Aflw 2022/2023

[ledge]

Largely agree, especially forward line.

Lamb and Ellie - our stalwarts. I thought Gabby Newton was starting to look good in defence too. Katie Lynch still ok in defence. We really missed Eleanor Brown. Izzy is one of few that has improved this year. Alice Edmonds ok in ruck, pretty competitive and a good mark at times. Really need some outside dash and skill though - a few more like Riley Wilcox could make a world of difference. And we’ve not really replaced Bonnie Togood, desperate for a decent forward (I think Gabby is ok there but she’s been needed in backline this year and we need some quick, mobile forwards who can keep ball inside F50).

It’s ok to get good draft picks but we need some more experience too, and I doubt players will come to our club with what we are dishing up game plan wise . We might be able to push the brand new gym etc .

[Hotdog60]

Instead of being a founding club we've been turned into a expansion club any experience we would have had now has walked out the door or they are injured.
We lack pace and skills and our perception of the club isn't helped by a coach saying in public we aren't professional enough.
Lamb busts a gut but has been off the boil this year and Lynch, Edmonds, McLeod, Hartwig, Woodley, Hunt, Cranston and Fitzgerald have all gone backwards compared to last year although we can give Cranston an out.
Wilcox has been a shinning light but I feel she runs herself into the ground and often gets poor disposal given to her that it negates any advantage she may have.
Bennetts was looking good early until she got injured and the we miss Moody for ruck support and someone tall in the forward half.
Blackburn tries and lead from the front but without support teams just need to sit on her and straight away there goes any run out of the middle and around the ground.
As mentioned the few shinning lights have been Grant, Georgostathis and Smith.

[mjp]

It really has been a catch-22 type season.

We clearly are NOT in shape to play footy. The group doesn't 'look' fit (which I know I'm not allowed to say) but we look heavy and slow and play heavy and slow. The players who are able to cover the ground (Wilcox will be the go-to example) stand out like beacons 'cos those around them are walking and watching or jogging through the corridor with no intent to impact.

Our inability to kick the footy to our team-mates only adds emphasis to our lack of physical preparedness. It's OK to be in the bottom third of the comp for running if you are in the top third for skills - hitting targets and making the oppo defend. Think of Hawthorn in their back-to-back-to-back mode with Mitchell and Lewis starting in the centre square, both slower than treacle. But because they could win and RETAIN the footy, it didn't matter anywhere near as much...

I'm happy to criticise the game-plan as from the pre-season it was obvious we had no clear plan to move the footy from d50 to the midfield (let alone from D50 to F50 for a shot on goal) BUT as the season went along you could tell us trying to move the ball and shift the defenders, but the players either:

1/. Had no faith in their ability to hit a short target so WOULDN'T pull the trigger.
2/. Had no faith in their team-mate to get them the ball so they wouldn't PUSH HARD to the outside...hedging their bets and creating a contest.
3/. Did attempt the short kick but simply missed it...

I mean, I don't really feel sorry for the coach but at the same time, what's he supposed to do? If the players can't effect simple connections with the footy, what does a game-plan even matter...and yes, injuries and blah blah but our issues seemed clear BEFORE the season started when we were getting absolutely BELTED in practice games...it isn't about winning and losing but when you are getting killed some serious changes (and serious reflection by the players) is needed....

It's been such a terrible season - I'm so glad we aren't playing any more games.

[Jeanette54]

Median home and away attendances as the home team in the #AFLW (2017-2023 R9)...

Like netballers who complain about their poor player payments, I think AFLW footballers have to be realistic about their pay demands. Finals apart, the average H&A game attendances couldn't sustain the wages of a 1970's boot studder. Build the sport, and the wages will come.

[bornadog]

Like netballers who complain about their poor player payments, I think AFLW footballers have to be realistic about their pay demands. Finals apart, the average H&A game attendances couldn't sustain the wages of a 1970's boot studder. Build the sport, and the wages will come.

Agree they need to build the competition up, but at the same time scheduling of matches has been very poor - eg 5.05 in South Geelong on a Thursday.

[ledge]

Like netballers who complain about their poor player payments, I think AFLW footballers have to be realistic about their pay demands. Finals apart, the average H&A game attendances couldn't sustain the wages of a 1970's boot studder. Build the sport, and the wages will come.

It’s all about sponsors as well , they and Foxtel are obviously carrying the league at the moment.
Be interesting to see the tv numbers.
If they aren’t good, sponsors will drop off and so will Foxtel and it falls into oblivion.
It has to be run at maximum time slots to get people to go which sometimes isn’t prime slots for TV and I would say the TV holds more say than anything else.
Juggling act .
But I will say the bulldog supporters are definitely one of the best as we couldn’t have had a worse year

[mjp]

But I will say the bulldog supporters are definitely one of the best as we couldn’t have had a worse year

Wellllllll....

Let's just hope the club don't see this as a 'hold my beer' moment.

[ledge]

Wellllllll....

Let's just hope the club don't see this as a 'hold my beer' moment.

Be a hell of an effort to get worse.
In fact if we were it would have been planned !

[HOSE B ROMERO]

They bloody well should be. Our AFLW fans are loyal, turn out yesterday was pretty good, even though a fair few were Roos fans. However if we repeat seasons like this the loyalty will be tested and our good players will be lured away.

Have/will the same fitness staff be available to our girls? With the new facilities and presumably a bigger focus on fitness we hopefully will be competitive next season.

As an aside apparently Rocky Cranston (last game yesterday) is suffering kidney problems (symptoms are fatigue) and for her to have played some games this year shows her mental toughness. Hoping the team uses that as inspiration next season.

Cranston has stage 5 kidney failure. I read somewhere that the life expectancy worst case scenario is 5-10 years.

[HOSE B ROMERO]

Agree with quite a bit that's been written.
It will be good to be back at the kennel next season and it's a very young list. Losing key position players in Moody, Lynch and Brown didn't help along with the others. Making the finals the previous season shows that they know what it takes to get there. Just a pity next season is so far away.

[bornadog]

Nathan Burke sacked. great decision

Bulldogs part ways with coach after one-win season

ByMarnie Vinall (The Age)

November 15, 2023 ? 10.51am

The Western Bulldogs have parted ways with coach Nathan Burke after a dismal season in which the club notched just one win.

Three club sources with knowledge of the situation, who were not authorised to speak publicly, said an announcement had been made to club staff and players on Wednesday morning.

Burke and the Western Bulldogs have been contacted for comment.

Burke has been senior coach since 2020 and last year had signed a two-year contract extension and moved from a part-time role to full-time.

The Bulldogs made finals just once during his tenure, in season seven last year. They had seven wins and three losses but lost an elimination final. The only other season when the Bulldogs had more wins than losses under his leadership was 2021, when they had a 5-4 record.

Early in October, before the Bulldogs had won their sole game for the year, Burke slammed his side?s sub-par professional standards.

?We?re not fit enough. I said that to the girls in there, we?re not going to make excuses over that because I think there are probably things outside of injuries, within our control, that would make us fitter,? Burke said.

?Just understanding the level of professionalism required now ? skipping an ice bath or not eating properly, that doesn?t cut it anymore ... I?m not going to point fingers at anyone, it?s general across the group. The whole league has raised the level, and we have to accept that and go with it as well.?

He added the group was ?too nice on the football field?.

[The Underdog]

Pretty hard to bring him back after that season, regardless of mitigating circumstances.
Bit of a roller coaster journey with Nathan, he won me over and then quickly lost me again. Hope the club can find someone who can get the group moving forward after a lost year. Need some solid recruitment, hopefully there?s some top end talent coming out of Victoria in this draft.

[mjp]

Pretty hard to bring him back after that season, regardless of mitigating circumstances.
Bit of a roller coaster journey with Nathan, he won me over and then quickly lost me again. Hope the club can find someone who can get the group moving forward after a lost year. Need some solid recruitment, hopefully there?s some top end talent coming out of Victoria in this draft.

A price had to be paid.

[The Underdog]

A price had to be paid.

Yep, and there’s realistically nobody else to punish.

[ledge]

It’s a pity he is a nice bloke. But results count.