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AFLW 2022

Have we heard anything official yet about dates for the next AFLW season?

I've heard some scuttlebutt it may be delayed to the 2nd half of 2022, that could play in our favour with a player like Mimi Hill.
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: AFLW 2022

Reply #1 –
Quote from: LP – on
Have we heard anything official yet about dates for the next AFLW season?

I've heard some scuttlebutt it may be delayed to the 2nd half of 2022, that could play in our favour with a player like Mimi Hill.
Only thing i heard, pre-latest lockdown, was december start, finals deon before the mens game starts, no overlap.
They were just trying to work out the xmas period.

That may have changed now.

Re: AFLW 2022

Reply #2 –
That story about Maher and Harf trying to poach Ellyse Perry is an interesting one, she should go for it!
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: AFLW 2022

Reply #4 –
I worked with her uncle years ago, he told me cricket was always her first love.
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"
 

Re: AFLW 2022

Reply #6 –
That's a sweet combo, the universe couldn't find a better midfield mentor for Prepsakis than Diesel.
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: AFLW 2022

Reply #7 –
So, our football director is a little more hands on the last one.  That's good to see and can only help the likes of Maddy, Elise, Abbie, Grace, etc.
It's still the Gulf of Mexico, Don Old!

Re: AFLW 2022

Reply #8 –
It's an interesting season coming up, the time is about right for fans to start seeing dramatic swings in player capability from the younger brigade.

This might well have happened earlier if not for COVID, but I think we will find the younger girls who have now been exposed to 2 or 3 seasons of development will start to progress past the early adopters of the sport who basically played off a mostly natural ability. At lot of this is also due to the increased level of competition delivered via the VFLW.

Things to expect are significant improvements in ball use, stronger more continuous chains of play, and if allowed by the AFLW and it's umpires a higher level of physicality that comes naturally from improved strength, acceleration and agility. There may be some interesting tactical evolution as well!

Still, don't expect the girls to kick and handball like men, just judge their progress relative to how they started!
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: AFLW 2022

Reply #9 –
Quote from: LP – on
Still, don't expect the girls to kick and handball like men, just judge their progress relative to how they started!


I kind of lost interest in the women's comp and didn't watch much for a while.
I guess the player movement (who's playing for Carlton this year?)and the still unsettled nature of the competition (number of sides still being worked out) had a bit to do with that drop off.
It's hard to invest in a side when there's that switching of players and as new teams enter the competition there's a need for that movement to occur to bolster the new sides.
Having said that...
I just caught a few games towards the end of the last season and thought that there had been a definite improvement in the standard.
It was probably more obvious not having watched for some time.

Re: AFLW 2022

Reply #10 –
Quote from: Lods – on

I just caught a few games towards the end of the last season and thought that there had been a definite improvement in the standard.
It was probably more obvious not having watched for some time.

The standard of player skills has gone through the roof - in the first season, most of the players kicked the ball like your Mum did off the back verandah.  Now, the majority are comfortably kicking drop punts and actually finding targets, and handball has improved out of sight.  The very best (like Maddy Prespakis) have developed skills that are not too far behind the men.
This is now the longest premiership drought in the history of the Carlton Football Club - more evidence of climate change?

Re: AFLW 2022

Reply #11 –
Quote from: tonyo – on
The standard of player skills has gone through the roof - in the first season, most of the players kicked the ball like your Mum did off the back verandah.  Now, the majority are comfortably kicking drop punts and actually finding targets, and handball has improved out of sight.  The very best (like Maddy Prespakis) have developed skills that are not too far behind the men.

I wouldn't go quite that far but there has been an incredible improvement in skills.  I think that improvement will continue as the code-hoppers and later converts are replaced by girls who have grown up playing the game. 

Marks are dropped, ground balls are fumbled and kicking and handballing lack the penetration of the men's game, but it's still skillful and generally very competitive.  I'd say the skill level is close to that of elite under 15 boys and the tactics are quite different as a consequence.  I enjoy watching our girls have a go.
It's still the Gulf of Mexico, Don Old!

Re: AFLW 2022

Reply #12 –
Quote from: DJC – on
I'd say the skill level is close to that of elite under 15 boys and the tactics are quite different as a consequence.  I enjoy watching our girls have a go.
Agreed, and I expect it to stay around that physical level for the foreseeable future, but with different tactics as you mentioned.

It's why I find it so odd that many refuse to watch, yet they might happily watch an u15 or u16 boys final. Interestingly I've heard quite a few anecdotes of senior clubs getting the introduction of a senior women's teams wrong, by associating inductees with the typical boys u18 or u19s. At that level the boys are already well beyond the physical capabilities of the girls, of course I expect someone will want to shout me down as sexist but that isn't really an argument against the reality of the situation but a tantrum against fate.

Many of us happily watch elite u15 or u16 boys, and I think the senior girls will be comfortably in that performance range long term while probably being tactically superior.

I hope I haven't been unfair.
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: AFLW 2022

Reply #14 –
Quote from: kruddler – on
We've watched the mens team for the past 2 decades and thats at about the same level.  ::)  :-[
Actually, in past years, sometimes I've gone to watch local junior and senior football in preference to watching Carlton or other AFL games!

But I must admit I find the recent AFL rule changes to be delivering significantly improved product.
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"