ESSENDON
B: S. Orritt (68), L. Bateman 63)
HB: S. Molan (73), E. Chaston (61), M. Ford (42)
C: S. Ford (45), R. Mahony (78), D. Ryan (51)
HF: T. Davidge (77), C. Bernardi (47), J. Richardson (52)
F: S. Perkins (55), T. Hart-Aluni (59)
R: J. Morrow (60), B. Hunt (79), A. Melnikas (64)
INT: M. Robinson (80), I. Porter (70), A. Jordan (62), E. Huggard (75), E. Tassiopoulos (49)
This is how the WFC team article starts:
Essendon has names it’s VFLW side
It offers no information beyond what was on the AFL site a funeral and a wake ago.
Barba playing her 50th VFLW game; 35 with us, and all 15 possible with Norf this year.
She effectively did not miss a single game with us either: the last 4 games of 2019 as a junior, 17 in 2021, 9 in 2022 after being cut by the Suns (finishing the year with two shiny things), and the first 5 weeks of 2023 as an AFLW player.
And then injury crueled her within our AFLW team.
Be kind to us on Sunday, Alana…
(Provisionally) tick the first one, only.
Port (6th) have beaten the Hawks (3rd)… which means the winner of this game gets the double chance!
We did exactly that from 4th/5th in 2021 and 2023 (didn’t need to do so in 2022).
All we have to do now is beat Norf…
Forecast shifting towards all-day drizzle…might not be raining at the time of the game but it should be a wet-weather game.
Manfre is OUT because she is part of a touch footy camp at the AIS.
Wheelchairs have the bye this weekend. So the only important game will determine if We Win the Weekend.
| Team | For | Against | Result | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VFL | 98 | 63 | W | 156% |
| AFL | 60 | 105 | L | 57% |
| VFLW | ? | ? | ||
| TOTAL | 158 | 168 | 1 - 1 | 94% |
So our target today is a 67 point turnaround from 6 weeks ago (or 66, then win in extra time).
What turnarounds have we achieved in the past (within the one season – if three games within the one season, not checking 1 vs 3)?
So that last one says today is possible; and we have named a notably better team than we did in round 9.
We are Essendon; we don’t lose elimination finals and we always achieve the double chance. Let’s do this.
Update of our changes since round 9:
| OUT | IN | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Sienna Hobbs | Jayda Richardson | Fwd/ruck |
| Kodi Jacques | Bailey Hunt | Mid/fwd |
| Manaia Huta | Tayla Hart-Aluni | Small forward |
| Lavina Cox | Ava Jordan | Mid |
| Gabby Drage | Sarah Perkins | Forward |
| Chloe Prpic | Christina Bernardi | Utility |
Junior Cox was one of our better players in round 9, but that’s overall a huge upgrade.
However, the two most important questions that are not really addressed by those changes are:
(Barba is named back and Tierney is named in a stacked forward line, but I don’t believe they’ll stay there.)
Norf changes since round 9:
OUT:
IN:
Slaney and Guy have been named in the middle – Brooke Slaney has played 32 games all over the ground but has rarely been named as a mid (most commonly at CHB). Peak of 12 disposals this year, only once in her VFLW career has she gone higher than 15.
Jen Guy is kinda the same story, except the stats indicate a much greater ability to actually get the ball (16 of 24 games had 15+ disposals).
Ground is only somewhat wet. Wind is across the ground at 45 degrees to the far left.
It’s spitting right now, but it looks like there will be no substantial showers.
Captain and vice-captain kicking tennis ball back and forth.
Tay says hi.
The Essendon Royals (?) played bad; Dani says she was less bad than them as a whole.
Half-German-Shepherds-half-Huskies are LARGE.
Uh oh: Paige Scott is here and will no doubt want to out-boundary-set-shot the trainers.
