We have beaten the Lions at home already this year.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Team unchanged for 3rd week in a row.
Putting your best 21 out there every week of finals certainly doesn't hurt your chances.
Our line-up:
B: 3 Darcy Vescio 49 Madeline Hendrie
HB: 36 Ciara Fitzgerald 21 Harriet Cordner 1 Amelia Velardo
C: 19 Erone Fitzpatrick 5 Abbie McKay 17 Dayna Finn
HF: 42 Tara Bohanna 55 Sophie McKay 7 Poppy Scholz
F: 25 Keeley Sherar 22 Mia Austin
R: 16 Breann Harrington 10 Mimi Hill 18 Madeleine Guerin
Int: 6 Gabriella Pound 20 Lily Goss 24 Brooke Vickers 11 Yasmin Duursma 12 Jessica Good
Em: 13 Aisling Reidy 37 Maddison Torpey 14 Siofra O'Connell
As noted by kruddler, no changes again.
One of the girls mentioned how their form had fluctuated over the season but had built up towards the end of the home and away games. Let’s hope the good form continues.
We’ve been incredibly fortunate with injuries too 🤞🤞🤞
Darcy’s interview gives a good insight into the team’s mindset; they’re relaxed, confident and determined. Bucky has done a great job in preparing the team; physically and mentally.
Go Blues!
Now that was an inappropriate hijacking of the welcome to country!
Dayna Finn! Good start!
They've had a lot of the ball. Three scoring shots. :(
Not a big 1st quarter:
Carlton: 1 - 0 - 6
Brisbane: 0 - 3 - 3
Dayna Finn has had leather poisoning. 10 possessions.
Gah! Our defence has been hammered and our forwards need to make the very most of every opportunity!
We're behind. :( They're out-tackling us considerably.
Need to be rewarded for our tackling 😤
What happened? Missed the pre-match
Gee umpires not wanting to blow the whistle in f50!
And just like that….
If that free kick was there to Scholz, the one a few minutes ago to Bohanna was there as well.
Umps very inconsistent, especially with holding the ball / illegal disposal.
Its a lottery.
I feel the need to say this now while i remember.
Vescio. Has 6 possessions, 6 kicks. 100% DE and 234m gained. Seems impressive.
I'll be conservative with facts first...
2 disposals (at a minimum) were from kick ins (i think it could be 3, maybe even 4)
1 disposal was from a free kick out on the full.
All 3 (perhaps 4-5) were long 50m kicks to a contest, i don't think we won any of them, but it all counts as an effective disposal nonetheless.
Vescio had the ball at half forward, in play, and got tackled, holding the ball.
The one positive was Darcy got a well timed fist to a ball in a marking contest.
This is a trend i've noticed all year.
Darcy is basically used as a specialist kick in player. As a result, disposals and disposal efficiency are very much inflated.
Ultimately, had zero influence on the game.
Very talented.
Very smart.
Very good by foot.
Having no influence.
Same story more often than not this year.
At the end of the day, there will be a dozen disposals for 500m gained and 90+% disposal efficiency....but will be little if any influence on the game. Awesome stats....but simply stats.
Get Vescio up the ground where they can have an influence on the scoreboard.
What a difference a week makes.
Agree re Darcy and seemed v v slow when running with her opponent.
Need to make a change now, they’ve just kicked 2 quickly.
Need to
Get Sophie more into the game
Too.
Yep i said earlier in the year Vescio chasing makes Charlie Curnow look like Eddie Betts.
It's been a wonderful season by the girls, but they've met their match tonight. The Lionesses are very good.
Very disappointing.
Of course some home favouring umpiring adds
To the irritation.
Girls were run ragged in the first half and really needed to make the most of absolutely every opportunity.
Last 3 finals Carlton have lost (mens and womens) have been against Brisbane in Brisbane.
Well done Sophie!
There's a pulse.
Thankfully Finn doesn't know how to throw in the towel.
Hopefully a few others spark up a bit and get on a run.
Get within a couple goals and anything can happen.
....and then finn gets injured and is done ::)
Everytime they need a spark, Ruby Svarc is there.
3rd quarter was a disaster. :(
But we will be back.
Sad end really to what was a pretty good season. Brisbane were unrelenting.
I - for one - am sick and tired of losing to Brisbane 😤
This team exceeded everyones expectations.
A few older players, but most of the talent are the younger girls coming through.
We appear to be a destination club with at least 3 players already nominating us for 2026.
We are trending in the right direction, which not much above us.
Plan A for 2026: Beat Brisbane often.
For completions sake.
Vescio finished with 7 disposals.
Only possession after half time was another kick in.
3 turnovers, 1 clanger (probably holding the ball free)
Still 100% disposal efficiency. ::)
Amazing turnaround from last year to this year. Well done to the ladies, onwards and upwards.
Can't understand why the media hasn't picked up on it. .Whether you support WtC or not, that was simply a 3 minute political announcement, nothing more nothing less. Totally inappropriate!
For those who may have missed it, Ms Bonner launched into a long, impassioned and prepared speech pleading for funding to address an Indigenous welfare issue.
While she may have been making a heartfelt plea, her naivety in thinking that she could hijack the welcome to country may well result in more harm than good.
A seasoned activist would have read the room and stuck to the welcome.
Disappointing result but Bucky and the girls should be proud of the improvement we've shown this season.
We got absolutely smashed in the midfield with only Finn and Guerin playing anywhere near their best. When your strength is taken away so brutally, it's no wonder that our forwards didn't get their usual opportunities and our defence was under enormous pressure.
Hopefully, we'll learn from that and do better next season.
Despite best efforts, we're not quite there yet. Lions are a successful top of the table hardened outfit. I hope they give NM a good conest.
Great effort playing in the PF following an outstanding season. This team are developing well together and having fun. Much upside 👏🏼
Looking forward to 2026.
Didn't see a second of the game. But the women played some very compelling and infectious footy towards the end of the season that was quite enjoyable to watch - team spirit was also great.
They've done the jumper proud this season which is all we can ask for. Ive seen them play at times and im not an expert on womens footy, but really liked Fitzpatrick and what she did this season.
Thank heavens for the Ashes...
You never can tell what the coaches will think, but she'd have to be top 5 in the B+F with a sneaky chance to win it.
Depends how well Hill, McKay poll after missing a few games, sherar should do ok playing them all.
How important they see the ruck duo of Good/Harrington
How much they rate Cordners effrots down back.
Throw in forwards Sophie, and maybe Bohanna and Poppy for a great back half
Thats about how i'd rate the top 10, in random order.
Finn a smokey to get in there as well.