AFLW 2025 Rnd 4 v Fremantle/Walyalup

[dejavoodoo44]

This annoyed me as well. Two matches this week have no free to air coverage of any kind: Sydney vs Fremantle/Walyalup and West Coast/Waalitj Marawar vs Port Adelaide/Yartapuulti. Essendon vs Geelong is on free to air TV and has radio coverage, same with Adelaide vs Brisbane, and North Melbourne vs Collingwood has FOUR radio broadcasts. If the AFL wants to grow the women's game, this unbalanced coverage needs to be fixed.

Yes, I doubt if it would take too much time and expense, to organise radio coverage for all games.

[bandwagon]

Yes we are a really good watch this year. And the commentator mentioned we have the largest crowds in the league - which makes the lack of free to air/radio coverage more disappointing.

[bandwagon]

My votes FWIW.
3 - Gardiner
2 - C.Hamilton
1 - Kennedy, with apologies to Ham, Grierson. McEvoy and Morphett who were all influential

[Thunder Shaker]

Chloe Molloy kicked a ripper. Swans star's stunning Goal of the Year contender

Zippy Fish scored her first AFLW goal. Catch of the day: Fish reels in first AFLW goal

[Thunder Shaker]

Another great performance from the ladies - while there is no doubt that we need to improve on disposal efficiency and use of the ball if we are to challenge the top teams (noting that is probably an unlikely outcome this season anyway), we are making huge strides, and really think we can be at the top of that 2nd tier of teams in the comp. Love the style of footy we are trying to play too - making for a good watch, and another good crowd there today again.

Our fixture this year will provide a chance to challenge the top teams.

Round 7: Adelaide (A)
Round 8: North Melbourne (A)
Round 9: Carlton (H)
Round 10: Melbourne (A)
Round 12: Essendon (H)

To make a realistic challenge, we need to win some of these games.

[Thunder Shaker]

In my list of our upcoming fixtures, I neglected to mention that we also play West Coast at home in round 11. They are currently sixth on the ladder. That means we will play six of the other seven teams currently in the top 8 in the last six rounds. The only top 8 team we won't play is Hawthorn.

Teams we have played so far in ladder order: Geelong (11th), Gold Coast (15th), Fremantle (16th), Richmond (17th).

Next two teams: Collingwood (13th), GWS (18th).

Last six matches: North Melbourne (1st), Melbourne (2nd), Carlton (5th), West Coast (6th), Essendon (7th), Adelaide (8th).

It is quite possible that we could start with six or seven straight wins, then "fade away" later in the season. It won't be a "fade away"; it's simply a quirk of our fixture that we play all of our easier opponents before playing all of our harder ones.

Watch out for this apparent - but quite illusory - fading of form, so it won't be a surprise later.

[liz]

I really do NOT like the new holding the ball interpretation - even when the Swans are the beneficiary.

I think it's dumb. It kinda suits us because, right across the team, there is a mantra of being uncompromising at the contest (something you wouldn't accuse our men's team of consistently being), which means there's almost always someone available and willing to tackle when we lose possession.

There was one that stood out to me today watching live at the ground - I've not yet had time to watch a replay. I think it was in the first quarter - we were definitely kicking towards the Sydenham Road end. A Freo player bent down to pick the ball up off the ground, deep in her defensive pocket, and took one or two steps as she started to move back to an upright position. Montana Ham very quickly closed space and tackled her while she was still in the process of standing upright. I think awarding Ham the HTB free kick was absolutely the right call under the new interpretation, but it rewarded Ham for being second to the ball, which isn't what I want to see our game becoming.

I highlighted this one because, despite it being on the far side of the ground from where I was sitting, it was quite clear to see because it was a one-on-one act without lots of other bodies around to hinder sight lines.

As it happens, Ham then missed the shot on goal. I was both frustrated, because those are the kind of shots Ham should be converting more times than not, and happy, because it seemed like justice for Freo.

[mcs]

In my list of our upcoming fixtures, I neglected to mention that we also play West Coast at home in round 11. They are currently sixth on the ladder. That means we will play six of the other seven teams currently in the top 8 in the last six rounds. The only top 8 team we won't play is Hawthorn.

Teams we have played so far in ladder order: Geelong (11th), Gold Coast (15th), Fremantle (16th), Richmond (17th).

Next two teams: Collingwood (13th), GWS (18th).

Last six matches: North Melbourne (1st), Melbourne (2nd), Carlton (5th), West Coast (6th), Essendon (7th), Adelaide (8th).

It is quite possible that we could start with six or seven straight wins, then "fade away" later in the season. It won't be a "fade away"; it's simply a quirk of our fixture that we play all of our easier opponents before playing all of our harder ones.

Watch out for this apparent - but quite illusory - fading of form, so it won't be a surprise later.

Yep, your comments are very much in line with my thoughts too. But equally, the tough draw will be a great chance for us to really see where we are at against the best teams. Not making finals from here, even with a tough draw, would be disappointing. But I'd like to think the serious uptick in quality we've seen will continue, and our level of competitiveness against those better teams will be significantly increased - hopefully with a win or two mixed in there. I want to see evidence we've taken that next step to being towards the top of that 'second tier' of teams - something I am confident we are on the way towards being.

[Thunder Shaker]

Yep, your comments are very much in line with my thoughts too. But equally, the tough draw will be a great chance for us to really see where we are at against the best teams. Not making finals from here, even with a tough draw, would be disappointing. But I'd like to think the serious uptick in quality we've seen will continue, and our level of competitiveness against those better teams will be significantly increased - hopefully with a win or two mixed in there. I want to see evidence we've taken that next step to being towards the top of that 'second tier' of teams - something I am confident we are on the way towards being.

It's worth taking a look at the opponents that the other three undefeated teams have played.

North Melbourne (1st): opponents Port Adelaide (10th), Geelong (11th), Collingwood (13th), Fremantle (16th).
Melbourne (2nd): opponents Western Bulldogs (12th), Collingwood (13th), St Kilda (14th), Richmond (17th).
Hawthorn (4th): opponents Carlton (5th), Brisbane Lions (9th), Western Bulldogs (12th), St Kilda (14th).

Hawthorn's fixture has been harder than the other teams and this is why they have had a few close games.

Like Sydney, North Melbourne and Melbourne have not yet played any opponents in the top half of the ladder.

Games to come between the top 4 teams:
Round 8: North Melbourne vs Sydney
Round 10: Melbourne vs Sydney
Round 12: Hawthorn vs North Melbourne