AFLW R7 2023: Sydney Swans v Hawthorn, 3.05pm AEDT Henson Park

[Meg]

This is the women’s indigenous round and our players will be wearing a stunning guernsey designed by current Swans player and Ningy Ningy woman Aliesha Newman.

Sadly Aliesha won’t be running out in the jumper as she has to sit out the match after incurring a concussion injury last week.

That is the one change from last week’s successful team.

In: Montana Beruldsen
Out: Aliesha Newman (concussion)

This is Beruldsen’s first match since Round 3 against Brisbane.

A win today - tipped by 8 out of 10 AFLW experts on the AFLW website - would make it our first back-to-back victories in the Swans short history in this competition.

There will be an indigenous cultural celebration before the match commences, so good to get there early (but remember to vote first).

Go Swans!

[liz]

It’s a very warm day at Henson this afternoon. Slight but inconsistent breeze. Still a few minutes until bounce down but the crowd looks more sparse than the last match here.

[dejavoodoo44]

This is the women’s indigenous round and our players will be wearing a stunning guernsey designed by current Swans player and Ningy Ningy woman Aliesha Newman.

Sadly Aliesha won’t be running out in the jumper as she has to sit out the match after incurring a concussion injury last week.

That is the one change from last week’s successful team.

In: Montana Beruldsen
Out: Aliesha Newman (concussion)

This is Beruldsen’s first match since Round 3 against Brisbane.

A win today - tipped by 8 out of 10 AFLW experts on the AFLW website - would make it our first back-to-back victories in the Swans short history in this competition.

There will be an indigenous cultural celebration before the match commences, so good to get there early (but remember to vote first).

Go Swans!

Yes, it is a nice design and it's probably time that the men's indigenous jumper was updated.

Feeling pretty confident about this and we are strong favourites. Since that favouritism is rare for the side, I hope they don't get a touch overconfident. Anyway, it's an important game, since a win today and a win next week against the last placed Bulldogs, should see us in the eight.

[Sandridge]

Great video on the club's website about Aliesha's guernsey and what it means to the players who'll be wearing it.

C'mon Bloods! Back to back wins will be another first!!

[dejavoodoo44]

Great start. Hamilton, Privitelli and Molloy looking sharp, while Morphett and Kennedy providing plenty of midfield drive.

[Mel_C]

Looking forward to hopefully seeing our first back to back wins.

A shame that Newman isn't playing. When I first saw an image of the guernsey earlier in the year, I wasn't sure how I felt about it because I didn't think the red was vibrant enough. However, seeing it now I really like it.

Yesterday I watched the 23 Questions video with Montana Ham on the Swans app. Unfortunately the graphic in the video says it is Molloy.

[Mel_C]

Good start with the first 2 goals.

[dejavoodoo44]

Nice to be in front at quarter time. It appears that Hawthorn had a significant breeze advantage. McEvoy in defence was very good. Kennedy giving Bates a few nightmares with her tagging role.

[Mel_C]

Is the breeze affecting our kicks? Or is it just poor skills?

It was all Hawthorn after we kicked the first 2 goals. Hopefully we can take advantage of the breeze next quarter.

[dejavoodoo44]

Strange game. Both sides are missing a lot of targets and not really taking their chances when they do get the ball forward. Possibly because both sides are doing a good job applying pressure. Hopefully we can be a bit more composed in the second half.

[Mel_C]

Hurley should have had the shot instead of handballing to Privitelli.

[stellation]

A couple of great little moments for Montana around stoppages in this quarter.

[Mel_C]

Really disappointing game so far. I think it's the worst we've played this season. Not sure what's happened. We seem to have lost confidence all over the ground.

Not sure about playing Molloy behind the ball. I can see what they're trying to do, but we need her to get the ball in the centre.

We need a big last quarter!

[dejavoodoo44]

Well, that was unfortunate. Perhaps the most relevant stat is tackles inside 50, with Hawthorn leading 12 to 1. They've been able to rebound fairly easily, while in that quarter, our defenders were forced into a couple of costly mistakes.

I suppose we're not totally out of it, but two goalless quarters doesn't fill me with confidence.

[Mel_C]

I know we haven't played well, but the umpiring hasn't been in our favour at all.

[Meg]

Well that was disappointing. Looked a million dollars for first 5 minutes. Then pfft ….

Oh well they should do a quick review and then move on. Hopefully today was an aberration.

Credit to Hawthorn though.

[dejavoodoo44]

After the great start, the rest of the game was a pretty tough watch. Hawthorn did a better job of applying pressure and sticking tackles. Which led to too many handballs to players not in a better position and too many missed kicks. Then when we did hit targets, there were too many fumbles. And to compound things, gettable set shots were missed, when there was a chance to get a bit of momentum and put the pressure back on Hawthorn.

Oh well, I suppose it emphasises that it's still a very young side, that still needs to mature a bit more, to develop the consistency necessary to be a genuine finals side.

[Industrial Fan]

I got to the ground about 10 minutes after the start and didn’t think I was going to see us score a goal

[liz]

I guess games like that are part of the journey. They just never looked like their minds were on the task at hand.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Preseason I was expecting a few wins and a stinker or two - so it was disappointing but not a surprise.

The big disappointment was the complete lack of a coffee truck. I visited 14 vendors looking for a coffee for my wife and I couldn't find a single one - we had to stop off at Haberfield on the way home.

[liz]

At the WC game I enjoyed a quite lovely coffee from a cart located next to the club kiosk. Made my way straight over there after getting to the ground yesterday, and was aghast to find it Not There. At half time I walked the ground looking for an alternate and, like you, failed to find one.

[ootf]

It's a sad state of affairs when a game in Marrickville cant supply a coffee :-) Craft beer game was strong though.

Some photos here
Swans v Hawks pics (https://cartercapture.smugmug.com/AFLW-Swans-Hawks/)

[Ruck'n'Roll]

It's a sad state of affairs when a game in Marrickville cant supply a coffee :-) Craft beer game was strong though.

Some photos here
Swans v Hawks pics (https://cartercapture.smugmug.com/AFLW-Swans-Hawks/)

My wife claimed that is probably illegal to hold an event in the inner west with a complete absence of acceptable coffee - I'm less certain it may have been the lack of caffeine talking. I don't partake myself, so I'm unfamiliar with the relevant Coffee legislation.
Fortunately the susquent application of two scoops of tiramisu icecream and a latte ameliorated her suffering.

Interesting pics though - I'd never realy noticed it before but there's not a single shot of a fist aiming for a spoil in any of the marking pics from saturday. Checked pics from earlier games, and it seems not to be a much practied skill.

[liz]

Extremely disappointing news today that Morphett has a broken bone in her wrist and will likely miss the rest of the season.

[dejavoodoo44]

Extremely disappointing news today that Morphett has a broken bone in her wrist and will likely miss the rest of the season.
Eek! I suspect that whatever faint finals chances that we had, just went by the wayside. Oh well, we should be more of a genuine chance next season.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

I wonder whether she'll still win the rising star?

[liz]

I wonder whether she'll still win the rising star?

Normally you'd reckon missing a third of the season says no. It probably cost Will Ashcroft the equivalent in the AFLM this year. I don't watch enough of the other teams to know how the other nominees/contenders are going. I guess it's possible that she's that far ahead that she could still win. Though she was well down on her season form against Hawthorn - quite possibly because her wrist was sore for most of the game.

[Mel_C]

Morphett is going to be a big loss. Bella Smith will probably ruck.

[liz]

Morphett is going to be a big loss. Bella Smith will probably ruck.

She'll probably do some, though Lexi Hamilton has been doing a lot of the relief ruck work in recent weeks. I daresay they'll have to share it, but I rate Smith as a more dangerous forward than Hamilton, and I think Hamilton's been reasonably effective in her ruck stints. She's been getting a few frees for her opponent's blocking her run at the ball, which you'd think would be a function of the opponent, rather than Hamilton, but I think she's received them over the last couple of matches so it might be something about the way she enters the contest.