AFLW 2022: All the latest news as the women’s season heads toward finals
There’s a Sheffield Shield match scheduled at the Gabba for the weekend of the AFLW grand final. So what happens if the Lions make it to the big dance?
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Brisbane will push ahead with its AFLW season confident it will be able to host the grand final in Queensland if the ladder leaders win the right to host the game.
The Lions will hope to finish minor premiers and while the Gabba is set to host a Sheffield Shield game on the weekend of the AFLW grand final, that game could be moved if the Lions win through.
Lions chief executive Greg Swann said the Brisbane AFLW team would host its first final at Metricon Stadium after playing there last week and in next week’s round 10 clash against Collingwood.
The club’s new Springfield elite performance facility — which boasts a 10,000-seat stadium — is one option for a potential grand final, but the Gabba is not out of the picture.
“If we were lucky enough to make the grand final we are confident it would be at the Gabba or Springfield,” Swann said.
“If the Shield game was moved from the Gabba they would have three weeks between games so the pitch would be watered enough to make it acceptable (for AFL play) but there is also a push to have it at Springfield if we qualify.”
WHY FLAWLESS LIONS JUST KEEP WINNING
—Lauren Wood
There’s something about the Lions.
Flawless is how one rival described them this week, “star-studded” another.
Atop the AFL Women’s ladder, with a blistering percentage in tow, the Lions have beaten closest rivals Adelaide and Melbourne with their only loss coming at the hands of a resurgent Richmond.
Top spot is firmly in their grasp.
Experience counts for plenty in this competition, and Brisbane has been right in the thick of it since the very beginning — with Craig Starcevich at the helm as coach since day one.
That’s been noted as a key asset.
But for the man in charge, it’s about keeping level-pegging in a team he says he is happy to keep “even”.
“We don’t have bigger names,” he laughed, despite having reigning league best and fairest winner Emily Bates right in the thick of it in the middle.
“Emily’s emerged in season six with an outstanding personal year, so that’s a little bit abnormal by our standards.
“Even the year that we won the flag (in 2021), Luttsy (Kate Lutkins) was the only All-Australian (selected).
“It’s always been pretty normal for us to have an even spread across our group, and not many stars that really stand out on their own.”
And just seven seasons in, his next generation is coming to the fore.
“Now, we’ve got the big crop of Lions academy kids coming through,” he said.
“So half our list has come through that pathway. Tahlia (Hickie) is one of those, Jesse Wardlaw, Jade Ellenger, Sophie Conway, Belle Dawes. There’s a big batch of them.
“They’re all starting to grow and play good footy and they’re all in their early 20s. That’s nice.”
It’s the sweet spot.
The Lions are top of the league’s now-18 teams for games played with an average games of 33.7.
It just works.
“It’s a nice combination – to be young, but experienced,” Starcevich admits, though he “never thinks things are humming” despite the team’s seeming dominance this season.
“It’s just trying to get an even contribution from everyone. That’s probably the driving bit.
“They have a bit of a mentality among them. They love training, that’s a nice starting point, and they’re always searching for better ways.
“That competitive nature among them pushing each other leads itself to getting a good training ethic across the group.
“There’s even growth across the group and they’re improving at the same rate, which is nice, so you don’t have people emerging ahead of others.”
The Lions were noted this week by Collingwood All-Australian Ruby Schleicher that they “don’t have any flaws”.
Despite Starcevich’s declaration that big names aren’t a factor at Brisbane, expansion sides — and even established outfits, too — came sniffing around after last season with the likes of Bates and others in their sights.
Retention, he says, was a key factor and he largely puts it down to the club’s multimillion-dollar new base at Springfield, where the moving trucks were backed up this week and homely touches initiated.
“I’m sitting here now looking at the place and it is absolutely amazing,” he said.
The Lions’ male and female teams have identical setups, which are split in the middle by the team’s aquatic facilities.
Professionalism and competitiveness has been a hallmark of the Lions’ AFLW side — now they’re in the digs to show for it.
“Can’t believe what we’ve got,” Starcevich said.
“And the girls are absolutely ecstatic about having their own venue. It’s the first purpose built stadium in the competition and arguably is now Australia’s best sporting precinct. So we are so, so fortunate.
“And a lot of it’s been on the back of the fact that we’ve had a strong women’s team in the comp for seven years, too.”
A trip to Frankston awaits on Saturday night, against an old foe in Bec Goddard — now at the helm of Hawthorn after toppling Starcevich’s Lions in the competition’s inaugural season as senior coach of Adelaide — but a new opponent, Hawthorn, which has joined the competition this year and notched three wins, including two at the bayside ground.
Goddard says putting a finger on what makes the Lions so great isn’t exactly easy — it’s across the board.
They’ve “just got it right”.
“Their list is star-studded. Craig’s been with them right from the start,” she said this week.
“They’ve been training in the heat over six seasons of AFLW in the summer in unbelievable training conditions. The condition of their bodies compared to some of the newcomers in the competition is stark. And they know each other really, really well.
“They’ve clearly got a great team environment up there. Bree Brock their head of women's football is an amazing leader for the girls. And they’ve just got it right.
“They will go deep in finals this year, there’s no doubt about that. And we’re setting ourselves up for the biggest challenge we’ve had this year at the fortress which is Frankston for us.
“And we really look forward to setting ourselves against the best in the competition, because they really are that at the moment.”
AFL RESPONDS TO SUB-PAR WOMEN’S CHANGE ROOMS
The AFL will install additional toilet and shower facilities for AFL Women’s players at a Sydney ground that came under fire for its sub-par changerooms on the weekend.
The Herald Sun revealed earlier this week that in matches at Sydney’s Henson Park, players and club staff had to share two toilets and one sink in a single changeroom that had visible cockroaches.
The league confirmed to News Corp on Wednesday night that “following feedback from clubs and post the recent match between GWS Giants and Hawthorn”, it would be installing further facilities for the remaining two rounds.
“The AFL will assist with additional amenities (toilets) and provide additional shower access for the remaining two matches at Henson Park this season ahead of a planned redevelopment of the venue announced earlier this year,” it said in a statement.
“The AFL has been in constant direct communication with clubs this season to manage match day expectations with some grounds – including Henson Park - undergoing or about to start major upgrades to facilities.”
The ground is set to be upgraded following multimillion-dollar funding from federal and state governments, the AFL and the Inner West council.
“Announced earlier this year, the iconic Sydney venue of Henson Park, is now on the verge of a planned upgrade to facilities, which includes player changerooms, with thanks to support of the Federal and NSW Governments, as well as the Inner West Council partnering with the AFL,” the league said.
“Ensuring the venue remains an important home for AFLW games and families can continue to enjoy the game at one of Sydney’s favourite suburban venues where Australian football has been played since the 1940s.”
Sydney will host Fremantle at the ground on Saturday.
SEVEN SEASONS IN, AFLW COACHES STILL CALLING FOR BETTER FACILITIES
The standard of AFL Women’s facilities “needs to be addressed”, according to two long-time AFLW senior coaches who would welcome further technology upgrades for the women’s game.
The league acknowledged on Tuesday that a goal umpiring mistake robbed Sydney of a crucial goal in its four-point loss to Essendon on Sunday, which could have cost the team its first win for the season.
Swans coach Scott Gowans said he had spoken with AFLW boss Nicole Livingstone on Tuesday and maintained that it is important to continue to “highlight things that aren’t right” within AFL Women’s, citing women’s cricket as having found the balance with technology.
“I’m a big fan for playing at the bigger venues, and having whatever we can,” Gowans said on Wednesday.
“It’s something that we need to look towards, but I also understand that it’s very important to be connected to the fans and the community grounds are great for that as well.
“There is a balance there somewhere – we’ve just got to find what that balance is. The cost of having that technology is a lot, Nicole Livingstone and I had a chat about it (on Tuesday).
“I’m all for it. I just want the industry to grow and to be better.”
He said that the league had apologised, but “it’s a healthy thing to discuss it”.
Retiring Hawk Jess Duffin – who has played both top-level women’s cricket and AFLW – said she was “all for technology if it’s there and available”, as she has enjoyed on the pitch.
“The boys have got (goal review) in their system at the moment, so I can’t see why we wouldn’t have it going forward,” Duffin said.
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Her Hawthorn coach Bec Goddard said “AFLW has been building” and that elements like the goal review would be the natural “next step”.
“We’re getting to play in stadiums a bit more often and the next step is these other bits and pieces of technology, more pay for the athletes, better changerooms – all that kind of stuff,” she said.
“What’s the order of those priorities? I don’t know. But wherever it is available, we should be looking to use it.”
The league found itself in the spotlight for changerooms conditions for the second time this season in recent days after Goddard described the rooms post-game at Sydney’s Henson Park as below-par.
The Herald Sun later revealed that players and staff – including males – were forced to share two toilets in changerooms where cockroaches were also visible.
Gowans – who will lead his team at the ground on Saturday against Fremantle – said while he “loves” the team’s home ground which is set to be upgraded, it does prompt warranted questions for the wider competition.
“If you come to Henson Park and you experience the atmosphere … if it wasn’t being upgraded then you might look at it and say, look, is there something else we can do, like demountables,” he said.
“The rooms themselves … it is a little bit squashy and a little bit old, but we all know that and that’s why it’s being redeveloped.
“I just find that the facilities for the females is something that needs to be addressed obviously overall. But at the moment, it is what it is and I’m sure it’ll be as clean as it possibly can this week.”
Goddard said she had no communication with the AFL in recent days in relation to her team’s experience.
“We’re grateful to be here, we will go anywhere and play anywhere and enjoy being in our first season in the competition,” she said.
“More generally, wherever we can put (our female players) in great facilities when they’re getting paid to do that work, that’s fantastic.”
AFL CONCEDES SWANS ROBBED BY GOAL UMPIRE HOWLER
- Daniel Cherny
The AFL has acknowledged that a goal umpiring blunder hindered Sydney’s chances of scoring a maiden AFLW victory.
A set shot from Sydney defender Molly Eastman with just over five minutes to go in the third quarter of the Swans’ game against Essendon at Ikon Park on Saturday was adjudged to be a behind.
Eastman and teammates celebrated as though her shot had been successful and looked shocked that the goal umpire signalled for a behind.
News Corp has obtained behind the goals vision of the kick in which the ball appears to go through for a clear goal.
The Swans were four points down when Eastman took her kick. Essendon ultimately won the match between the two expansion clubs by four points, leaving Sydney winless through eight rounds of their inaugural AFLW season.
Sydney’s General Manager of AFLW Kate Mahony responded to CODE Sports request for comment on Tuesday, stating:
“We contacted the AFL after the match and they acknowledged the mistake via email. The players were shattered after the match and whilst we will never know what the outcome if the goal had been awarded it’s disappointing to have to wear a decision like that in an elite football match. All season we have looked forward and this week is no different, we continue working and preparing for our match against Fremantle.”
The AFL has acknowledged a goal umpiring error that hindered Sydney's chances of claiming a maiden AFLW victory on the weekend.https://t.co/5JwcrCWLj8@codeaflau@codesportsaupic.twitter.com/6JcIRVyMrc
— Daniel Cherny (@DanielCherny) October 18, 2022
An AFL spokesman responded, apologising for the error.
“We acknowledge that a mistake was made during the third quarter in Sydney and Essendon game on the weekend. After communicating this with Sydney the AFL thanks the Swans for their understanding.
“In this particular instance, a goal should have been signalled. Overall, the umpires did a terrific job officiating across Round Eight.
Regarding the use of ARC for AFLW matches, the spokesman commented: “At the moment we don’t have the infrastructure to have score review across all venues. We will continue to investigate this going forward.
Unlike the men’s competition, the semi-professional and part-time AFLW does not have a goal review system.
The Swans have games against Fremantle (home) and Geelong (away) to come. The Bombers are 10th at the end of round eight and remain a remote chance to qualify for their first finals series, but they would need to produce the upset of the season by defeating Melbourne at Casey Fields this Saturday to have any chance of making the finals.
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