AFLW agenda: All the hits and misses from week six
From a stirring celebration pointed at keyboard cowards to the rapid rise of a young gun, ELIZA REILLY runs through the hits and misses from Week 6 in the AFLW Agenda.
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From a stirring celebration to the rapid rise of a young gun, Eliza Reilly runs through the hits and misses from Week 6 in the AFLW Agenda.
HITS
PLAY WITH PRIDE
Pride Round is always a highlight on the AFLW calendar and it only continues to grow. A celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community, the league has been celebrating Pride Round for the past five seasons but in reality, women’s football has been at the forefront of inclusion for much longer.
Sport is a driver of change in Australia and the competition has helped create a safe space for fans, players and staff. AFLW stars have taken the opportunity to share their personal stories and experiences, helping others realise that there’s nothing to be afraid of.
And what about the specially designed jumpers? Each one tells a story and is an emblem of acceptance. But if we had to choose, Carlton’s, Fremantle’s, Port Adelaide’s and Hawthorn’s are the coolest so far.
ELL YEAH
Is Ella Roberts one of the top 10 players in the AFLW this season? How long will it be until she’s knocking on the door of the top five? Whatever way you look at it, the Eagles young gun is enjoying some sort of breakout season. Her first term against Port Adelaide on Saturday was arguably the greatest quarter of football we’ve seen a West Coast player produce, rivalled only by Imahra Cameron’s three goals in the space of six minutes back in 2021. Of her six marks, four of them were contested and she also had 11 disposals and four score involvements.
We’re preparing for an Ella Roberts domination.#AFLWEaglesPowerpic.twitter.com/JiePWt5eqw
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) October 5, 2024
After being held to just one touch in the second quarter by Port rising star contender Shineah Goody, Roberts roared back to life in the second half to finish with 27 disposals, a career-high 11 marks, a goal and 423 metres gained. Early on in her career, Roberts was guilty of not finishing her work both in the air and in front of goal. Now, after a mountain of pre-season work, she can do no wrong. The 19-year-old (yes she’s a teenager until December) has now polled coaches’ votes in all but one of West Coast’s games this year and currently sits equal-fifth overall with 43.
MUNYARD’S MIRACLE
In a surprisingly tight tussle with St Kilda, Crow Hannah Munyard just casually dropped one of the goals of the year. Tight up against the boundary just inside 50, Munyard received the ball from Caitlin Gould and was off to the races, making light work of two Saints defenders. She briefly glanced inside to see if she could square it up to a teammate but nothing was available so Munyard decided to go herself.
what a goal that is https://t.co/3mD3ECXdZu
— Jack Ginnivan (@GinnivanJack) October 5, 2024
The checkside snap on the run was an exceptional display of skill and an example of how far the players’ skills have come. The Crows are planning a post-season trip to America and they’ve already gotten in Munyard’s ear should she win the prize money attached to goal of the year. But she has competition in GWS’s Eilish O’Dowd whose sensational solo effort from the ruck in round one is a fellow frontrunner.
MISSES
KEYBOARD COWARDS
Condemn the perpetrator, praise the response. Anyone who feels the need to message an AFLW player and comment on their appearance clearly has some big issues of their own. Maddy Prespakis has spoken before about her battle with body image and journey to “look in the mirror and love what my body looks like”. Well, Maddy, you are more than enough. It’s not about what your body looks like, it’s about what it can do. Every weekend, you front up and play 68 minutes of Australian rules football, one of the most brutal codes in the world. You’re one of the best midfielders in the competition, a position that demands immense skill, endurance and grit. Your 164cm frame attends stoppage after stoppage, copping hit after hit, yet you consistently put your head over the ball and find a way to win a clearance or put your teammate in a position to.
Pointed celebration after Prespakis was the victim of body shaming comments on social media this week. Cop that keyboard cowards. https://t.co/DitHw7awCl
— Eliza Reilly (@ByElizaReilly) October 6, 2024
On Sunday after kicking your second goal against Gold Coast, you lifted your shirt and pointed to the core that gave you the strength to drive through a forward 50 stoppage, held up by the powerful legs that propelled the ball 25 metres towards goal. It was a pointed message to the troll who dared to question your disposal tally and the AFLW world rallied around you. Thank you for showing young girls and boys that anyone, any shape, any size, is welcome in our game.
WILD WEATHER
Is it just me or is everyone getting a bit sick of wet weather footy? Obviously, football is a winter sport and the decision to relocate the season to August was made with conditions in mind. But when fans watch AFLW games, they want to see the best version of the players and their skills. On the weekend just gone, we saw multiple games impacted by wet weather. That’s not to mention the howling winds we’ve seen throughout the season. The Richmond Collingwood clash was delayed by 25 minutes due to lightning at Punt Road, North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs slogged it out in the second half at Arden Street and a pre-game downpour soaked Ikon Park ahead of Carlton’s game against Brisbane. Community venues are vulnerable to poor conditions and only the bravest fans stick around to watch their teams in action. The bigger question though is whether teams are getting the best opportunity to perfect and refine their game plans. North Melbourne is one of the slickest, most skilful teams in the league on a dry day but the Kangaroos have been rained out five times in seven games. Sides need to be able to play both conditions but dry weather footy is almost always a better spectacle. In saying that, slippery conditions are akin to finals in the contested nature of the game so the Kangaroos will be a team to watch.
HAWKS INJURY CARNAGE
There are few scarier things you can witness at a football game than a player being put through neck and spinal protocols. But that’s what unfolded at Fremantle Oval on Sunday afternoon when young Hawk Mackenzie Eardley went to ground in the first quarter. Eardley, 20, collided with Dockers ruck Mim Strom in a seemingly innocuous marking contest on the far wing in the first quarter. Play continued for a brief period until the Hawks called for a stretcher and began testing Eardley’s grip. It was an eerie feeling as play was delayed for more than five minutes. The design of Fremantle Oval meant that Eardley was initially taken to the umpire’s changerooms to be assessed because it’s unsafe to transport stretcher patients down a set of stairs to club rooms. The good news is that Eardley was cleared of any serious neck damage after undergoing scans at hospital, the best possible result to come from a scary situation. But she did suffer a head knock and has been ruled out for this weekend’s clash with West Coast. The Hawks also lost Kristy Stratton and Laura Stone to syndesmosis ankle injuries, leaving them with two fit players on the bench after quarter time. But Daniel Webster’s team still found a way.
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Originally published as AFLW agenda: All the hits and misses from week six
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