AFLW agenda: All the hits and misses from week eight
It was a huge week for the AFLW, from GWS’ fury to a burst pipe to a torrent of social media abuse towards a Tigers star. ELIZA REILLY runs through the hits and misses from Week 8.
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From a team who “played angry” to a hurtful and messy social media saga, ELIZA REILLY runs through the hits and misses from Week 8.
HITS
ORANGE FURY
It says a lot about the mental strength and resilience of the GWS playing group to come to play the way they did against Hawthorn on Saturday. After an emotionally taxing week where details of the club’s Whacky Wednesday came to light, namely a repulsive skit performed by Josh Fahey simulating sex acts on a blow-up doll, the Giants girls had to front up for a game of football. Up against Hawthorn, one of the in-form teams in the competition, GWS led at quarter time. They trailed by just one point at halftime before falling away in the second half.
At quarter time, Fox Footy was afforded access to GWS’s huddle and Cameron Bernasconi praised his group for “playing angry.” Post-game, Bernasconi admitted that his side struggled with the emotional toll of the week but he was proud of how his players weathered the storm and gave a strong account of themselves against a top four contender. Normally, the Giants’ decision to deny media access to players post-game would raise eyebrows. But in this instance, it was the right call. Captain Bec Beeson showed incredible leadership by putting her name and hurt to a club statement late last week.
A statement from GWS Giants' #AFLW captain, Rebecca Beeson.
— Lachlan McKirdy (@LMcKirdy7) October 17, 2024
It includes the fact the AFLW playing group was "deeply hurt and angered" when they learned of the incident. #AFLpic.twitter.com/W6JfTGjOSN
She spoke on behalf of the playing group and post-game, it was not the player’s responsibility to answer questions about the men’s behaviour. It’s the club’s responsibility now to learn from this dark chapter in its history and move forward as one.
AFL FRONTS UP
This one is for the AFL but be prepared – it’s a bit of a backhanded compliment. Last week, I wrote in this column that key figureheads at the AFL had been missing in action since the start of the AFLW season and weren’t making themselves available to answer the hard questions with the competition at the crossroads. While it probably shouldn’t have taken a public arrow to elicit a response, to Emma Moore and Laura Kane’s credit, they agreed to sit down with me and give up 45 minutes of their time before the western derby. In that stretch, they answered every question I asked about the controversial condensed fixture, the standard of games, injury tolls and crowd attendance.
There was plenty more I didn’t get time to ask them too. They told me that they hear the criticism and they’re listening. Did I get the answers I was looking for? Well, no. The AFL is clearly in a holding pattern and wants to wait until the dust settles at the end of the season to make considered, not reactive decisions. That’s its prerogative. But it would’ve been the easiest public relations win of all time to categorically rule out the return of a compressed fixture given that we now know, courtesy of the AFLPA, players strongly oppose it. There’s a lot of work to be done and both women are up for the job ahead. Let’s just hope that for the competition’s sake, we get certainty sooner rather than later because there wasn’t a lot to be learnt.
CATS CLAW ONE BACK
You know you’re having a good day when you forget which way you’re going and still end up with a goal as Mikayla Bowen discovered in Geelong’s win over Brisbane. The Cats have been one of the more disappointing sides this year, slumping from a narrow preliminary final loss last year to a race to make the top eight. But in arguably the biggest upset of the year, Geelong has given itself a chance of being there in November. The Cats are the only side to take points off North Melbourne this season, drawing with the Kangaroos in week two. And now they’re the second club to beat Brisbane.
Both sides played off in the grand final last year and will be thereabouts again in 2024. But the Cats have had their measure. Geelong have been involved in five games decided by 10 points or less this season, winning two, losing two and drawing one. If they can sneak into finals, they’ve proven already this season that their best is good enough. The Cats play an exciting brand of football and coach Daniel Lowther has some serious weapons up his sleeve in the likes of Nina Morrison (24 disposals, one goal), Georgie Prespakis (20 touches, 10 clearances) and Aishling Moloney (13 disposals, 2.1). Watch this space.
MISSES
ANTI-SOCIAL MEDIA
The disturbing homophobic attacks on Richmond star Kate Dempsey paint a disturbing picture of what it’s like to be an AFLW player in 2024. Not only can you still not share your personal pride journey without copping a barrage of abuse, but you also can’t trust the league’s own social media accounts to protect you from it. For Pride Round, a fortnight that’s supposed to celebrate the impact of LGBTQI+ players on the AFLW, Dempsey in her own words wrote about life with her wife Ellie and her daughter Pippa.
A quote from the piece was shared on the official AFLW account and was left unmonitored for several days. In that time, it attracted more than 400 comments, many of which were abusive towards Kate and her family. Richmond asked the AFL about the post on Tuesday and as of Thursday afternoon, still had not heard back as the league dealt with the fallout of the GWS Whacky Wednesday saga. The AFL later issued an apology and is reviewing its social media policy but the tardy response and lack of a public face denouncing the attacks, initially relying on a spokesperson to apologise instead, has left a sour taste. AFL GM of football Laura Kane fronted the media for the launch of the Indigenous All-Stars game on Tuesday and revealed that she had still not personally spoken to Dempsey.
She has reached out to Dempsey’s management and Richmond to express the AFL’s sorrow, believing that both parties are better placed to handle the situation. Dempsey is said to have been severely impacted by the whole saga and both Richmond and Melbourne wore their pride jumpers again in round eight in a show of solidarity. It’s reprehensible to think that AFLW players are still subject to such horrific abuse in 2024 and it’s on the wider public to keep calling it out.
PIPE DREAM
We’ve seen lightning, we’ve seen snakes but now surely we’ve seen it all right? In the latest edition of ‘But if this was a men’s game,’ Collingwood and Adelaide would’ve been slightly concerned to see ground staff frantically trying to repair a leaking water pipe under the playing surface pre-game at Victoria Park. Quick repairs were made 15 minutes before the first bounce, using sand to cover a hole in the ground from the leak, and the game was able to commence on time.
But Adelaide coach Matthew Clarke pulled no punches post-game, revealing that the Crows were at the ground three hours before bounce down and foresaw an issue. He’s not wrong. Player safety is a big consideration in the AFLW and you could only imagine what the outcry would’ve been if a star suffered an injury as a direct result of the mud patch. But luckily, it wasn’t an issue and the AFL is confident the upcoming game at Victoria Park between Collingwood and Carlton won’t have to be relocated. Clarke did bemoan the fact that staff were still working on a solution right up until bounce down, imploring everyone involved to “be a bit better.”
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Originally published as AFLW agenda: All the hits and misses from week eight
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