We've picked up Kiara Hillier from the Lions. For a fourth round pick.
It's not as if we'd use that pick.
She's not exactly tall is she, but very welcome.
I think that leaves us with only 1 slot in the roster for the draft - which surely can't be correct?
Last edited by Ruck'n'Roll; 12th December 2023 at 08:16 AM.
Loose translation from the Latin is - I am tall, so I hit out.
Yay! We've traded for someone.
Swans welcome Kiara Hillier
The Swans article isn't especially informative. Doesn't, for example, provide her height or anything about likely position. But I have found this profile from the wonderful resource that is RookieMeCentral.
Rising star Hillier has sights on top level - Aussie Rules Rookie Me Central
So she's tall (ish) and likely to play at one end of the ground or the other (rather than through the midfield).
So how tall is 173cm in the context of women's AFL? Answer: exactly the same height as Brenna Tarrant. So,, notwithstanding that Tarrant plays taller than her height, it sounds like Hillier might be more of a "third tall" or even rebounding defender, or maybe a mid-sized forward, than the key position player we so badly need. Still, she's a welcome addition to the squad, coming from a very strong programme and still very young.
Ella H is only 20, do you not see her playing in a key down back?Originally Posted by liz
Loose translation from the Latin is - I am tall, so I hit out.
According to the Lion's website (https://www.lions.com.au/players/afl.../kiara-hillier ). Kiara Hillier is listed as a MEDIUM DEFENDER and she was, "another Sunshine Coast local, drafted to Brisbane at Pick No. 78 in the 2022 NAB AFLW Draft. A reliable rebounding-defender with plenty of versatility, the Lions Academy product will be one to keep an eye on throughout the pre-season as she works towards her AFLW debut."
At 175cm, I don't see her as really a key back either. That's essentially the same height as Tarrant and Hillier. Like Tarrant, she is good overhead for her height, but neither is really equipped to play on the taller forwards.
Mitchell, at 183cm, is the best prospect we have in that role and she had a pretty good debut season. But I think we could do with at least one more around that height. I don't think we're going to get that during this off-season so I daresay, for 2024, we'll continue to rely on the likes of Tarrant and Heads "playing tall" and hope for continued improvement from Mitchell.
I’ve been diligently trying to get my head around height (and it’s context) in the AFLW Liz.
The average height of our entire squad is 170cm’s. And Alice Mitchell at 183cm is the second tallest player on our roster, and resiliance personified Mitchell's story of resilience, presented by QBE (Go Namoi girl). And that height profile does not appear to be just a Swans thing.
183cm’s seems to be at the upper end of key position players height-wise. The tallest player in the 2023 All Australian backline was only 178cm (Chelsea Biddell), the second tallest 174cm (former Syndeysider Eilish Sheerin).
So if Ella had been selected in the All Australian side, at 175cm's she’d have been the 2nd tallest defender in it.
I don’t know whether she will make a Key Defender, I still think I’m a very inexperienced AFLW watcher, and who knows what the brains trust at the club have planned for her - but there have been games where she took so many marks she must have thought it was raining footballs.
More generally, the tallest player in the entire 2023 AFLW AA team is 188cm’s (Hi AAA, All Australian Ally) – the second tallest was 183cm’s (Zanker). So maybe cm’s in ALFW are bigger than cm’s in AFL?
In which case what to make of Charlie Rowbottom 180cm - the AFLW's answer to Partrick Cripps?
Last edited by Ruck'n'Roll; 13th December 2023 at 02:41 PM.
Loose translation from the Latin is - I am tall, so I hit out.
More more height would be a great thing to add to the squad, but we seem to be running out of spots in our list.
PS
I appeciate that my enthusiasm for the Swans AFLW team may seem OTT for some of RWO. The tumbleweeds in this thread suggest that this is so. But I love the way the womens team play. I appreciate that I'm a newb (having only been converted by my goddaughter comparatively recently) but I love the way they connect to their fans. They are a complete breath of fresh air - their unpretensiousness is the epitome of Bloods football, and a delight to all those willing to see what they have been serving up.
Last edited by Ruck'n'Roll; 14th December 2023 at 02:25 AM.
Loose translation from the Latin is - I am tall, so I hit out.
Your enthusiasm is definitely not over the top. I agree with everything you have said. The conduct of the players and staff of our AFLW team, (both on field and off field), has been very impressive.
We've just landed Giselle Davies from the Suns for a pick in the 50s. She's described as a tall defender and is listed at 180cm. Hope she goes well.
And now traded out Newman, which was suggested to be on the cards early in trade period.
Notwithstanding one three goal game for us this season, I don't think she'll be a huge onfield loss. But she seemed to be a very enthusiastic and popular member of the group.
Suns also tried her up forward in 2022. 180cm is definite KPP territory height wise.
One game with 3 goals, 4 for the entire rest of the season - statistically I don't think it's an insurmountable loss either.
A four pick upgrade to pick #30 may also suggest she may not be a big loss, it may also suggest we'll use two picks, the one we just upgraded and our original first rounder on the 18th. Although I thought we might be a slot short, but I may be mistaken.
Last edited by Ruck'n'Roll; 14th December 2023 at 05:59 PM.
Loose translation from the Latin is - I am tall, so I hit out.
In other good news two ore of the yourger brigade Brenna Tarrant and Laura Gardiner have both committed to the red and white, inking long term contracts (2 and 4 years respectively).
That follows Montana Ham, Cynthia Hamilton, and Sofia Hurley who extended in March, Ally Morphett in November. Of the more notable younger brigade that just leaves Heads needing a deal.
Last edited by Ruck'n'Roll; 14th December 2023 at 12:58 PM.
Loose translation from the Latin is - I am tall, so I hit out.
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