AFL South Coast Women’s Premier Division: Players and teams to watch on road to finals
With the AFL South Coast Women’s Premier Division kicking off this weekend, we’ve analysed all the sides to see which players are standing out this season and which teams are in with a shot of winning. Check out the full preview.
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The standard of local South Coast AFL action ramps up this weekend with the commencement of the Women’s Premier Division.
After the first ten rounds of footy in 2023 were competed between all nine teams in the women’s division, the competition has now been split into two, with the four top teams creating the Premier Division.
The Wollongong Lions, Wollongong Bulldogs Red, Figtree Saints and Wollongong Lions Red make up the four and are preparing for a major ramp up in weekly quality and intensity of local footy.
The points that the teams accumulated from the first half of the season will remain, meaning some teams enter the Premier Division with a greater advantage of a home semi-final than others.
So who will emerge victorious come finals? We’ve talked to every coach and analysed the squads ahead of the commencement of the Premier Division.
Check out the full preview below.
1st – Wollongong Lions
Season record: 9 wins, 0 losses (+580)
Biggest strength: Coach Nick Bretherton highlights how the elite training culture at the Wollongong Lions has reflected in their on-field performances. Fitness levels are high and skill levels have complemented these. On top of this, there are no big egos or selfish players among the squad, making a coherent unit of team that has yet to be stopped in 2023.
Needs improvement: There’s always room for improvement according to coach Bretherton, even with their invincible season to date. The big focus is just ensuring the side is working together and using their voices, which can sometimes slip with a lapse of concentration, as it’s still a very young footy side.
Best performance: 33-5 win vs Wollongong Bulldogs in round 10. Despite getting wins in the weeks prior, a few little things started creeping into the Lions’ game, such as selfishness and complacency. So to come out and perform as dominant as they did for the four quarters against a tough Bulldogs opposition was terrific.
Top performers: Rani Sossai was best on ground in last year’s grand final and has carried her form into 2023 with her unselfish midfield work, breaking heaps of tackles and providing crucial blocks for her side when needed. Another standout performer has been Kirsty Philpott, an intelligent midfielder with one of the best overhead marks in the competition according to her coach.
Top goalscorer: Shanae Flower (15)
Season expectation: The premiership is the ultimate goal obviously for the Lions as they look to defend their 2022 crown. Aside from that, short-term it’s about improving as a group on any weaknesses and perfecting the basics, as they know they have a target on their back in the Premier Division. Nine from nine so far in 2023, they’ll be hard to stop.
2nd – Wollongong Bulldogs Red
Season record: 7 wins, 2 losses (+371)
Biggest strength: There haven’t been a whole lot of weaknesses across the park for the Bulldogs. Their backs have been solid in keeping the goals down, their midfields have been keeping really busy and their forwards have been key targets going forward. Everyone is chipping in and doing their part.
Needs improvement: Playing the full four quarters of footy consistently is to be a big focus for the Bulldogs. There’s been a lot of rotation which has hurt the Bulldogs at times, so getting their best team on the park would help as well. Other than that, it’s staying focused and motivated and closing the gap between themselves and the Lions.
Best performance: 84-6 win vs Northern District Tigers in round eight. Everything just went right for the Bulldogs this afternoon, playing as a team and playing to the structures they planned to, reflecting in a dominant final scoreline.
Top performers: Coach Lee Murray described the performances of midfielder/half-forward flank Michelle Foscarini as “of an AFLW standard”, highlighting how her great speed, build and two-footed kicking ability has placed her a class above this season. Mikayla Jones has shone from centre-half forward with one of the best sets of hands in the league and a great overhead mark. Abby Dargan as well has been “the Great Wall of China” at the back for the Bulldogs.
Top goalscorer: Abbey Thomas (19 – league high)
Season expectation: If anyone is to stop the Lions from having an invincible season, it’s the cross-town rivals the Bulldogs. Coach Murray wants to see his side motivated and performing at a high standard every week to maintain a top two spot and put as much pressure on the Bulldogs as possible, so hopefully his side is in the grand final once it rolls around.
3rd – Figtree Saints
Season record: 6 wins, 3 losses (+130)
Biggest strength: Coach Darrin Collier is pleased at how effortlessly his young side has gelled together having predominantly not played together before. There was a big player turnover after last season but the girls have really taken it in their stride this year and stuck to the game plans put in place.
Needs improvement: There’s still work to do in their transition plays. They’ve been running the ball well through their backline and to the forwards, but there’s always room to improve, especially if they want to compete consistently in the Premier Division.
Best performance: 47-13 win vs Wollongong Lions Red in round eight. The Lions Red side were ahead of the Saints at the time, so to play as well as they did and beat them on the day was a terrific achievement.
Top performers: Ashlee Maddern leads the goalscoring for the Saints from the forward line having come down from Sydney this year, needing only two more goals for 200 in her career. Captain Katherine Gow has been superb out of fullback with her running game, while the ruck combination of Nykia Butler and Grace Mewett have gelled well for a couple of young players.
Top goalscorer: Ashlee Maddern (12)
Season expectation: According to coach Collier it’s to take it one game at a time and strengthen their game as much as possible from the next six games to have the best shot possible at making the grand final.
4th – Wollongong Lions Red
Season record: 6 wins, 3 losses (+108)
Biggest strength: Similarly to the Premier Lions side, coach Tim Lisle puts the success of the Lions Red so far this season down to their commitment to training hard every week alongside the other Lions teams. All three teams come together to train in a group of over 60 players, allowing them to elevate their game as a club, which has yielded results in 2023.
Needs improvement: Just maintaining focus, keeping concentration levels up and not lapsing from the game plan. They’re well aware of the level of intensity that is about to heighten in this new division and they’re up for the challenge.
Best performance: 37-8 loss vs Wollongong Bulldogs Red in round three. Unusual for a loss to be a season defining performance, but Lisle highlighted how in torrential rain conditions and on a foreign territory, his side was well and truly in the game and played to a standard that they walked away proud of, setting the benchmark for the rest of the year.
Top performers: Nikkeah Wallace has been a real standout, impressing enough to have the opportunity to play in the Lions’ Premier side. Joining her in midfield is Bridget Sherlow who together have been driving the whole team. Captain Lara Clifford has also performed week in week out with excellent tenacity to lead the team by example.
Top goalscorer: Jasmine Cook (six)
Season expectation: On any given day the Lions Red team can succeed and be competitive. They’re eyeing off the top two spots to give themselves the best chance in finals, but ultimately coach Lisle wants his team to learn and be successful from learning, developing his girls as complete footy players.
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