AFLW R5 2023: Sydney Swans v Carlton, 4.05pm EST Fri 29 Sept Princes Park

[liz]

The season is nearly halfway done! So soon!

The teams have been announced for tomorrow's game. Ham and Woodward are in, with McCarthy and Mitchell making way.

Congratulations to Brooke Lochland, who notches up her 50th AFLW match this weekend.

AFLW Team: Two changes made for Carlton clash (https://www.sydneyswans.com.au/news/1441417/aflw-team-two-changes-round-5)

In his midweek press conference, Gowans explained that Ham's foot is likely to hamper her for the rest of the season. So they are going to play her when they can, but accept that she might then miss for a week or more. Doesn't sound great, but it will be good to see her.

We beat Carlton in the pre-season practice game, but Gowans isn't placing much store in that. He observes that Princes Park is something of a fortress for Carlton and it sounds like he's not overly confident of a win. He also notes that Princes Park is a large ground, so guarding the space on the outside might be something of a challenge for our women.

Playing dimensions
157m (length) x 136m (width)

Ikon Park (https://www.afl.com.au/news/705209/ikon-park)

As a comparison, Henson Park is 151m (length) x 115m (width).

AFL - News, Fixtures, Scores & Results - AFL.com.au (https://www.afl.com.au/venues/113)

North Sydney Oval is 125m (length) x 108m (width)

North Sydney Oval (https://www.afl.com.au/news/981892/north-sydney-oval)

Watching at Henson Park last week, I told myself it was possibly the perfect sized ground for AFLW, or at least for two teams with the current skill level of Sydney and West Coast. The games up at North Sydney Oval were fun, but there was very little room for the players to move and it did become something of a contested rumble for large swathes of both games. The length of Princes Park is similar to Henson Park but it's clear where the extra space is.

[aardvark]

I'm heading out to Ikon Pk for today's game. Looking forward to seeing how Ally combats Moody and Good. I hope Ham gets through unscathed.

[liz]

Looking forward to seeing how Ally combats Moody and Good.

Just for you then, here's an article on Morphett and how she plans to tackle her "ruck idol" in Moody.

Breakout ruck Ally Morphett ready for battle with 'idol' Breann Moody (https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1041731/breakout-ruck-morphett-ready-for-battle-with-idol-moody)

[aardvark]

Thanks Liz. Quite a few Swannies here already. Perfect conditions.

[longmile]

Why didn’t privitelli have a shot!

[dejavoodoo44]

Glad we got that late goal, as I thought we were on top for much of the quarter, but didn't capitalise because of poor forward fifty entries.

[liz]

Why didn’t privitelli have a shot!

Who knows. Surely she has that distance in her? And it wasn’t a tough angle.

But at least she atoned late in the quarter.

They seemed to have cancelled HTB this afternoon.

[Meg]

Why didn’t privitelli have a shot!

Strange decision. She’s a pretty good goal kicker too.

[longmile]

They seemed to have cancelled HTB this afternoon.

Spoke too soon!


Also good to know we can go quick and go slow! That goal was a good example of going fast when we need to

[dejavoodoo44]

Nice work by Lochland to get it into the path of Privitelli.

- - - Updated - - -


Spoke too soon!


Also good to know we can go quick and go slow! That goal was a good example of going fast when we need to
It might have been pointed out that Carlton didn't get a free in the first quarter.

[Meg]

Did Liz send the umps a text msg re HTB??

[longmile]

There defence is intercepting all our FWD50 entries ... our forward line looks very stagnant

[dejavoodoo44]

Handy 50.

[aardvark]

More Swans supporters than Carlton here.

[longmile]

Morphett is a beast

[dejavoodoo44]

Carlton player possibly regretting that she passed it to Ally.

[dejavoodoo44]

Pretty good quarter. In with a chance.

[Meg]

Go Swans!

[longmile]

Umps not helping our chances but Carlton seem the better team since halfway in the third

[liz]

Encouraging performance, despite the result. The growth from last year to this has been huge.

Excellent game from Privitelli and solid games from the two usual suspects in Gardiner and Morphett.

[bandwagon]

Just imagine if our AFLM team had a ruck as dominant as Morphett.
Not just taps - clearances, marks, tackles and moves all over the ground. And still a teenager.

[Meg]

Very impressive in parts but often lacking polish (TM Horse) at the end of chains of disposals. Very well coached and stacks of potential for improvement. It is going to be fun watching the development of this group.

[mcs]

Echoing others on this thread, really really enjoying watching the development of this team this year. Still a long way to go, but so much to like about the type of footy we are trying to play, and just how good some of our stars can be. Morphett has all the attributes to become the dominant ruck in the competition in time, and there is more than a sprinkling of quality across the rest of the park. Still a couple of seasons away probably from truly being up there, but its going to be a fun ride watching the team continue to develop.

[liz]

Just imagine if our AFLM team had a ruck as dominant as Morphett.
Not just taps - clearances, marks, tackles and moves all over the ground. And still a teenager.

It has occurred to me that Longmire might have his “big bodied midfielder” right under his nose. At 188cm she’s the perfect height.

[aardvark]

Disappointing result but so much to like. The team improves with every game.Great to see so many Swans supporters there.

[Mel_C]

I watched the game last night.

- We didn't take our chances when we had momentum end of the 1st quarter and start of the 2nd.

- I see what Liz meant about HTB. There were several that should have been paid in the 1st quarter. Then the 2nd quarter the umpires went Bang and paid several against us.

- We again had issues with our forward entries. It's something we need to fix. However, I'm enjoying the way we have been playing and can see so much improvement.

- How about the "Don't Argue" by Morphett the start of the 3rd quarter? I love her!

[liz]

A handful of Swans featured in the coaches' votes for round 5. Laura Gardiner was the highest vote getter, with 8. Steane and Morphett also claimed a vote or two.

Coaches' votes, R5: Tiger, Demon closing on leading Roo (https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1048223/coaches-votes-r5-tiger-demon-closing-on-leading-roo)

I was a little surprised that Privitelli didn't get any recognition from the coaches, but she did make it into Sarah Black's team of the week, alongside Morphett. It's curious that we lost the game but got two players in the team of the week, with none from Carlton.

AFLW Team of the Week, round five (https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1048255/aflw-team-of-the-week-round-five)

Meanwhile Ella Heads scored a Rising Star nomination for her performance. I confess I hadn't realised how young and inexperienced she is. For some reason I had in mind that she'd played a little AFLW with another club before the launch of the Swans' team.

Eagles ruck, Swans defender nab Rising Star noms (https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1048226/eagles-ruck-swans-defender-nab-rising-star-noms)

[Ruck'n'Roll]

It has occurred to me that Longmire might have his “big bodied midfielder” right under his nose. At 188cm she’s the perfect height.

An interesting thought, it was her ground play (the Ally Morphet grab-and-go) that caught my attention in the first place.
This week she took 8 marks, amd 3rd most metres gained and got 1 vote.

[liz]

I ran my eye down the list of names in the U13-U15 Swans and Giants academy teams competing in a carnival up the coast this week. I think I was looking for possible FD/S picks - but mostly FD picks. The only one I spotted (and was already aware of) was Jordan Davis. If they are still involved in the academy, I think Kirk's twin daughters are in a higher age bracket now. I am not sure about Micky O's oldest.

But anyway, I did notice a lad in the U13 or U14 Giants academy team with the surname of Morphett. He was listed as being with Wagga football club, so it struck me that he could well be Ally's younger brother. Imagine being 6ft 2 (or thereabouts) as a woman - which is pretty darned tall - and yet being shorter than your just-teenage younger brother. He is listed at 192cm or 194cm - can't exactly remember and the link that I used to access the team lists isn't working any more.