Swans Womens' Team?

[bloodspirit]

Tomorrow the first ever girls teams representing the Swans are going to play the Giants at Tom Wills oval from about midday. First U17s then U19s.

[bloodspirit]

Academy: Girls raring to make red and white history

Here's an article. The matches will be live streamed. Check Swans (or Giants) sites for the link.

- - - Updated - - -

Academy: Girls raring to make red and white history

Here's an article. The matches will be live streamed. Check Swans and Giants websites for the link.

[bloodspirit]

So, yesterday the U17 & U19 girls teams played their first ever inter-club matches, against the Giants at Tom Wills Oval, Homebush (the Giants equivalent of Lakeside/Tramway)! I was able to be there for part of the U17s match. It was nice just to get a taste of the atmosphere. The spectators were mostly just parents as best I could tell.

The first thing that struck me was that it was weird that the Swans were wearing blue and the Giants were wearing charcoal.

I only chatted to a couple of people in the crowd and they were both parents of girls playing in the match - one from the Giants and one from the Swans. The Giants' dad's daughter was a strong onballer. He reckoned she was a bit off her game and he said that the Swans girls seemed to have really come to play. He hadn't realised it was our first ever inter-club match. The Swans' mum talked about how excited the girls were to be playing in their first match and they were really wound up. #37 for the Swans caught my eye (I don't know any of their names) and #1 was small but very plucky - I saw her get smashed in a tackle and bounce straight back up, and she was taking the game on ball in hand a couple of minutes later.

I noticed the Swans staff were up for it too. Jared Crouch was the runner for the team and he barely came off the ground at all during the time I was watching. Conversely I didn't sight a runner for the Giants. Another sneaky advantage I noticed the Swans grabbing was that the girls were interchanging frequently and they didn't wait for the player coming off to cross the boundary (whereas the Giants did). I don't think that should be allowed but we were getting away with it. We were ruthless!

Anyway, I couldn't stay long enough to see the results but it seems the Swans won both matches: Swans girls celebrate historic victories (sydneyswans.com.au). I would have loved to see the singing of the song. I left early and I didn't scan the crowd much, but the only people I recognised were Jared Crouch and Nick Davis.

Incidentally, on the topic of our song, we are going to have to tweak the words - it's not right for girls and women to have sing "while her loyal sons are marching onwards to victory". The Bulldogs had to address this same issue and they have done it by having two versions of the song, one for boys and one for girls: Club Song | Western Bulldogs. I think the best would be to come up with a gender-neutral term that all players would sing. My suggestion: "while her loyal bloods are marching onwards to victory". I haven't thought about it much and someone else may well be able to come up with a better suggestion.

There is also an article about the Swans girls by Brandon Jack (part of a series he's doing on the Academy) and it (obliquely) previews the game: Fast learners at the QBE Sydney Swans Academy. Hopefully there'll be a follow up one reporting on the actual day.

[bloodspirit]

AFLW keeps getting better as young guns, veterans impressing at 2021 mid-season mark - ABC News

[aardvark]

Thanks BS. I am a huge AFLW fan and can't wait until we have our own team to support. It brought a tear to my old eye to hear the youngsters sing the song with such passion after good wins against the Giants. Bring it on!

[bloodspirit]

Thanks BS. I am a huge AFLW fan and can't wait until we have our own team to support. It brought a tear to my old eye to hear the youngsters sing the song with such passion after good wins against the Giants. Bring it on!

Great to have another poster here, aardvark! Did you make it to the games on Sunday?

I confess I don't watch much AFLW - but that is only because there is no Swans team. It really makes a massive difference to me to be more invested in the game - same goes for AFLM. I can't wait to start barracking for our own AFLW team. The bits and pieces of AFLW I do catch suggest it is going from strength to strength. I really enjoyed watching the girls the other day and would love to see more.

[aardvark]

Great to have another poster here, aardvark! Did you make it to the games on Sunday?

I confess I don't watch much AFLW - but that is only because there is no Swans team. It really makes a massive difference to me to be more invested in the game - same goes for AFLM. I can't wait to start barracking for our own AFLW team. The bits and pieces of AFLW I do catch suggest it is going from strength to strength. I really enjoyed watching the girls the other day and would love to see more.

I live south of Melbourne so I didn't see the games live but i'm working my way through the replays. I have adopted Freo as my AFLW team as Kiara Bowers and Gemma Houghton are just amazing to watch. Hope we get a team soon.

[bloodspirit]

From the comments Tom Harley dropped during the first period of the men's Swans-GWS practice match, I get the impression the club is still targeting a 2023 entry to the AFLW.

[bloodspirit]

AFLW expansion: Four new clubs, no more AFL overlap (womens.afl) Woohoo! We may get an AFLW team from end of next year.

Problem remains about how we will achieve this in terms of facilities. I'm pretty sure the club will still want to get the Royal Hall of Industries happening. Maybe we will be able to lean on the AFL to bankroll it a bit more since they will want us to have an AFLW team? We also need some support from NSW government. Otherwise, we're gonna have to get creative.

[aardvark]

About time! Really looking forward to the Swannie girls taking the field.

[bloodspirit]

Important steps: Three big milestones for Sydney Swans AFLW. Exciting times!

[Mel_C]

I like how Gowans has experience coaching a new side with North. And I like how he wants to be a mentor and shows importance in leaving a legacy.

[bloodspirit]

More excitement: Swans AFLW ready and open for business (sydneyswans.com.au).

Swans set for AFLW Summer Series Action (sydneyswans.com.au)

[Mel_C]

I was watching some of the Geelong v Gold Coast game last night and I was impressed with Charlie Rowbottom. She loves going in and getting the ball. I hope we are keeping an eye on her.

[bloodspirit]

The exciting developments continue:

* we signed our first player - It’s game on: Sydney Swans sign first AFLW player. Also, here's a great article analysing who else we might target: The Alex Docherty Column – Who Do Port Adelaide And Sydney Target In The AFLW Expansion? - The Mongrel Punt.

* the AFL are talking about starting the next season potentially as soon as this August!: 'They're ready to go': New AFLW clubs approve of August season start.