriff goal in the third. Goldie with the one-on-one contest to B.Mack with the step to A.Mack hard up against the boundary with the flawless centring kick. Just an impressive little skills showcase. Also enjoyed seeing the ruck combo of Campbell and Watt. Hugely important stepping stone for Campbell and she really put her best foot forward from the get-go. Watt was solid also and worked into it well. And that was possibly the best mid-game interview I've ever heard, just so honest and natural. I tried to focus in on West in this game. She does so much to clear the way for others. She's not part of the handball chain so often, but her tackling pressure was apparent. Even though the oppo wasn't convincing, the fact that we can take out Paxy, Gay, Harris and Pearce (almost 250 games experience) and get that result... well. For context, even with those outs (3 of our top 5 in games experience), we had 784 total games experience compared to the Eagles' 543. An even match-up it was not.

Tayla is in Melbourne at least - just seen on the broadcast of the Dons v Tigers.

Rhi Watt with her club debut and first game for 595 days, you love to see it! https://www.instagram.com/p/CyU8gnbhfEO/

Sunday 15th October, 5.05PM AEDT, Mineral Resources Park. Broadcast: Fox Footy, Kayo or live & free on the AFLW website It's a big chance to bounce back from the first loss of the season and the end of a 14-game winning streak. It's our first game at Mineral Resources Park, where West Coast have a 4-10 win-loss record. This is only our third encounter with the Eagles (we last played WC in R10 2022B, a 78-point win that we wish had been just 1 point more). The Eagles' only win for the 2023 season so far was against Port (14th) in R5. Their losses have come against 13th, 5th, 6th, 12th and 16th. Player spotlight: After Round 6, Tyla Hanks is 16th in league avg. disposals (23.2). The notable part is that she has a higher disposal efficiency (72.7%) than any player averaging more than 21.0. All other players in the 21+ category are around 65% or less, the only exception being A.McDonald (Geelong) on 24.2 at 70.3%. In R6, Hanks' DE dropped to a season-low 50%. How the team's ball use stacks up against the better pressure of top teams will have a big say going forward. We'll see what the Eagles can bring and expect a big lift from a lot of our players. Also congrats to Zanker who became the third Demon to kick 5 in an AFLW game, which rocketed her to the top of the league goal kickers and already past her S7 total tally of 14 goals. Injury list: I reckon there's a big chance we leave Pearce at home and give Campbell the main ruck duties - perhaps this was always the plan hence her week off for R6. Paxy misses again as she's still under concussion protocols after the incident with her dog (who has a lot to answer for and better be very cute!). Perhaps we spare A.Mackin the 30+ degree heat or give Chaplin a go if Goldrick's not 100%. This week is the first of two Indigenous Rounds and once again we'll be Narrm. You can read more about our 2023 indigenous jumper (also worn during the men's season) designed by proud Nyul Nyul Saltwater man, Lowell Hunter, here: https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1449670/narrm-football-club-returns-for-aflw-indigenous-rounds

Anyone have Kate's email? Or know who else would be best to contact beyond the generic club email? It's definitely been a problem at other games. But this was just beyond ridiculous. The kids love the music and dance cam and all that (as do some of my friends), which is fine, but it was JUST SO LOUD. The rev ups, while passionate if repetitive, actually drowned out our cheer squad's great work that sets us apart as an AFLW supporter base. (Also 'Gimme Gimme Gimme a Man After Midnight' was a pretty bizarre choice for a kids-focused dance cam at an AFLW match but that's lower on my complaint list haha) Welcome and sorry 😂 Equal opportunity MFCSS. The day they both lose on the same day is going to be tough. I swear I used to be more resilient about losing when this club did it every week! To get us all back to positivity, for anyone who missed it, here's Lily's chat with the Mackin sisters. I guess we know who the talkative one is! Also, Lily really needs a lesson in geography/Irish political history.

6. Zanker 5. Gay 4. Goldrick 3. B.Mackin 2. McNamara 1. Hore

Players who step up in losses are the real ones. Let's vote!

Gah to be honest, I felt that one coming even aside from the usual pre-game paranoia! Hard to go from weeks of poor opposition to a proper outfit like the Crows. We just didn't go up the level and couldn't handle their pressure and physicality. Once they had it in their control, we couldn't find a way to possess it and win it back to our terms. Way too reactive during the middle portion of the game and too many players had a down day at the wrong time. It's almost a relief to have the streak(s) over, and maybe the players will feel that too on some level. We've seen what real opposition does to our game style, and will need to remember how to work through that (again!). Frustrating, though, that Adelaide won in exactly the way you'd have expected them to. It seems we wanted to back our game - next time we meet, we'll play it differently. Hopefully. I'm heading rapidly into 'loss we had to have' territory. Positives: That was the game we've known was coming for Zanker for five years now. She's had break-out games before but that was ultra impressive. Bodywork, positioning, clunking everything, kicking straight. The thing is, you just know she's kicking herself for the one she missed! The fight back. It's all you can ask for when a team digs itself a hole, but it doesn't always happen. They put it all on the line but it was too little too late. Kudos to Goldrick, Gay and B.Mackin for their four quarters. Matchday experience: Aside from the loss, it was great to see so many Dees fans out there, especially the young kids. Could have done without the constant crowd rev-ups and blaring music. There were people near me and my friends who went to hang out in the carpark at halftime because the music was too loud! We have the best cheersquad in the AFLW, just let them and the actual game happening create the atmosphere!!

Great speech by Jake.

Well deserved, Benny!

Agree and aside from physically, maybe a breather to process a huge amount of learning, ready for the back end of the season. So true and so far beyond what I was expecting even based on the growing positives last VFLW season. Will be interesting to see how we go without her as the chop out for Pearce tomorrow. But even aside from how she helps the team structurally, it's a relief just to have a legitimate future ruck prospect in the works again.

A little background to the game... Melbourne's win-loss record against Adelaide: 5-4 (After 3 straight losses between the 2021 PF and the 2022A GF, Melbourne beat Adelaide twice in 2022B) Adelaide's 2023 formline: Adelaide come into Round 6 undefeated, having beaten the currently 5th, 7th, 9th, 14th and 18th-ranked teams (this compares to Melbourne's wins against 6th, 11th, 15th, 17th and 18th) Average games experience for the selected teams: Melbourne 42.3, Adelaide 35.8. Players with 61+ games Melb: 5 Adel: 3 41-60 Melb: 8 Adel: 3 21-40 Melb: 6 Adel: 10 1-20 Melb 2 Adel: 5 At season mid-point, having a look at the individual stats leaderboards, Melbourne players aren't prominent but do dominate the avg. score involvements, with 6 of the top 10 being Demons: Hore (9.4), Hanks (7.2), Paxman (6.5), Purcell (6.0), Zanker (5.6) and Harris (5.5). Two Adelaide players feature, Hatchard in second place (7.2) and Marinoff (5.4) rounding out the top 10.

I had the same issue but found a workaround that I've already forgotten! I probably do need to clear out my attachments as WCW suggested. And then a player gets injured (thankfully in a minor way) playing with their dog! Classic mystery injury of the week stuff! Some good ins. Campbell will be back as match-ups requite, I'd imagine. Fitzy gets a good opportunity. Hopefully Harris is fresh and ready.