Darebin held strong vs Willy for a quarter, then completely folded. Turnover central killing their defenders.
Key factor to note is Willy were well beaten in the ruck (22-36) and the clearances (23-31).
We smashed Port in the ruck (49-27) and broke even (26-28) on clearances. If we can read Russell (and others?) better it will be a good head start.
Worth noting that Seagull ruck Cat O’Bryan may have been beaten in the hitouts but she tied with Gogos (who else?) for clearances, and had more disposals than the two Falcon rucks combined. Neutralise her, and it could be a huge head start.
I don’t think Stepnell tried to ruck, but she was their top disposal getter with 18 (and a goal).
Molly Simpson kicked 4.2, Sharnie Whiting 2.3, and Eliza Stafford 2.1
Ash Thorneycroft, poached from FCFC, was having a big game before copping a leg injury in the third quarter. Did not return to play.
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I’d put up comparative stats but (surprise!) the AwFuL Game Centre is broken.
Here’s their individual stats today.
Stats Leaders (leaders, us, Willy, maybe a few others).
As it’s the first week I expect a lot of equal tenths, but I’m just using the VFL app so that is not easily extracted.
Apart from goals, the numbers below are averages… but the rankings are sorted by totals.
Disposals
1 - Jasmine Fleming (Hawks) 39
7 - Ange Gogos (Darebin; only listed because Willy obliterated them and still couldn’t beat her) 23
Goals
1 - Mietta “boring hair” Kendall (Hawks) 5
2 - Molly Simpson (Willy) 4
7 - Sharnie Whiting (Willy) 2
Marks
1 - Sarah Skinner (Dogs) 7
10 - Lori Stepnell (Willy) 5
Tackles
1 - Eloise Ashley-Cooper (Port) 15 (argh)
Equal 9th - Megan Williamson (Willy)
Kicks
1 - Ellie Blackburn (Dogs) 0
Yes, the AFL code monkeys have shat the bed again… but on this stat only. If you assume it is Fleming (21) you’ll probably be right.
Handballs
1 - Abbey McDonald (Cats) 23
Equal 5th - RUBY MAHONY 16
Hit-outs
1 - KRYSTAL RUSSELL 42
There can be no one else.
Let’s win those centre clearances!
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I’m going to assume Sarah Ford will be back after her* wedding in Canada last week.
Let’s win those centre clearances!
*not HER wedding
Don’t worry about Emily Eaves 
Willy are da best in da business (except for their design person, who SUCKS):
Thorneycroft is named.
Since our last meeting in round 6 last year:
| OUT | IN |
|---|---|
| Pedersen | Bain |
| Kennedy | Barker |
| King | Gray |
| Cleland | Meade |
| Dunell | O’Bryan |
| Sarec | Randell |
| Kawa | Simpson |
| Cameron | T-O’Donnell |
| Wright | Thorneycroft |
Sarah Cameron (19 goals from 15 games last year) is a handy OUT. Having her combined with Whiting was scary.
Yay and boo.
Essendon has called on the cavalry as it aims to get its rebel VFLW season underway against Williamstown at the NEC Hangar on Easter Saturday.
The Bombers have welcomed back former player Sarah Ford after a season on Sydney’s AFLW list and handed a debut to their pre-draft expansion club priority pick Amy Gaylor to take on a Seagulls team that set club record scores and winning margins in thrashing Darebin last week.
Essendon, which was held goalless by reigning premier Port Melbourne, has also called on AFLW ruck Steph Wales and second-year talent Mia Busch.
But the news is not all good, with Tyla Crabtree ruled out for up to 10 weeks with an ankle injury and Chloe Prpic to miss six with a knee.
Contrary to what was posted by Willy earlier, the VFL site also claims:
The Seagulls made just one change, with Neve Crowley to play her first game against the club where she made her VFLW debut last year while on the Calder Cannons’ list, replacing Coburg ruck recruit Cat O’Bryan .
That is not a like-for-like change.
WTF kind of report is the above to not mention Molan is out???
| B | M. Ford (42) | M. Robinson (80) | |
| HB | A. Van Loon (26) | E. Chaston (61) | C. Adams (15) |
| C | A. Gaylor (23) | M. Busch (28) | D. Ryan (51) |
| HF | A. Jordan (62) | L. Williamson (13) | S. Orritt (68) |
| F | J. Richardson (52) | O. Manfre (43) | |
| R | S. Wales (30) | A. Melnikas (64) | R. Mahony (78) |
| INT | R. Murdoch (72) | A. Cariss-Brett (41) | T. Davidge (77) |
| S. Ford (45) | K. Russell (50) | ||
| EMG | K. Tracey (46) | E. Gallagher (66) | L. Bateman (63) |
IN: M. Busch, S. Ford, A. Gaylor, S. Wales
OUT: T. Crabtree (ankle), S. Molan (unavailable), C. Prpic (knee), K. Tracey
NEW: Sarah Ford, 27, Sydney AFLW; Amy Gaylor, 18, Strathmore/Calder Cannons
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Holy crap, Crowley in the ruck. She’s gonna get murdered. Wales is 13cm taller and Russell is twice her weight.
WILLIAMSTOWN
B: N. Julian (9), Z. Day (13)
HB: E. Meade (19), L. Stepnell (4), E. Freeman (33)
C: I. Barker (16), E. Eaves (6), M. Edwards (17)
HF: E. Straford (18), S. Whiting (25), T. Brett (20)
F: R. Randell (41), M. Simpson (39)
R: N. Crowley (40), M. Williamson (24), A. Thorneycroft (27)
INT: S. Bridgewater (12), B. Gray (44), C. Tyrell (11), J. Tweddle-O’Donnell (36), C. Bain (10)
EMG: L. Sulieman (3), L. Blue (47), K. Leare (1), M. Plunkett (8), M. Smart (26)
IN: N. Crowley
OUT: C. O’Bryan
NEW: Neve Crowley, 20, Doutta Stars
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Ummmm… I’d do our INs and OUTs since we last played Willy, but there are 16 of them!
The players who were in both games are Chaston, van Loon, Manfre, Davidge, and Wales.
(It’s not a totally fair comparison: we had our full set of 10 allowed AFLW or recent-AFLW players in that previous game. This time we have 5, and only Wales and maybe Busch are locked-in seniors. Actually, I reckon Busch might already be in trouble with Adams taking her spot.)
FFS
Sarah Ford is also set to don the sash for the first time
Game day!
Will be low-20s and sunny, with a light breeze to Bullant Hill. Be SunSmart.
Please let them legitimately be running Crowley vs Killer Wales: it would be gloriously bloody.
Their listed second ruck is Bains, on the bench and with 7 hit-outs last week. She has never been named as first ruck in 28 VFLW games at Box Hill and FCFC. But she appears to have graduated to second ruck last year, averaging 13 hitouts — and at least she’s ruck-sized, unlike Stepnell and petite Neve.
We are a while off from the forward line we would like: Sarah Perkins in the dreaded moonboot.
I am not spotting Crowley in Willy’s first warmup… Bain is there — strong but not huge.
Just Tracey and Gallagher as emergencies in the real warmup ;no LilyBateman).
Wait to see how she operates under pressure, but Gaylor is very tidy skills-wise. No errors.