MVW V AUW

[Mr Red]

Away in Melbourne tomorrow - should be a tough test but I think they could be chance to get a result.

[SAD GAL]

Lets hope so.

Sad to say that the USA girls are leading the charge this year. Sophia Huerta is a HUGE omission from this years' squad as is Monica. One because of National duties and the other because of money.

Hope for a BIG WIN TEAM.

Time for Jonesey to fire up. Been too quiet.

[LOVE OF FOOTBALL]

Sad girl
I agree with you sad gal.
AJ has been very disappointing since her return to the lady reds. But overall our forwards have not performed as well as expected.

[juniorsupporter]

Looks like Adriana Jones didn't make the trip. Perhaps she's injured?

[sportsbird]

Attended the game yesterday and what a disappointment it was.
The most disappointing part about the game was the lack of intensity of certain high profile players that have not met up to the expectations of the W League and for their club.
Unsure what happened to AJ but she would not have made a difference if she played. AJ has not performed to her abilities this year.
Not an ideal position to be sitting at the bottom of the table halfway through the season.
What is going wrong?

Forwards have not scored goals consistently. Poor Overall 2/10
Makenzy has scored 4 in 7 games. hatrick in one game. Still not good enough. Overall 4/10
AJ no goals. Very poor. Overall 1/10
Emily - Unsure what position the coach plays her. Midfield or forward. Emily is a forward winger. Leave her there. Overall 5/10
Kaitlin - Has not been used for a full game to see her potential. Overall 1/10

Midfielders - Poor 4/10
Danielle - consistent but not effective. Overall 6/10
Alex - Inconsistent and that comes with being a youngster. Overall 5/10
Chelsea - not ready for W League at this stage. Overall 1/10
Nora - Not ready for W League. Overall 1/10
Alyssa Mautz - Inconsistent. Overall 5/10

Defenders - Poor 4/10
Nicole - Inconsistent Overall 2/10
Georgia - Consistent Overall 6/10
Emma - I believe she is not 100%. Overall 5/10
Emily - Still not up to W league standard. Overall 2/10
Laura - Inconsistent. Overall 2/10
Jenna - Not playing up to her standard. She either commits to Lady reds or AFL. You cannot do both. Overall 4/10
Katie - Consistent - 6/10
Grace - Injured Overall ?
I believe the midfielders also contributed to the pressure applied on the defenders.

Coach - Average Overall 4/10
Unsure why the formation changed from the start of the season.
Selection was average. Poor choices with certain players.
Unsure why the Lady Reds traveled to Melbourne on the same day to play against Melbourne City. I can only assume the club is cutting down on expenses. Absolutely ridiculous.

Just want to comment on last weeks game where AUWFC drew with Melbourne City. The coach mentioned he was happy with his team performance and to come out of the game with a draw.
Firstly, Melbourne City had numerous opportunities to put AUWFC away but failed to put the score on the board. It should have been 4-1.
Those comments are ludicrous. It sounded to me that Ivan and his players were not expected to win that game and were happy they came out with a draw.
Personally, I would not be happy with the result and I would expect the team to win against any opposition.

Overall the team has performed below the expectations that is required to play at an elite level.

I expect harsh decisions to be made by Ivan to change things around.
Firstly, the main two areas are the midfielders and forwards.
Good luck for the remainder of the season. I expect the lady reds to miss out on the finals again.
It's time for the Lady reds to put a team in the WNPL in 2018.

[Brenton T]

A very detailed assessment of the season so far Sportsbird.

I think the results have flattered the team. Sadly the blame does not lay with the team but the AUFC and previously the FFSA. The main areas that need to be addressed are :

1) How does the team prepare for a very short season – No time to build a cohesive unit. Need to hit the ground running.
2) How do the local WNPL players prepare for the League season after (for some) successive WNPL-W-League, WNPL, W-League campaigns without a break. Mental and physical fatigue.
3) Not relying on the visa players or interstaters as the answer to the team’s woes.

Previous coaches, from what I understand, identified possible solutions to inconsistent performances and non-appearances in finals however both AUFC and FFSA failed to listen to the advice and hence the results are as we’ve seen. This season is a DISASTER. 2016-17 for mine was the sign that AUFC-W were on a rise to the top. Even the losses were hard fought and decent games.

The games I’ve seen this year have been below par. The Brisbane game flattered AUFC. Many of their star players just returned from National duty and were about to head off again. The game against Melb City again saw AUFC up against a team below par. A decent win against a KerrLess Perth gave the team false hope.

The team is not cohesive and given that the local girls have been together far longer, I would have expected more from them however, they’re pulled from pillar post WNPL one week, W-League the next then back to WNPL. They’re mentally and physically shot.
Y
our assessments and commentary are well founded however, I would expect that season review will identify many things that needed to be addressed otherwise, shut the door and disband the AUFC-W team. I think these need to addressed.

1) Clear the decks of all local players that have rolled from season to season.
2) Selecting players with a history of injury is INSANE. They’re a liability.
3) Be prudent in selecting visa players and interstate players. They’re the icing on a well-made cake. Not a “readymade” answer for success.
4) Bring in some seasoned campaigners in the local league. 25-30 years old. Sprinkling (1-3 of 18-20 years olds). W-League is not a development team. It’s a battle out there and the young ones have been bullied out of the game.
5) Start identifying players based on a clear “what is needed” mandate ie players suitable for the game plan, attitude, resilience and strong physical and mental character. This is lacking amongst all local players. There are many on the local team that can do the job.
6) A coach that is prepared to put his demands to AUFC or else? I suspect the last coach did and hence why he is now back in the UAE coaching).

Overall the team has performed below the expectations that is required to play at an elite level.

Ivan has to toe the company line.

With Griffo and co handing out a minimum of $10k (as reported) I think he’ll be ready to do away with the team again. There will be no Reds team in the WNPL. They can’t even agree to let them continue to train post season. AUFC never have been serious about the W-League.

[sportsbird]

Well Said Brenton T. Cannot disagree.

[Brenton T]

Cheers. Just sick and tired of the players not getting the best chance at a competitive season. We're good enough.

Time to set new framework and wipe the slate clean. Don't think it will happen and Ivan will carry the can for the results.

[Leppskiii]

Maybe they should adopt more of a football model and make the WNPL shorter to ensure that players have enough of a rest period to recover from w-league.
The only problem there though would then be a massive chunk of players would be having a rather long break between seasons.
SANFL now runs the same time period as the AFLW giving a good amount of time between summer and mid year seasons with the shorter season in winter.
Could be an option to try something similar. As someone who was doing both sports at one stage the wnpl season is rather long!

[billy the kid]

Good discussion peoples.

I think all in all we want to see the team do well and as it stands we made a huge impact last season with some decent football only to have fallen way way behind. I think the instability over the years is catching up again. And those from the local WNPL/NTC etc. are starting to show signs of mental and physical fatigue. There is a real lack of continuity in the whole set up and a lack of commitment and respect towards the coaches who no doubt are seeking a far better model that what has been the mainstay of the last 11 years. It hasn't worked here and will not work in the future unless the changes are made.

IT'S EMABARASSING.

The W-League is not the WNPL or NTC and there needs to be a proper program in place to manage player transitioning from WNPL into W-League. NOT HAPPENING. Injuries will continue to happen.

AUFC/FFSA get together and work out a model based on sound advice. The local WNPL players cannot continue this rolling through one season to another to another to another without serious consequences both personally and results for the team.

[alwaysoffside]

Good discussion peoples.

I think all in all we want to see the team do well and as it stands we made a huge impact last season with some decent football only to have fallen way way behind. I think the instability over the years is catching up again. And those from the local WNPL/NTC etc. are starting to show signs of mental and physical fatigue. There is a real lack of continuity in the whole set up and a lack of commitment and respect towards the coaches who no doubt are seeking a far better model that what has been the mainstay of the last 11 years. It hasn't worked here and will not work in the future unless the changes are made.

IT'S EMABARASSING.

The W-League is not the WNPL or NTC and there needs to be a proper program in place to manage player transitioning from WNPL into W-League. NOT HAPPENING. Injuries will continue to happen.

AUFC/FFSA get together and work out a model based on sound advice. The local WNPL players cannot continue this rolling through one season to another to another to another without serious consequences both personally and results for the team.

Another factor in this is some of these players are also playing other sports, such as AFLW, Big Bash and
netball/ Basketball at different levels.
Not sure what can be done about this scenario, but it's a choice some players are making.

[sportsbird]

Billy the kid,
you are also correct in your comments.

alwaysoffside,
I believe it's time for AUWFC to demand that the players to only play football and not AFLW or any other sport now that players are getting paid.

What I did hear today, that certain players were given contracts knowingly they were injured prior to the start of the season. The club were also aware they would not be fit for the first game and they were prepared to allow the players to carry their injuries through the season. Poor management.
This is not the players fault but the Hierarchy who offered them the contracts. Remember this is a short season, we cannot afford to carry injured players.

[billy the kid]

Thank you Sportsbird.

For the good of the game I say hence we are bothering to say something on here.

Injured payers and contracts? I think this has been the case for quite a few seasons. We stared to get some recognition last season for a very pro-active style of football and the league (albeit we just fell short of the finals) took note. Roll on 2017/18 and here we go.

Did I read correct that Jenna was given permission to play in an internal trial match with the crows yesterday? Crazy stuff.

[Leppskiii]

Given the very little that the girls get paid I dont think you can ask them to choose between two pay days if the clubs are happy.

[Brenton T]

Interesting however, as with most things, you can be a jack of all trades and master of none. This code hopping caper has just further dented the W-League. I get what you're saying however, from an image point of view, it doesn't look great.

My only advice to anyone playing the sport, have a career alongside your sport. In the AFL men you can see that they encourage and support life after footy. For W League and AFL-W, those career thing needs to happen at the same time. Never know when t will end. Playing 2 hard and physical sports at the same time is going to result in injuries that a player may not recover from.

Given the very little that the girls get paid I dont think you can ask them to choose between two pay days if the clubs are happy.

[sportsbird]

Thank you Sportsbird.

For the good of the game I say hence we are bothering to say something on here.

Injured payers and contracts? I think this has been the case for quite a few seasons. We stared to get some recognition last season for a very pro-active style of football and the league (albeit we just fell short of the finals) took note. Roll on 2017/18 and here we go.

Did I read correct that Jenna was given permission to play in an internal trial match with the crows yesterday? Crazy stuff.

If this is true and Jenna is given permission to play in an internal game for the crows, it is a disgrace.
Jenna is a contracted player and is required to play for AUWFC. The coach should be held accountable or responsible if Jenna injures herself playing AFLW.
It's not that we are sitting at the top of the ladder. Feel sorry for those players who missed out on the AUWFC selection and are only interested in playing football not AFLW etc.
The coach should resign or sacked if this is allowed to happen.

[sportsbird]

Given the very little that the girls get paid I dont think you can ask them to choose between two pay days if the clubs are happy.

Sorry Lepp, I agree with Brenton T.

Lepp, the code hopping is not good for the clubs and the players.

For example, Lepp plays for Norwood FC and cannot play for Adelaide Uni WFC because of her SANWFL commitment. Then 6 weeks into the WNPL season, SAWNFL has finished and Lepp returns to play for uni.
During those first 6 games, Uni loses all games because they were ustilising an inexperienced Goalie that was not ready for the WNPL. Tell me if thats fair? Unfair for the Goalie who wants to play WNPL only and unfair for the players and unfair for the club trying to play in the final.

[KRO]

This code hopping business. Is it just an Adelaide thing? Not that up with it if its an issue interstate.

If a contracted player cant commit just say seeya. Simples. Create a squad spot for someone who cares.

[billy the kid]

Money aside, the WNPL and of the W-League needs to retain its prestige therefore, those that want to play footy during the WNPL season OR want to back up a loss against the Victory by playing an f'ing internal trial match with the crows should be cut immediately. Hence why some WNPL clubs locally (who have had the guts) have put it very clearly to the players....if you’re selected in the WNPL then we will not sanction you playing SANFL-W (or other local league).

The choice needs to be made. Football (soccer) is a highly skilled game (men or women) and the local WNPL has taken years to develop and elevate itself to the position it is today. The highest comp for the best women players in SA. To allow code hopping (not to AFL-W) is an embarrassment and insult to the WNPL. Women’s footy (AFL-W aside and its publicity machine) is a poor representation of women’s sport (no offence intended) however, the bright lights have attracted a few moths to. MJ one of them.

The WNPL or W-League will be no worse off if those players chose local AFL over WNPL. AUFC needs to make a stand or else.

From personal experience, most of those playing WNPL Friday and then suiting up for footy on the weekend tend to suffer long term injuries or are unreliable and tend to make themselves unavailable for selection a day or so before the WNPL game on a Friday. Not on!

Yes. I’d like to know if there are other W-League players in other States/Territory that are code hopping during the W-league season.

[The General]

The W league ( and WNPL ) should only be for the dedicated ones, I was not aware W league in particular would even contemplate playing aflw players.

Fielding a W league team in WNPL is not the answer, it would not work and would decimate WNPL - if anything put the lady Reds in a boys JPL division.

Did we all get carried away with the win over under strength Perth side ?

If you look back at the Roar match and the Melb City match the scores could have been a lot higher - Roar match 3 times their strikers were away heading to goal when incorrectly judged off side, and we all saw how many chances Melb City missed.

Don't know why Jones didn't play, she is a real work horse and is being played out of position in my view.

Something is not right with the structure and I hope Karlovic sorts it out quickly - anyone who saw the highlights from last weeks match will all be wondering the same thing - how did Melb Vic how so many players unmarked, including Dowie, in and around the penalty area ? Caught ball watching very badly on a couple of the goals.

Half way mark still some time sort it out, please.

[scipio africanus]

A certain R Quigley would not go astray now.

Rachel made a big difference last season when she overcame an early injury and once started playing, the lady reds looked a very different team.

Signing injured players for such a short season is fraught with danger and one that I would not recommend.

Also, in terms of player selections, some of the form players of the WNPL were not selected or did not trial. yet there are players selected, who did not set the local WNPL alight, yet are then expected to step up in the W League. Interesting selections.

[sportsbird]

A certain R Quigley would not go astray now.

Rachel made a big difference last season when she overcame an early injury and once started playing, the lady reds looked a very different team.

Signing injured players for such a short season is fraught with danger and one that I would not recommend.

Also, in terms of player selections, some of the form players of the WNPL were not selected or did not trial. yet there are players selected, who did not set the local WNPL alight, yet are then expected to step up in the W League. Interesting selections.

Scipio
Firslty R Quigley would be a great asset but i am told she has not got a clearance from overseas yet. Secondly is there a contract open for her. Unsure if all contracts have been taken.

I also agree with your comments about inform players in the WNPL. I also believe the lady reds have train on players who are currently on board. Who are these players and can they be utilised.

[Delete Your Account]

A certain R Quigley would not go astray now.

Rachel made a big difference last season when she overcame an early injury and once started playing, the lady reds looked a very different team.

Signing injured players for such a short season is fraught with danger and one that I would not recommend.

Also, in terms of player selections, some of the form players of the WNPL were not selected or did not trial. yet there are players selected, who did not set the local WNPL alight, yet are then expected to step up in the W League. Interesting selections.

Scipio
Firslty R Quigley would be a great asset but i am told she has not got a clearance from overseas yet. Secondly is there a contract open for her. Unsure if all contracts have been taken.

I also agree with your comments about inform players in the WNPL. I also believe the lady reds have train on players who are currently on board. Who are these players and can they be utilised.

I'm led to believe there is a player on a short term contract, and will be released should RQ want in. Or something like that.

[Leppskiii]

Metro, Fulham and Uni all had players for the past two season playing both? In fact while playing SANFLW there were some girls still playing other sports during the summer. I however chose not to do so but could have if i wanted to. Like i said if people at clubs are willing to take the risk then why as a player would you say no if you wanted to do both?

One of the best and most well known female athletes in the country was a dual athlete don't forget for quite some time. Elyse Perry Cricket and Soccer. There are several players in the AFLW playing in equal competitions cross code. Two notable ones would be W-league player Ellie Brush and WNBL Player Monique Conti. Another two - Jess Cameron and Emma Kearny (cricket - WBBL commitments) oh and Erin Phillips last season.

[KRO]

This needs to be looked at more than just as a "W" or $ thing.

There are plenty of "M" who would like to make more coin and have the ability to play multiple sports.

Would Metrostars or AC say "sure why not?" if one of their contracted players rocked up and said they wanted to play winter baseball, ride their mountain bike or SANFL or tiddly winks that conflicted with their program? Would Sturt or Glenelg agree to one of their squad wanting to have an occasional run with Birkalla?

"M" make commitment decisions. If "W" want to be taken seriously then make a decision and stop stuffing around.

[Brenton T]

The WNPL is a far better standard of game and has far better and skilled players that AFL. By Far. Not a spectacle worthy of the national stage however, with the football centric media and community behind it, it will get all the publicity that the WNPL and W League cannot. you will fail to find a player brought up playing footy cross over top soccer. I'm not disrespecting footy. I love the game however, AFL-W has assumed national prominence on the back of a talented bunch of players seeded across the teams. Probably only 5% are what I would deem to be capable of playing at the elite level.

However, in saying that, the AFL, SANFL and other footy clubs have shown up the FFA, FFSA, AUFC and other local men centric clubs by totally embracing and respecting the women’s comp. For that I do not blame the girls wanting to keep in touch with AFL. Footy as a whole have shown total unity that frankly, the football (soccer) clubs have sadly not shown towards their female counterparts. AUFC rarely has joint media or publicity or stories that show the women’s and men’s team together. Apart from a token snip last night on TV when a few of the girls and men were filing up IGA hampers for the less fortunate.

The AFL, Adelaide Advertiser, SANFL, and crows websites have AFL-W up there and prominent. Try finding W-League info on the AUFC website. I challenge you. This is where AFL-W blows away soccer.

Can both codes co-exist where players play both sports at the same time. I think for the good of the player, and the integrity of both footy and soccer, I think you will need to choose one or the other. If nothing else other than ensuring injuries are kept to a minimum.

Footy is a physical and unforgiving sport and WNPL teams cannot afford to lose players having an extended absence from injury.

You’ve cited certain clubs and their code hoping players. Yes they do exists however, Lepps, tell me if those players in the WNPL have missed WNPL games because of injury sustained from footy or soccer? I know the answer. BTW, Erin Phillips once signing for AFL-W was cut from her USA basketball team.

[Leppskiii]

I don't keep that tight of a record on other people however of the two who I know sustained injuries one was soccer - keeping her out of football and one was football which meant she missed both and returned to soccer before football. By the sounds of it you already know this or have a list?

[Delete Your Account]

Try finding W-League info on the AUFC website. I challenge you. This is where AFL-W blows away soccer.

I opened the website, hovered over Fixtures, and there was W-League.

Same with Teams.

Pretty easy really.

Went to "news" and the 5th story is W-league.

[The General]

you wont have to look far to find this, awards handed out in last couple of months


AIS AWARDS WINNERS
Award Winner Sport
ABC Sports Personality of the Year Sam Kerr Football
Public Choice Team of the Year The Matildas Football

WOMEN'S HEALTH AWARDS

Coach of the Year Alen Stajcic Football
Women's Health Sportswoman of the year - Samantha Kerr, Soccer
A-Team of the year - Matildas, Soccer