Welcome back for another year of the Footy!!! The third season of AFL women's is upon us and there is a sense of excitement around the air. Two new teams come into the fray and the challenge that is on the reigning premiers to defend their crown is as hard as it has ever been.
With several other new rules and regulations to come into the third season of the AFLW I thought that I would write down some things I would like to see come the conclusion of the third season. All in all, there are six things that I wrote down that I would like to see happen throughout this season.
Number 6 – The Conference System Scrapped
Let's get this one out of the way. Those that do read here regularly might know that I don't like how the AFLW has been divided into two groups – supposedly called conferences. For those that aren't sure what's happening this season, the AFL believed it was a good idea to split the ten teams into groups of five, with teams to play seven games in the season – four of those against teams in the same conference and the other three to be against teams in the opposite conference.
I really want this gone by the time we get to 2020. A further four teams will be added into the league next season and it doesn't make any sense whatsoever to divide 14 teams into two divisions of seven. I can't understand why the AFL won't let the league expand the season to nine games – make each team play each other once and then have a final four or even perhaps a final five. I know there are others out there that feel the same way about this. I wish the head honchos up at AFL HQ felt the same way.
Number 5 – Someone To Equal Or Better Brooke Lochland's Seven Goal Haul
Last year, we saw Western Bulldogs' Brooke Lochland smash the record of goals kicked in a game, slotting in seven against a hapless Carlton side. I was there that night and I must say it was an absolutely magical moment in the history of women's football. As much as I want it to be a record for many, many years down the track, unfortunately records are made to be broken, and I have a suspicion that someone could pencil in an eight-goal performance in 2019 or maybe something even better.
Who it could be remains to be seen, but there have been plenty of female footballers that have had massive bags of goals in local level in years gone by. Also keep in mind that AFLW as a league is continuing to develop the standard of the product, and will be for a few years yet. It sounds like it is an outside chance, but I'd like to see someone kick eight goals or more this year. It can be done.
Number 4 – The Double-Header At Marvel Stadium A Success
Round six in the AFLW season will host a game at Marvel Stadium for the first time in the league's existence. As a matter of fact, it will be the first time that the league has held two games in the same building. Collingwood and North Melbourne will kick off proceedings first at 4:45pm, followed by old rivals Western Bulldogs and Melbourne at 7:15pm in what should be a beauty of a contest.
As of right now, it is a great unknown how many people will turn up to both games of Footy. Given that it's four Victorian sides, there's a good chance there will be a huge turnout. Last year, over 40,000 people flocked to Optus Stadium to watch Fremantle beat Collingwood in what was a physical encounter and I thought an overall success. If this double-header gets good numbers, I'd love to see more games at Marvel Stadium in 2020 and hopefully it'll set up more games in big venues in the future.
Number 3 – Geelong Play Finals
The top two teams in each conference will play in a Final Four system. The top teams in each conference will play the second-ranked side from the opposing conference (e.g 1st in Conference A vs 2nd in Conference B). It's perhaps the one upside from having a ridiculous concept like a conference system, and that's having more than just a cut-throat Grand Final. There are a handful of contenders for Finals. Expect the Dogs to be up there again, likewise Brisbane and Melbourne – both of whom came really close.
Of the two teams coming into the league this year – North Melbourne and Geelong – the consensus is North and their star-studded list should be a contender this year. Geelong are perhaps the great unknown in all of this, but they are more of an underdog than the Roos. I like that they've appointed Mel Hickey as their captain – but questions remain of the knee injury she sustained late last season. Can the youngsters such as Nina Morrison, Sophie Van De Heuval and Olivia Purcell adjust themselves in the big league? I'd like to see them contend this season.
Number 2 – Melbourne's Midfield To Stand Up In Daisy Pearce's Absence
Perhaps one of the bigger sub-plots in this AFLW season is what and how Melbourne will operate without Daisy Pearce in the middle. She's arguably one of their most important players in not just the midfield, but on the entire ground. She will miss all of this year as she's expecting twins in the near future (Congratulations and best-wishes). I want to see new co-captain Elise O'Dea thrive in the middle in her absence, having averaged 17.6 disposals and 5.6 tackles last season.
For Melbourne to contend again this season, they need Karen Paxman to keep on doing her thing in the middle, they need a big year from Lily Mithen who has shown glimpses of breaking out over the past couple of seasons and they will need new recruits such as Maddie Gay and possibly their first pick last year Tyla Hanks to have good stints in the middle. There's no doubt that Melbourne can still contend in the absence of their leader, but they need more players to stand up and deliver.
Number 1 – Brisbane To Win It All
Yes I would love to see my Bulldogs win back-to-back flags, but the second team I'd like to see win it all is the Brisbane Lions. Having lost the previous two Grand Finals, surely the cliché 'Third time is the charm' is applicable to Craig Starcevich's group. They're a bloody good football team, the game plan is solid, there's still a solid group of players, even after North Melbourne pilfered four of them. The talent is still there.
They still have their best ball-winner in Ally Anderson, along with the likes of Emily Bates, Lauren Arnell and Emma Zielke. They still have the best key defender in the league in Kate Lutkins and they still have forward weapons in Jess Wuetschner, Sabrina Frederick-Traub and Kate McCarthy. They will also have young guns such as McKenzie Dowrick, Paige Parker and Lauren Bella ready to go come round one. There's no reason why Brisbane can't go all the way in 2019.