VFLW - round 2 vs Pies @ Windy Hill, 11am Sat 26 April 2025

theDJR · April 26, 2025, 1:14pm

Appears Lucy Thompson was unavailable because Nanna had the gall to reach 75yo.

Chris_1993 · April 26, 2025, 1:31pm

I thought Strong had a solid game too. Busch was involved a lot but her disposal is still very iffy.

theDJR · April 26, 2025, 1:44pm

I barely noticed Strong, so was surprised at her stats.

Chambers perhaps had a too easy day down back, but had the most marks and equal-most intercept possessions (for both teams), and never looked flustered.

Belloni amaze-balls.

Adams quietly racked up game-high disposals, tackles, clearances, and score involvements, and kicked a nice goal herself.

Gaylor a big second half.

MiaVanDyke much better game, but I struggle to see her as AFLW level. Busch OK.

Dyke relatively quiet, but I can see her value on the list.

Ridewood entirely disappeared today.

Gough was looking damaging, then

theDJR · April 26, 2025, 2:09pm

Bernardi had one hell of a first game, and her combination with Richardson looks to be as good a key forward arrangement as we have had since 2022.

Ditto Albrecht and (for the next few weeks while we can afford it) McDonald best forward smalls since, yes, 2022. And Albrecht is a tad tougher than NatMac was.

Was a very very marked contrast in forward efficiency compared to last week…

Robinson best game for some time.

Layla Prince is not going to be a dominant hit-outs-to-advantage ruck, but I am absolutely not complaining about today’s 30 hit-outs and 8 tackles. Yet to be seen if she can also be a satisfactory KPP.

Chaston is a star. Ava is improved, lots of good leads today. Green Boots is growing in confidence as a regular intercepter.

theDJR · April 26, 2025, 11:57pm

QUARTER ONE

Geez, the Pies were lucky we only had the combo of Richo + Gough + Bernardi early on…
Richo has a couple fumbles in this game, but she is a LEGIT target to go to.
5:50 initially brave and then just good skill running-back-with-the-ball-to-spoil by Ridewood
Another 20 seconds of pressure leads to that great kick by Adams. Mere mortals would just bomb long down the middle to Gough one-on-one.
Bernadi calls all the forwards in after she converts the goal to dispense words of wisdom.
Either a smothered kick is “effective”, or I can’t trust Champion Data to count kicks (MiaVanDyke was credited with 100% effective disposals, along with Gough and Jordan).
So many sub-15m kicks being paid as marks. Also several kicking-in-dangers missed. But it was still overall a good day for the umps.
10:45 I must have watched the Belloni pass to Plummer 15 times by now. It’s CRAZY GOOD, but in the sense that I don’t say that phrase ten times a game. She had the gap to force Plummer to stop in her tracks and mark 45m out. She chose, and actually did, much better. The Pie trying to smother had no idea someone would try something that hard.
13:15 I think 68 Jaide Anthony deliberately kneed the prone Bernardi in the head. Karma’s a ■■■■■, albeit three quarters delayed before striking.
13:40 Good chase, Porter. A much better game this week, but gotta do more than just be the second player older than 23 in the team.
Bowls club was typically empty, but the croquet was BUSY.
Big first quarters by Robinson and Plummer.
LOL, I didn’t even notice Bella Clarke. Too good for the backline nowadays, apparently.
16:00 Not at all apparent in the video, but this one of the distant overriding calls by Emma Stark (for Belloni being whacked in the head).
16:35 RICHO RICHO GIRL. Comes from behind to jump over the pack and mark.
18:20 Gough knew she was ■■■■■■ straight away, punched the ground in anger.

LOL, I failed to distinguish right from left when she was hobbling off. What a maroon.

theDJR · April 27, 2025, 12:44am

QUARTER TWO

First mark carries maybe 8 metres.
SophieStrong the tidy goal assist for Adams.
1:30 OK, the Pie grossly delaying the return of the ball to McDonald provided a few extra second for Belloni to relocate from the centre to the goal square. But this, and other times in this game, shows she has an appetite for hard work.
Both that centre clearance and the next one show Belloni can work through tight spaces.
4:15 Plummer has strong tackling fingers!
5:10 Taya Chambers just casually shrugging past the oncoming Pie.
5:30 Sloppy kick by Strong, had much more time to hit Bernadi than she gave herself.
9:10 Shockingly bad HTB decision. How?!? Farking bizarre.
The Pie is so annoyed she decks Albrecht AFTER she disposes. The umps miss that, but in any case Bellini marks.
These commentators might be Bernadi fanboys, but it is absolutely justified at this time.
11:05 OK, Emma made that free up; she’s not perfect. Mass confusion.
13:45 If there was ever a reason to pay the Gary Ablett Jr rule (being taken out of play after disposing), it was now for Albrecht.
14:15 WTF, Maddy. Conned by a call-out? But her fellow defenders, and then Captain Chaston running in, are keen to re-focus her and say “that’s not you; you’re better than that” in the good way. Quiet game so far, but in the second half Robinson will hand Ford the baton.
17:15 LilyRose has an anger management issue. How did we not get a free for her attack on Chaston?!? Bonus points to Abbey and then Prince for running in to fly the flag.

theDJR · April 27, 2025, 1:24am

QUARTER THREE

3:30 LOL at McDonald’s and Albrecht’s reactions to each other after the latter steals the mark from the former.
7:10 Chambers has her third intercept in rapid time, and we go C2C. Taya-Busch-Chaston-Strong-Bernardi-BELLONI. Watch as Strong’s kick flies to see Belloni sprinting in the foreground to become the “uncontested” target up forward.
11:35 It’s very very nice not to have to wait till round 11 before Bernardi starts her season. Big tackle.
13:15 Ridewood tackle, Adams tackle, Dyke collects off the ground in a pack to hit up Gaylor, Gaylor insta-transfers to Adams, to Strong while Adams shepherds, Richo the big target collects the kick forward on the run, precise chip to Bernardi, to Ava, back to Bernadi, GOAL – it doesn’t get much better than that, champ.
17:05 Gaylor can make precise handballs around opponents while sliding horizontally. And then slip forward to clunk, and perfectly pass to the leading Bernardi.

theDJR · April 27, 2025, 2:04am

QUARTER FOUR

5:05 Karma sometimes rhymes. It was a flying Bernardi knee to the back of Jaide Anthony (no malice) that took her out of the game.
5:10 Oh Busch… first, and worst, of her misses this quarter.
8:50 LilyRose still has over-reacting anger management issues. Thank you Marnie for dragging Plummer out of that… especially given you can be a right prick at times!
16:40 LOL at the Pie headbutting the stationary shepherding bicep of Busch, and getting a free for it.
17:15 FLOP! Thanks ump for not crediting that one.
18:25 Adams tunnels or the Pie knees/shins her, and the Pie comes off slightly worse.