poita

HS report indicates that Guerra mentioned our membership tally of 58,000 as being too low. I assume that, not only are we losing members, but many are also downgrading to lower membership levels. The financial consequences of this could be very significant. I'll be very interested to see how the club goes about attracting members this year, in terms of both on-field and off-field offerings.

It was a combination of both of those things, which doesn't make it any less dumb. Geelong would have offered him two years maximum, but they also wouldn't have destroyed a premiership list within four years.

Again the lack of coach and dedicated list management boss seem problematic here. We have a number of older players showing obvious signs of decline or reduced durability (Paxman, Lampard and Goldrick to name three, and Pearce has also had issues in previous years). If that is impacting our ability to recruit and retain the next generation, somebody needs to be prepared to make some hard calls, because we don't yet have a list that can genuinely compete for premierships.

Reading between the lines this seems to be a delisting with a promise by Collingwood to list at the next opportunity. Perhaps they can add her in the draft tonight?

Apologies for the size and formatting - this is from the Herald Sun. AFLW Phantom Draft: How the top 20 picks could fall, when bids landPICK 1: RICHMOND Scarlett Johnson 175cm utility, Northern Knights The Tigers traded up to pick one for a reason and many believe that reason is Scarlett Johnson. The 18-year-old wasn’t picked in the AFLW Academy this year, but after a standout performance at the national championships, she’s bolted into top-five contention. Richmond has been linked to her since acquiring the No.1 pick but there is also speculation the Tigers could opt for Subiaco key forward Olivia Wolmarans, given Katie Brennan is in the twilight of her career. Chloe Bown is also an option. PICK 2: GWS Olivia Wolmarans 181cm key forward, Subiaco As long as Richmond doesn’t pounce with pick one, expect Wolmarans to be a Giant. No other key forward in the AFLW, let alone this year’s draft pool, can do some of the things this draft unicorn is capable of. Wolmarans has plenty of admirers at the pointy end of the draft. PICK 3: SYDNEY SWANS (matching GWS bid) Alex Neyland 178cm forward, Sydney Swans Academy Let the bidding begin. Despite missing a large chunk of the last two years due to an ACL injury, Neyland has picked up where she left off. She can play at both ends but does the most damage up forward with her athleticism and work rate. A breakout year means several clubs, including the Giants, rate her as a top 10 prospect. If GWS doesn’t bid, which emerged as a possibility on Sunday, expect another club to fairly soon after. PICK 4: GWS Kiera Yerbury 173cm midfielder/forward, Sydney Swans Academy Here’s where things get interesting. After not being included on the initial list of 11, Yerbury has since received a late invitation to Monday night’s official function in Melbourne. It’s sparked speculation that the Giants are considering a double bid on Neyland and Yerbury, meaning Sydney (pick 18) can only match one. When else is there one, let alone two, genuine top 10 New South Wales prospects? The Giants are weighing up go-home concerns when it comes to Chloe Bown. Evie Cowcher could be an outside chance to pair with fellow West Aussie Wolmarans. PICK 5: GOLD COAST (matching Adelaide bid) Sunny Lappin 169cm midfielder, Gold Coast Academy Gold Coast naturally wants to see academy players picked where they deserve to be picked. But given the differences in AFLW bidding, opposition clubs aren’t as ruthless as they are in the men’s. Rival clubs don’t expect Richmond or GWS to bid on any Gold Coast players but it’s understood Adelaide is considering kicking off a red and gold avalanche with a swing at Lappin. The daughter of former Saint and Blue Matthew, Sunny has forged her own path this year after winning Queensland’s MVP and All-Australian selection at the national championships. PICK 6: ADELAIDE Imogen Trengove 164cm utility, Woodville-West Torrens Depending on what happens in the first five picks, rival clubs think Adelaide will be choosing between Imogen Trengove, Bown and Yerbury. If the latter gets through, the Crows would strongly consider a bid given her grandparents lives in Adelaide. But the Crows are also understood to have met with Bown in Melbourne after the trade period concluded to assess go-home concerns. Trengove and Bown share some similarities so some suspect that Adelaide might play things safe and shop local, especially given the Woodville-West Torrens product has strong interest from Collingwood. But Brooke Boileau proved that Croweaters don’t always stay Crows. PICK 7: GOLD COAST (matching Collingwood bid) Ava Usher 162cm midfielder, Gold Coast Academy If she wasn’t tied to the Suns’ academy, Usher probably would’ve been this year’s No. 1 pick. That’s despite missing the best part of the last two years with an ACL injury followed up by a minor clean-up a few months ago. She might have to wait a little longer than expected to hear her name read out but that will only add fuel to the fire. Usher believes she’s now a better athlete than before her injury and she wants to prove that to the AFLW. PICK 8: GOLD COAST (matching Collingwood bid) Georja Davies 184cm utility, Gold Coast Academy Like Usher, Davies would go higher in an open pool given she’s said to be the best of all four sisters. Her versatility is also a big point of difference, having played in the ruck, on-ball and down back in the last two years. PICK 9: COLLINGWOOD Chloe Bown 173cm midfielder, Oakleigh Chargers It would be a massive win for the Magpies if Bown, a No. 1 pick contender a few weeks ago, slipped through. She won just about everything this year, including overall MVP of the national championships. Collingwood has also been linked strongly to Trengove while Jordyn Allen could also be a chance to join her namesake at the Magpies. Evie Cowcher has to be considered. PICK 10: GOLD COAST (matching Essendon’s bid) Dekota Baron 178cm key forward, Gold Coast Academy The top 10 prospect had a slow start to the national championships due to a finger injury but she’s still one of the most electric forwards in the draft pool when she’s up and running. A strong presence in attack and not many read the ball better than her. PICK 11: GOLD COAST (matching Essendon’s bid) Alannah Welsh 169cm forward, Gold Coast Academy When you think of Welsh, you think of class. She was named in the All-Australian side at the national championships and her delivery inside 50 will be a massive asset for the Suns. PICK 12: ESSENDON Evie Cowcher 175cm defender, Peel Thunder After dumping a Suns academy few bids, there’s a few in the mix at the Bombers. Some rival clubs believe the Bombers wouldn’t let Evie Cowcher get past them, having put a lot of work into the defender. Cowcher is a top five pick on talent alone but some clubs are wary of a back issue that saw her miss a big chunk of 2025. Baker-West is also a strong contender given the Bulldogs interest a couple of picks later while Trengove could be in the mix if she’s still available. PICK 13: GEELONG Priya Bowering 167cm midfielder Tasmania Devils There’s three names that have been linked to Geelong – Bowering, Maggie Johnstone and Jordyn Allen. The Cats need midfield depth and speed but the concern with Bowering is the looming threat of Tasmania’s AFLW team. Johnstone’s power and ability to have an impact up forward could appeal while Allen is a rebounding defender. PICK 14: GOLD COAST (matching Bulldogs’ bid) Mikayla Nurse 166cm midfielder, Gold Coast Academy The All-Australian has boosted her draft stocks this year thanks to more exposure on-ball. But equally, she’s one of the better outside runners in the draft, highlighted by her viral five-bounces during the QAWFL finals. PICK 15: WESTERN BULLDOGS Chloe Baker-West 165cm midfielder, Calder Cannons There’s a few names likely to be in the mix here – Chloe Baker-West, Jordyn Allen, Priya Bowering, Mia Russo, Tayla McMillan, so a midfielder seems like the logical selection. But if the Bombers pass on Chloe Baker-West, the Dogs are known fans. PICK 16: MELBOURNE Jordyn Allen 165cm defender, Eastern Ranges Bowering is an option if the Cats get in first for Allen through but the Demons are believed to have taken a liking to the Eastern Ranges product. The rebounding defender would develop nicely alongside All-Australian Maeve Chaplin and serve as an eventual replacement for Paxy Paxman. Lucy Waye and Mia Russo could also be options. PICK 17: PORT ADELAIDE Sophie Eaton 170cm utility, Central District Rivals are tipping Port will stay local with its first pick and Eaton is one of the best of the Croweaters. Her season was cut short by injury but she’s proven to be a balanced midfielder. PICK 18: SYDNEY (matching Brisbane’s bid) Maddie Quinn 187cm ruck, Sydney Swans Academy Quinn may be a ruck but she plays like a midfielder. She’s athletic, clean below her knees and strong overhead. Don’t be surprised if a bid comes earlier in the night but armed with pick 28, the Swans won’t want to let Quinn slip through their fingers. PICK 19: BRISBANE Tayla McMillan 162cm midfielder, Eastern Ranges There’s a chance that a highly touted prospect like Cowcher or Allen slips through to Brisbane. But the Lions need some midfield depth after losing the grand final to North Melbourne which could bring a number of players into the equation. McMillan is tough and skilful and would relish the chance to work alongside Belle Dawes. Other options could include Olivia Crane, Lucy Waye and Asher Fearn-Wannan. PICK 20: WEST COAST Mia Russo 167cm midfielder, West Perth In one of the lesser-known stories of the trade period, West Coast made a play for the No. 1 pick with one player in mind – Olivia Wolmarans. While that tells us they’d love a power forward, the Eagles generally pick the next best available when it comes to the draft. Naturally, West Coast sees a lot of the WA girls up close and would find it hard to overlook Russo if she’s still available. Olivia Crane is the best defender on offer locally but the Eagles are stacked down back with Sophie McDonald set to return from the inactive list as well as Beth Schilling from a foot injury. For the Eagles, it’s set to be a case of seeing who slips through the chaos once they’re on the clock.

Gawn is not perfect, but he is very good at the role and the only suitable option at this point. As both a leader and a player, Gawn needs to realise that a sizeable part of his legacy will rest on whether he is prepared to share the load so that there is a smooth transition when he leaves. Otherwise there will be a massive void that we can't fill when that time comes.

There should be some fantastic activations at the MA Services sponsor tent on Saturday, given their (alleged) creative approach to human resources, payroll and taxation compliance.

Thoughts on Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner being forced into the draft? She can clearly play if she went pick 1, but there seem to be some big question marks around her character and her durability.

Campbell still looks a long way off to me. There is clearly talent there, but we lost a lot of momentum every time she went into the ruck in the final series, particularly against North. Hopefully Pearce can hang on for at least another two seasons.

Good luck to Mick. I hope he does well at Geelong, but not too well. Hopefully he stays well away from our players as well.

Aren't the Bulldogs the club that is trying to get a foothold in Ballarat? Why the hell would you play Melbourne and Richmond in Ballarat (on a Friday afternoon, no less), when the Bulldogs are playing elsewhere on the same day? The AFL genuinely could not care less about club members and supporters.

Why do we keep getting involved in deals that do very little for us and help other clubs improve?

Congratulations to Kate and Tyla on their excellent seasons, but that top 10 shows once again that there is a pretty big gap between our list and North Melbourne's. We have two genuine stars and a number of quality role players, but we definitely lack the spread of top end talent that we need to win a premiership.

I don't begrudge Zanker leaving for lifestyle (and monetary) reasons, but that is a truly awful piece of business by us. Not only is Zanker worth considerably more than pick 9 (26 years old, premiership player, AFLW leading goalkicker, All Australian, etc), but we then give up more picks to get back pick 27. Absolute rubbish. I said during the season that I was deeply concerned by the amount of talent that has left our AFLW program in the past 12 months. That was prior to Mick Stinear moving on, and we are now in the middle of a trade period without a coach and with a part time list manager. How can we possibly expect to retain and attract talent?

I'm not so worried about wins and losses next year. I do want to see us set a significant foundation from which we can build towards our next premiership. Frankly the last four years have been a complete waste and have taken us further and further away from where we need to be. A good indication will be whether we continue to gift games to players such as Salem, Langdon, Sparrow and Lever when their performances don't warrant selection.