VFLW - Round 7 vs GWS @ Blacktown - 1pm Sun 5 May 2024

Unlike the Bin Chickens, GWS have been quite variable (2 slaughters, but 2 actual contests).

Radio 3DJR will be broadcasting from Remote Western Sydeney.

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The last 67.5 minutes of GWS’s game this week was a draw, against a notably weakened Port team.

Hopefully we don’t have too many “unavailables” due to playing interstate. Manfre will not be an inclusion as she’ll be off for flag footy/gridiron in QLD.

Stats Leaders (leaders, us, GWS, maybe a few others).

Apart from goals, the numbers below are averages… but the rankings are sorted by totals.

Given we have played 7 games and GWS just 4, it’s not a very fair comparison.

Disposals
1 - Ange Gogos (Falcons) 20.8
e4 - RUBY MAHONY 18.3

Goals
1 - Sharnie Whiting (Willy) 11
e6 - Zarlie Goldsworthy (GWS) 8

Marks
1 - Tamara Luke (Hawks) 4.2
3 - Lauren Caruso (Port) 3.5

Tackles
1 - Caitlin Bunker (Falcons) 11.2

Kicks
1 - Lauren Caruso (Port) 13.7
5 - EL CHASTON 11.2
e6 - ASH MELNIKAS 11.0

Handballs
1 - Laura Gardiner (Swans) 25 (!)
2 - RUBY MAHONY 12.0
8 - Eloise Ashley-Cooper (Port) 8.3
e9 - Madison Brazendale (GWS) 11.8

Hit-outs
1 - Lilly Pearce (Pies) 33.0
9 - KRYSTAL RUSSELL 27.3 (still!)

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Teagan Germech (175cm and not used as a ruck the previous three weeks) had 51 hit-outs vs Port. But they lost the clearances. A lot of the stats were lopsided one way or the other.

  • Wait, WTF… Bella Clarke had 12 hit-outs?
  • Another ex-Bomber, Zoe Hurrell, led the clearances for GWS (4, but only 10 disposals).
  • Cambridge McCormick a game-leading 8 marks (and 22 disposals and 7 rebound fifties). Tarni Evans had 10 rebounds in her 19 disposals.
  • Madison Brazendale 23 disposals, 6 tackles, 5 inside fifties, and a goal.
  • Goldsworthy 15 disposals, 7 tackles, and a goal.

I’ve just looked at the forecast, and FARK YOU SYDNEY.

The Norwegians say it is going to rain more or less continuously for at least 8 days starting this Tuesday. It will ramp up Friday night, and push for 150mm across Saturday and Sunday.

Kick this trash city out of the VFL already.

Only 12 AFLW players this past week.

GIANTS AFLW coach Cam Bernasconi, who is in charge of the club’s VFLW program as well, said despite registering their fourth-straight win, there was still loads of learning to come from Saturday’s game.

“We started really well, and we were playing our way really well in the first quarter,” Bernasconi said.

“But after quarter-time they lifted their pressure around the ball, and it turned into a bit of a scrap for three quarters which was a bit disappointing that we couldn’t be fundamentally cleaner and open the game up.

“But we did fight really well, and we only conceded two goals for the game, so there were certainly some positives as well.

“We saw the importance of being clean on the inside and then trying to get the ball on the outside, and how our structure can open the ground up for us to go on the open side - so that’s a good learning.

“It was also a good learning for our younger girls to play in a more highly contested game and a scrappier game than the last few weeks, because AFLW can be like that sometimes so it’s good for our younger group to get practice in that kind of environment.”

With the GIANTS’ return to the VFLW concluding this Sunday with their fifth and final game, Bernasconi said his focus was on rounding out the campaign on a high.

“We just want to finish on a really positive note,” he said.

“It’s been a great few months and we just want to finish it off with a really strong four-quarter performance.

“The girls were probably a little disappointed on the weekend because we were a bit scrappy but it’s good to see the players hold themselves to a high standard. Hopefully if we get challenged on the weekend, we can work a little bit harder to get the game on our terms and finish the VFLW campaign with a strong performance against Essendon.”

…

Bernasconi also gave his assessment on each of the GIANTS’ AFLW-listed players who featured in Saturday’s win.

AFLW-listed GIANTS:

5. Jessica Doyle
10 disposals, three marks
“She played in a new position (full forward) and will take great learnings from it.”

7. Zarlie Goldsworthy
15 disposals, one goal, seven tackles
“Once again she was really strong around the contest and hit the scoreboard.”

9. Caitlin Miller
10 disposals, two marks
“Continues to learn her new position down back and will take a step forward from it.”

14. Kaitlyn Srhoj
17 disposals, eight tackles, one goal
“It was a good challenge playing in the midfield in a scrappy game and she helped us win contested ball.”

17. Georgia Garnett
Eight disposals, three marks
“Had some strong moments playing in the forward line.”

18. Tarni Evans
19 disposals, four marks, two tackles
“Continued her strong form intercepting and finding the ball down back.”

23. Madison Brazendale
23 disposals, six tackles
“The best game for ‘Braz’ so far. She was strong in the contest and bought her weapons on the outside as well. Probably the best I’ve seen her play.”

24. Haneen Zreika
14 disposals, five tackles
“Great to have her back in the side. Her pressure is always at a high standard.”

25. Cambridge McCormick
22 disposals, eight marks, two tackles
“Once again she was really strong and won some important one-on-ones behind the ball.”

26. Claire Ransom
13 disposals, nine tackles
“She continues to improve every single week. She helps us win contest.”

28. Daisy Walker
12 disposals, two tackles
“She was rock solid down back again where she thrives in the contest.”

33. Emily Pease
10 disposals, six tackles, three clearances
“Looked super composed and helped generate our ball movement again.”

VFLW Shoutout: 31. Sophie Kavanagh
13 disposals, one goal
“She came back in the side this week and looked dangerous playing forward.”

  1. Forecast has completely changed. Still forecasting rain for 9 days in a row, but much much less.
  2. See the bottom row (AFLW-listed) below.

Headlines like this annoy me!

Ransom accepted her one match ban for “rough conduct”, so will not play in this game.

Zarlie is OUT!

AFLW premiership player Mikayla Pauga will return to the GIANTS’ VFLW side alongside fellow recruit Courtney Murphy for the club’s final game of the season against the Bombers on Sunday.

Impressing as an inside midfielder since joining the club in the summer following a premiership with the Brisbane Lions last year, Pauga will look to finish her VFLW campaign with another strong outing against the Bombers in Blacktown.

Fellow former Lion, Murphy, also returns to the GIANTS’ line-up, with the tall utility overcoming a minor back complaint which forced her to miss last week’s 25-point win over Port Melbourne.

The pair come into the side in place of fellow recruit Claire Ransom, who will miss the match after a one-match suspension for rough conduct in last week’s win, alongside superstar Zarlie Goldsworthy who is unavailable for the clash.

…

Team:

FB: Cambridge McCormick, Teagan Germech
HB: Caitlin Miller, Tarni Evans, Katherine Smith
C: Emily Pease, Kaitlyn Srhoj, Madison Brazendale
HF: Haneen Zreika, Summer Hall, Sophie Kavanagh
FF: Jessica Doyle, Georgia Garnett
RR: Courtney Murphy, Daisy Walker, Mikayla Pauga

Interchange: Olivia Edwards, Zoe Hurrell, Caitlin Fletcher, Shiarna Tarasenko, Grace Buchan

In: Mikayla Pauga, Courtney Murphy

Out: Claire Ransom (suspension), Zarlie Goldsworthy (unavailable)

And for us big ins and big outs.

Also, the article is shithouse… amongst other things, how can you not mention vice-captain Molan as an out?

AFLW-listed players Alex Morcom and Matilda Dyke stay in the side who defeated the Magpies last week, plus Chloe Prpic and Bailey Hunt both return.

Dani Marshall makes her return for the first time in 2024 after a long absence from the team.

Ellyse Gamble, Georgia Clarke, Amelia Radford, and Emily Gough have all been managed and will miss this week’s match.

B D. Marshall (76) I. Porter (70)
HB M. Robinson (80) M. Ford (42) E. Chaston (61)
C E. Huggard (75) A. Morcom (25) D. Ryan (51)
HF S. Orritt (68) T. Davidge (77) E. Tassiopoulos (49)
F B. Hunt (79) A. Jordan (62)
R M. Dyke (16) A. Melnikas (64) R. Mahony (78)
INT L. Bateman (63) S. Ford (45) M. Huta (56)
J. Morrow (60) C. Prpic (58)
EMG A. Cariss-Brett (41) M. Gray (48)
INS D. Marshall B. Hunt C. Prpic
S. Orritt M. Huta J. Morrow
OUTS E. Gamble G. Clarke A. Radford
E. Gough J. Richardson (illness) S. Molan (managed)
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We have named 2 AFLW players, they have named 13. It is what is is, but more particularly I think we are missing 6-8 of our “VFLW Best 21” (McNeice, Hart-Aluni, Richardson, Perkins, Bernadi, Russell, Molan, and Shaw).

Marshall and Hunt are big inclusions, and good to see Prpic back after her knee injury (one week ahead of the predicted six weeks).

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It’s been almost 5 years since our only ever other women’s game versus GWS (the AFLW teams have dodged each other in our two seasons).

We lost 9-43 on a cold rainy windy day, but Laan laid out Mackrill.

At the time I sounded very much like the below: DOWN GOES MACKRILL! DOWN GOES MACKRILL! DOWN GOES MACKRILL!

Sydney is currently dull grey with constant drizzle (so normal).

The place I intended to have breakfast doesn’t open till 10am, and it appears the place I lived in 1998-2001 has burnt down.

Sydney ■■■■■■■ sucks.

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Bad start to the morning, but hopefully the women’s match this afternoon will cheer you up. GO DONNERS!

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Large rain system swirling clockwise around Sydney. May or may not pass and linger over the game. I’ve got three forecasts and they violently disagree with each other.

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It may have rained in this area recently.

The GWS home base is covered in Bin Chickens.

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