spirit of norm smith

Ins: Lily Johnson (Port Adelaide), Alyssia Pisano, Ryleigh Wotherspoon, Jacinta Hose, Jemma Rigoni, Delany Madigan (draft), Grace Hill (Greater Western Sydney, injury replacement) Outs: Libby Birch (North Melbourne), Maddi Gay (Essendon), Casey Sherriff, Eliza West (Hawthorn), Charlotte Wilson (Gold Coast), Georgie Fowler (retired), Jordi Ivey, Sammie Johnson* (delisted)

Long term pick. Will miss 2024 with rehab from knee injury (second ACL). Thought Ruck stocks were ok with Pearce and Campbell and Gillard (Gall and Harris can rotate as well). A player for 2025 and beyond.

Pick 55 Delany Madigan. We raided the Esstern Ranges. Huge draft night. Missed out on Mikayla Williamson at pick 12 but otherwise very good picks.

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1478752/aflw-draft-pick-no29-rigoni-legacy-continues Skills and pace. Jemma’s got star quality. Daughter of Guy. Love it. 👏👏👏⭐️⭐️⭐️

👏👏👏welcome Alyssia

Yes just the type of youngster that the AFLW Dees need.

Not sure they can continue with the stay at home or national option in the draft. Highly compromised even with other concessions. Top prospects in WA or SA can elect to stay at home. Piper Window (great name) is probably a top 3 pick but choose to stay in SA so nominated state and not National. Port gets a free hit as long as they stay in the draft ahead of the AFLW crows. Time to equalize the rules!!! (Oh sorry it’s the AFL way!!!)

Lost 4 quality players but the team still looks strong enough to challenge again next season. Add 2-3 quality youngsters and would like to see a fit TAYLA HARRIS back and firing.

Dees will be boosted by the addition of Jemma Rigoni. She’s got real pace and plays like a youngster who’s grown up with footy skills built up over many years. AFL website write up… Position: Winger Height: 172cm State: Victoria, Oakleigh Chargers/Ashburton Nomination: Victoria Slightly older at 19, Rigoni missed out on her draft year after suffering a torn ACL in 2021. She's returned to both under-18 and VFLW level (with Casey Demons) in fine style, providing plenty of pace and neat kicking skills on the wing. Can also play off the flanks if needed.

Looks like Mikayla Williamson is a potential draftee.. AFL website write up Position: Midfielder Height: 174cm State: Victoria, Dandenong Stingray/Pines Nomination: Victoria One of the very top athletes in the draft, Williamson set a new Combine record for the 2km time trial, taking five seconds off Nina Morrison and Tarni Evans' long-standing time of 7:14. She finished second in the agility test and fourth in the standing vertical jump. Wins the footy and can clear congestion with ease.

Surely we get a first round pick from the Bombers with some picks back it’s perhaps something like Bombers get Gay and pick GCS 35 and 53 MFC get pick EFC 13 and Lily Johnson GCS get Charlotte Wilson and pick MFC 56 Port get MFC pick 74 like MFC to have 5,13,19&26 👏👏👏

It’s a guaranteed winner. Let’s make it happen. We are the nomads of the AFL, from the MCG to Junction oval to Caulfield Grammar school to Casey to AAMI as various training bases. Time for a home. Time for a modern state of the art facility. Time to stop driving 55 minutes out to Cranbourne. State Government will back it like they back the Cats and Bombers and Tigers training facilities. It’s a community facility too. And creates jobs and economic growth. It’s a winner. Feasibility. Yes pros and cons but Dees have wasted 30 years and countless dollars on feasibility. Let’s go. ps. I live within 10 minutes so declare a small conflict of interest.

Yes if we need depth than Hunt adds experience and you know what you’re getting.

https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/video/987962/future-star-showreel-kristie-lee-weston-turner?videoId=987962&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1690574400001 I think in watching the highlights packs, I’m looking at Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner. She’s got the athleticism and raw ability to be a Tayla Harris type, with a thumping kick and good marking. At 6ft and good pace, lots to develop. Double barrel hyphens also a fun feature !!!

I think in watching the highlights packs, I’m looking at Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner. She’s got the athleticism and raw ability to be a Tayla Harris type, with a thumping kick and good marking. At 6ft and good pace, lots to develop. Double barrel hyphens also a fun feature !!!

Lauren Pearce is a ruck. Like big Maxy Gawn, do not experiment by taking your best ruck and try to make them a forward. Banno is a forward. She is not great defensively and needs her pace to burn opponents. She’s a ripper and will bounce back. Libby to a premiership threat and contender. Ouch. 😭😭 best is behind her?? That’s rubbish. She’s 26. Just. Just turned 26. She’s a loss. Gay and West and Wilson and Sheriff and Birch. That’s a cull. 4 of best 18 out imv. Plenty of opportunities now for some fringe players and youngsters to come through. Refresh. Reset. Go again in ‘24.

Yes I’m really hoping BBB gets back. He’s the forgotten man of 2023. Not even mentioned in the media regarding any absence and he can help our goalscoring and conversion.

Demon Spirit Award goes to Lily Mithen. In third place is Lauren Pearce. Two worthy winners of the inaugural Daisy Pearce Trophy. 🏆 Kate Hore 🏆Tyla Hanks

Libby was a star in season 7 and in the premiership. She didn’t have the greatest season just gone but was serviceable imv. One of our leaders and I think could be excused for a down year. Would be sad to see her go. Others also weren’t at their best this year by the way. It’s not all on Libby that the Dees fell away in straight sets.

To confirm the trade MFC give Eliza West and Casey Sherriff and pick 16 MFC get pick 5 and 26

Have to look at Melanie Staunton. Tough onballer. Lots of physical play to her game. That’s needed to our midfield.

Injury ruined the draft chances for Riak Andrew in 2023. He’s very lightly built (192cm, 72kg) and plays as a tall interceptor role as a defender. Similar but shorter than his brother Mac Andrew (Suns) , he is raw but you can see real talent and he has the athletic qualities to progress to the AFL. Hope he gets into Casey list program and continues developing

Still a star studded line up. Not sure why Gay is leaving but do believe clubs are throwing higher $$ dollars around. I think Dees can re-challenge. Harris and Banno were cooked by years end. Not sure why but they both underperformed in both finals.

Harvey Langford is training with the Dees this pre season.

Pre season training. I remember it at our suburban footy club. Tooronga Malvern. Started about now but definitely not this intense. Usually an hour of running then hit the showers and off to the Malvern Vale afterwards for a Parma 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣