Time for the dreaded all-player summary (minus Kenny, who gets the next post to herself). More dreaded than usual, with 49 (!) players to cover.
First up, thanks to the numbering system, the AFLW-listed players:
- 6 – Dani Marshall – her cameo season of 3 games was highlighted by the game against Hawthorn, in which she destroyed Maddie Boyd
- 11 – Alana Barba – 5 games, the highlight of which was her near-solo-effort versus the Saints (24 disposals and 8 tackles)
- 12 – Jo Doonan – 4 games, and kicked a couple goals when we were struggling to do so
- 14 – Ellyse Gamble – played 2 games as her return from injury. At the time we were playing a cheat backline of all talls (e.g. Crook BClarke GClarke Molan Gamble), because we could.
- 16 – Kodi Jacques – hard-arse mid, but unremarkable stats
- 17 – Georgia Clarke – 4 games, topped our marking average, played back and a little forward, will definitely be a bonus tall for the AFLW team. Officially called Klarke for two of her games
- 22 – Amelia Radford – 4 games, has stepped up her game since last year. Beat Jess Bates – we might be the only club to not be traumatised by her this year!
- 23 – Renee Tierney – her average stats are deceptive, as she was injured early on in her second and final game. In the first game she played primarily as a mid, with 21 disposals 11 tackles and a goal. Ramping up to be Bannister V2.
- 25 – Alex Morcom – 1 game to remain an every-season OG; killed it but had hamstring awareness afterwards
- 26 – Ash van Loon – I’m excited. Was given huge tasks in her AFLW debut season, and has further bulked up on her way to becoming a monster. Did some big-boded midfielding on top of the work in defence.
- 27 – Sophie van de Heuvel – wing, mostly. And meh.
- 28 – Mia Busch – meh
- 30 – Stephanie Wales – we got glimpses in her AFLW debut season when she became #1 ruck in the absence of Jorja Borg, but over the summer she STEPPED UP. Averaged 17 disposals and 25 hit-outs, and along with Ryan was just dominating everything she got to.
- 32 – Paige Scott – her first game was greedy and ineffectual; the other games she was a star. Until she got knocked out.
- 33 – Amber Clarke – only had 1 good game from 4, vs the Pies, but that one really showed her pace and evasion skills.
And now to the VFLW-listed players:
- 41 – Courtney Ugle – with Dicker and Ryan, she played every game this year. Returned to the role of captain after doing that in 2019. Played a mix of HB and wing, and was never inside mid.
- 42 – Shelby Meyers – DNP. On a quick glance it seems she did not play for her new club Oak Park in the EDFL either. Quigley kicked 38 goals there, though, to win the EDFL Premier goal-kicking by 17 goals!
- 42 – Maddison Ford – debuted in round 9 as a forward, and played every game from there on (but mostly in defence). For a tall she is very mobile. Not passive, takes the game on. I strongly hope we have her back next year.
- 43 – Olivia Manfre – kicked 5 goals in the Keilor EDFL season-launcher and two weeks later was in our team and never left it. Three “bags” of 2 in her 10 goals, behind only Clifford. As the year went on, improvements to her offensive and defensive game were seen… but she’s still a low disposal-getter, and not fast enough or big enough to be THE key forward.
- 44 – Grace Dicker – it seems an eternity ago (well, it was) that Grace played inside mid in round one last year and it set the standard for how she could step up. For various reasons, not least including the insane midfield quality of the 2022 team, it wasn’t to be, and the Grand Final was statistically her worst-ever game (really only remembered for her 30m run without a bounce). But this year? Wow. She has been the bedrock of our midfield; she ran down and zoomed past Jess Bates on tackles; she arguably beat Jess Bates in the semi-final; and she’s becoming a more complete midfielder, not just the one in the pack giving opponents a Dickering. If she can tidy up her kicking (and that is an ask, I know) she could plausibly be THE midfielder of 2024 VFLW.
- 45 – Bella Clarke – we are lucky to have Crook and her.
- 46 – Gloria Elarmaly – DNP
- 47 – Mia-Rae Clifford – anything I say here will have been said already: she’s a ■■■■■■■ legend. Missed five rounds early playing rugby union (not too badly either).
- 48 – Madison Gray – got scattered games across the season (half-back and wing, primarily). Has a point of difference from much of our squad in that she is legit fast. Unfortunately, she also just doesn’t get the ball.
- 49 – Tamsin Crook – we are lucky to have Bella and her.
- 50 – Krystal Russell – missed out on being drafted, went around again with the Western Jets and us and numerous representative games. The combination of 18yo, legit big lump, AND good endurance might yet get her to the AFLW. If she’s available next year, yes please.
- 51 – Leah Spargo – she’s short but soooo looks like a natural footballer when she has not… but sooo barely gets it. Best known as a back pocket, but played forward and sometimes mid with us.
- 52 – Jayda Richardson – various roles during the season: fill-in ruck and big-bodied midfielder in pre-season, then third tall defender, then a forward. What was constant was she loves to hurt people (and usually gets away with it).
- 53 – Zoe Hurrell – great pick-up. Went from kicking her first AFLW goal against us, to kicking her first VFLW goal for us. Also had a pre-season cameo in the middle, before settling at half-back and providing us great rebound. Lots of brave marks. Has some zip.
- 55 – Eleanor Cornish – it’s entirely plausible that next year Courtney will be the sole survivor
- 56 – Manaia Huta – the ol’ nonna (not; she’s only just turned 21 and is presumably Maori) played an almost clone game of Heil (which we get more into in the next post) in her first year with us. Not exciting, but useful. Hopefully her knee is OK after last week.
- 57 – Natalie MacDonald – DNP
- 58 – Chloe Prpic – we chucked a couple no-name 18yo kids in at the deep end this year. Purr-pitch played inside mid and filled in gaps forward and back. Did very little offensively, but she was conscientious enough, and clean enough of hand, to believe there is decent scope for improvement.
- 59 – Tayla Hart-Aluni – was exactly what we needed (see my post earlier on our moribund forward line), and then she was broken
- 60 – Jaimee-Lee Morrow – exactly what it says on the tin: a mature ruck, of the came-to-footy-late variety. Rarely dominant but does enough at ground level and around the ground to stop us getting rolled.
- 61 – Eloise Chaston – started as a forward, ended as a midfielder. Has got class and a big kick; I have no idea how they only kicked two goals.
- 62 – Melanie Bateman – one of the few “older” players we brought in this year. Of course, at 25yo she would count as a youngster during 2019-2022. Was “OK” (good at times, not good enough at others) and effectively replaced by 19yo Maddison Ford in the second half of the year.
- 63 – Lily Bateman – cameo of 1 H&A game
- 64 – Maddy Pearson – actually, maybe Pearson replaced Bateman. Not usually a star (except in the FOOTY FACES competition) but I never doubted her work ethic
- 65 – Caitlin Grech – played in the pre-season only
- 66 – Maddi Wilson – 3.5 years older than Manfre, smaller, barely faster. The last couple games was the closest she ever got to being a small forward, as opposed to a tiny full-forward.
- 67 – Sophie Ure – two games as ruck. Legit height at 185, but easily pushed aside. Foot injury ended her playing, but not her attendance.
- 68 – Scarlett Orritt – not sure if she’d ever played forward before we sent her there (U18 she was wing/half-back)
- 72 – Reese Sutton – finally, she debuted! Is a tough little bugger, with inside skills. At least with us she is yet to demonstrate small forward skills.
- 73 – Sophie Molan – we made finals because of Froggy’s addition to the squad. Great versatility from CHB to midfielder. Topped our disposals ladder despite the late start.
- 74 – Eloise Ashley-Cooper – back from the injury that resulted in the loss of her AFLW spot, two games, out from injury
- 75 – Lila Keck – half-a-game, busted her ankle. Call it a 10% chance she plays for us in the AFLW.
- 76 – Meg Ryan – EVERYTHING THAT IS GOOD ABOUT THIS WORLD! I wrote “fun to watch but a looooong way from arrived” after the first practice match and she progressively proved me wrong over the rest of the season. Contested beast (enough to play as an inside mid), decent pace and increasingly clean hands and quick reactions, kicking (especially for the instant snaps) is greatly improved. But back to the first line, she is bursting with energy and enthusiasm. Find someone who loves you as much as Meg Ryan loves raising her hand to nominate for a ruck contest!
- 77 – Tia Davidge – still 18yo. Played 16 games, mid/forward/back. Maybe not the class of Prpic, but has good bulk and CLUNKing hands.
- 78 – Kendra Heil – see the next post!
- 79 – Annabel Strahan – I believe I have expressed my option on this sufficiently clearly previously. She was out the next week and (I gather) played out the season at Keilor. It’s particular annoying as from the small sample she seemed not that different physically or skills-wise to Hurrell. But it also takes heart and brain to footy good.
- 79 – Sarah Grunden – one game
- 80 – Caitlin Sargent – three games before departing to spit the Pies.