VFLW Player Focus: Alana Barba (Essendon)
ON the weekend Essendon topped off a splendid 2022 VFLW season with a premiership, and a crucial part in that win was Lisa Hardeman medallist Alana Barba. Although many expected other Bombers to come away with Best on Ground honours, Barba’s game was one of those that was crucial, but also under the radar. This […]
How Essendon won the 2022 VFLW Premiership
ESSENDON had a pretty flawless 2022 VFLW campaign, there is just no other way to describe it, which culminated in winning the flag on Sunday. But winning the flag in general is not easy, much less off the back of an undefeated season like the Bombers did. But how exactly did they do it? Why […]
2022 AFLW Draft team review: North Melbourne
AFTER another so close, yet so far season of making the AFL Women’s finals but not getting to the last game of the year, North Melbourne headed back to the draft with five selections. In the 2022 AFLW Draft, the Roos were able to scoop up a couple of talls, and some high-upside, skilful smalls. […]
2022 AFLW Draft team review: Melbourne
AFTER falling one win short of an AFL Women’s premiership, grand finalists Melbourne headed into the off-season looking to maintain their place in the premiership race. The Demons lost a chunk of their depth, but also picked up some readymade replacements for another assault on the AFLW flag. Melbourne was always going to end up […]
2022 AFLW Draft team review: Hawthorn
ONE of two new expansion sides in the Victorian pool, Hawthorn took a different approach to Essendon’s list building process ahead of Season 7. While the Bombers stacked the list with readymade talent and some serious best-available stars, the Hawks went about assembling a side that Bec Goddard can play within the structures and game […]
Bombers fly up, up to claim inaugural flag
AFTER being the team to beat all year, Essendon has topped off a remarkable season by winning the 2022 VFLW Grand Final, comfortably defeating the Southern Saints 6.6 (42) to 0.7 (7). Lead by the likes of Lisa Hardeman medallist Alana Barba (18 touches, 18 tackles, seven clearances), Federica Frew and Renee Tierney (two goals […]
2022 AFLW Draft team review: Geelong
IN a comparably quiet night for the Cats as opposed to some past years, Geelong picked up the three players to compete its Season 7 list for AFL Women’s. Springing a surprise by being the second club to recall a past player who was previously delisted – after West Coast with Kate Bartlett – the […]
Preview: 2022 VFLW Grand Final – Essendon vs. Southern Saints
AFTER two Covid interrupted seasons, the VFLW will finally have a complete season when the 2022 Grand Final takes place on Sunday. Sunday’s clash sees the undefeated Essendon take on the somewhat surprise packets of 2022, the Southern Saints. Essendon has been the benchmark team all season, and rightfully go into the match as the […]
2022 AFLW Draft team review: Essendon
NEWCOMERS Essendon had quite the large haul at the 2022 AFL Women’s Draft, picking up seven players, including two mature-agers to complete the Bombers list ahead of Season 7. The Bombers went for a mix of exciting forwards, natural leaders and club teammates, to cover all areas of the ground, but particularly looked at versatile […]
Underdog Saints certainly not overawed by the occasion
WHEN it comes to this VFLW season, the Southern Saints have been one of those sides you just cannot really underestimate. They may have ultimately finished fifth on the ladder this season, but three big wins in a row against at times much more highly fancied opponents has seen them make their very first VFLW […]
Lions face tough fixture as Hawks, Dogs win out
BRISBANE faces the toughest AFL Women’s Season 7 fixture according to Rookie Me Central’s club-by-club analysis. In calculating the difficulty of each individual club’s fixture based on the opponent – and whether the match was in the club’s home state or interstate – the Lions were calculated to have the most difficult fixture of all […]
Season 7 AFLW preview: Fremantle
THOUGH Fremantle was thereabouts once again the AFL Women’s last season, the Dockers could not quite replicate the 2020 season, which in many ways will be a hard one to forget. They were unbeaten at the top of the table and premiership favourites, only for COVID-19 and the AFL to call off the season. In […]
Queensland girls go undefeated at nationals
QUEENSLAND’s future crop of talent is looking bright after the 15 and Under Girls went undefeated to take out the School Sport Australia (SSA) Championships late last month. Hosted for the first time in three years, five states and one territory played in a round-robin tournament to determine the best state at that level. In […]
Season 7 AFLW preview: Essendon
COMING into their maiden AFLW campaign, Essendon is one of the most intriguing sides coming into Season 7. As one of four expansion sides coming into the league this season, there are a lot of questions around the Bombers this year and not a whole lot to go off to answer said queries. They were […]
Season 7 AFLW preview: Collingwood
IT was a tough pill to swallow last season for Collingwood, with the Magpies coming off a kick away from a grand final, to losing two of their best players and limping to the line in Season 6. Now looking ahead to Season 7, Collingwood will still be without star onballers Brianna Davey and Brittany […]
Williamson and Morcom land at The Hangar
ESSENDON has completed its inaugural AFL Women’s list by signing two injury replacement players. The Bombers, who lost VFL Women’s premiership captain Georgia Nanscawen and fellow state league addition Eloise Ashley-Cooper to injury ahead of Season 7, were officially replaced yesterday. Essendon announced it had signed another VFL Women’s Bomber in Alex Morcom, as well […]
Clarke not resting on his laurels
DESPITE being in one of the most envied positions in the AFLW as the two time premiership coach of the reigning premiers, Adelaide coach Matthew Clarke is certainly not resting on his laurels coming into the new season. Although they are the hunted again this season, Clarke noted how “every season is a new adventure” […]
Season 7 AFLW preview: Carlton
AFTER showing glimpses last season, and although they were technically in the finals race until the final few weeks of the season, Carlton ultimately failed to make finals yet again. Although they were able to comprehensively deal with the lower sides, Carlton struggled against the top sides last season so will have to turn that […]
AFLW clubs dust off cobwebs ahead of season
THOUGH the official practice matches kick off next weekend, 16 of the 18 clubs engaged in either unofficial practice matches or match simulations over the past week. We summarised the notes made by clubs across the competition to put it all in one place. ADELAIDE vs PORT ADELAIDE Adelaide and Port Adelaide clashed at Thebarton […]
UQ goes back-to-back in overtime classic
THE University of Queensland (UQ) has created history in the Queensland Australian Football League Women’s (QAFLW), with the Red Lionesses winning back-to-back premierships after defeating Southport 5.1 (31) to 3.6 (24) in an overtime classic. Red Lionesses’ co captain Marnie McGorm had a final game to remember, as did Laura Ernst who was playing in […]
VFLW Player Focus: Alana Barba (Essendon)
ON the weekend Essendon topped off a splendid 2022 VFLW season with a premiership, and a crucial part in that win was Lisa Hardeman medallist Alana Barba. Although many expected other Bombers to come away with Best on Ground honours, Barba’s game was one of those that was crucial, but also under the radar. This […]
How Essendon won the 2022 VFLW Premiership
ESSENDON had a pretty flawless 2022 VFLW campaign, there is just no other way to describe it, which culminated in winning the flag on Sunday. But winning the flag in general is not easy, much less off the back of an undefeated season like the Bombers did. But how exactly did they do it? Why […]
2022 AFLW Draft team review: North Melbourne
AFTER another so close, yet so far season of making the AFL Women’s finals but not getting to the last game of the year, North Melbourne headed back to the draft with five selections. In the 2022 AFLW Draft, the Roos were able to scoop up a couple of talls, and some high-upside, skilful smalls. […]
2022 AFLW Draft team review: Melbourne
AFTER falling one win short of an AFL Women’s premiership, grand finalists Melbourne headed into the off-season looking to maintain their place in the premiership race. The Demons lost a chunk of their depth, but also picked up some readymade replacements for another assault on the AFLW flag. Melbourne was always going to end up […]
2022 AFLW Draft team review: Hawthorn
ONE of two new expansion sides in the Victorian pool, Hawthorn took a different approach to Essendon’s list building process ahead of Season 7. While the Bombers stacked the list with readymade talent and some serious best-available stars, the Hawks went about assembling a side that Bec Goddard can play within the structures and game […]
Bombers fly up, up to claim inaugural flag
AFTER being the team to beat all year, Essendon has topped off a remarkable season by winning the 2022 VFLW Grand Final, comfortably defeating the Southern Saints 6.6 (42) to 0.7 (7). Lead by the likes of Lisa Hardeman medallist Alana Barba (18 touches, 18 tackles, seven clearances), Federica Frew and Renee Tierney (two goals […]
2022 AFLW Draft team review: Geelong
IN a comparably quiet night for the Cats as opposed to some past years, Geelong picked up the three players to compete its Season 7 list for AFL Women’s. Springing a surprise by being the second club to recall a past player who was previously delisted – after West Coast with Kate Bartlett – the […]
Preview: 2022 VFLW Grand Final – Essendon vs. Southern Saints
AFTER two Covid interrupted seasons, the VFLW will finally have a complete season when the 2022 Grand Final takes place on Sunday. Sunday’s clash sees the undefeated Essendon take on the somewhat surprise packets of 2022, the Southern Saints. Essendon has been the benchmark team all season, and rightfully go into the match as the […]
2022 AFLW Draft team review: Essendon
NEWCOMERS Essendon had quite the large haul at the 2022 AFL Women’s Draft, picking up seven players, including two mature-agers to complete the Bombers list ahead of Season 7. The Bombers went for a mix of exciting forwards, natural leaders and club teammates, to cover all areas of the ground, but particularly looked at versatile […]
