Re: AFLW 2022
Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2022 10:44 am
The Bedge wrote:Booney wrote:Was a bloody good day at Alberton, seeing so many kids, little girls in particular, there's no doubt the game is getting new people involved.
Some early showers made it a bit uncomfortable in the outer and the shocking injury further dampened the atmosphere, the Bulldogs girls came out strong after half time and put the game to bed.
Port need some continuity across half forward, might need to find another key forward as Houghton competes and offers a presence but has little support in the air across the middle of the ground.
We went Saturday, kids loved it - lost them for half the game in the kids zone. Great crowd, good atmosphere for the most part.
Agree the injury sapped a lot of the energy out of the place. Port definitely lacked another forward target - seemed to get the ball forward well enough at times, but had nothing to kick to because Houghton had pushed up, so the kick was generally long to grass and the Bulldogs defence were up to task, and worked it out with speed.
3rd quarter, Port seemed to have all the run, just couldn't convert (Phillips hit the post then failed to make distance on set shot), and then closing on the end of the term 'Dogs scored on the kill the Port drive.
I know a lot of talk about skill is negative, but watching live, when under lesser pressure, the foot skills of most is pretty good. Ballard at Fullback was really good, Ewings looks a gun, and i'm a huge fan of O'Dea - bit to like about her.
The game struggles in congestion though - and my theory is, they've come into the game at a time that is over-analyzed, structured and coached. The press and zone like the men, they work hard two ways, and they're generally strong at sticking tackles and applying frontal pressure on the ball carrier. In a nutshell, they've been developed defensively to stop opposition scoring - and it shows.
If AFLW was played under the same conditions as AFL circa 1993, i think you'd see a far different spectacle. None the less, was a winner for our family.
Didn't go but heard lots of great reports about the 'carnival' style atmosphere that was super family friendly with many loving.
Imo this where the SANFL has missed a trick for years and given a leg up to AFLW even more than they had. The AFLW has a genuine alternative appeal to a day out at the footy compared to an AFL mens game.
We will definitely visit an AFLW game this year with the 3 daughters....sadly for me one of them goes to Playford Primary and has seen the Port womens time more times at the school than the centrals boys.