AFLW R6 2023: Sydney Swans v Port Adelaide, 5.05pm AEDT Sat 7 Oct Alberton Oval

[liz]

And so, the season rolls on into its second half. Another game on the road this week, but over the border into South Australia.

Last season our Swannies were demolished by fellow newcomers Port Adelaide, losing by 66 points and only managing to score two measly behinds. Results and form from this season so far suggest this year's encounter should be far more competitive. Port were, last weekend, the first team to fall to West Coast, who we scraped past at Henson Park the previous weekend. So that suggests the teams are quite evenly matched.

There are two team changes this week, with Brooke Lochland succumbing to the injury she suffered against Carlton last Friday, and Julie O'Sullivan losing her spot (which I confess I was a little surprised by - I think she's been a solid contributor so far this season. Maybe the coaches are just trying to rotate as many of the squad through the team as they can.)

Jaide Anthony comes in for her first game of the season, while Mitchell brings a bit more height to defence. Maybe that height difference is what has won Mitchell her place over O'Sullivan.

AFLW Team: Two changes made to face Port Adelaide

Continuing the ground size theme of recent weeks, I've checked out Alberton Oval's dimensions. It is 170m by 125m. That makes it a pretty large ground by AFLW standards. Longer than the SCG and only slightly narrower. Even by ALFM standards, it's not a small ground. So there'll be lots of scope for kicking the ball long tomorrow afternoon!


Alberton Oval

[dejavoodoo44]

And so, the season rolls on into its second half. Another game on the road this week, but over the border into South Australia.

Last season our Swannies were demolished by fellow newcomers Port Adelaide, losing by 66 points and only managing to score two measly behinds. Results and form from this season so far suggest this year's encounter should be far more competitive. Port were, last weekend, the first team to fall to West Coast, who we scraped past at Henson Park the previous weekend. So that suggests the teams are quite evenly matched.

There are two team changes this week, with Brooke Lochland succumbing to the injury she suffered against Carlton last Friday, and Julie O'Sullivan losing her spot (which I confess I was a little surprised by - I think she's been a solid contributor so far this season. Maybe the coaches are just trying to rotate as many of the squad through the team as they can.)

Jaide Anthony comes in for her first game of the season, while Mitchell brings a bit more height to defence. Maybe that height difference is what has won Mitchell her place over O'Sullivan.

AFLW Team: Two changes made to face Port Adelaide

Continuing the ground size theme of recent weeks, I've checked out Alberton Oval's dimensions. It is 170m by 125m. That makes it a pretty large ground by AFLW standards. Longer than the SCG and only slightly narrower. Even by ALFM standards, it's not a small ground. So there'll be lots of scope for kicking the ball long tomorrow afternoon!


Alberton Oval

After the thrashing of last year, I'm not hugely confident, but recent form suggests that we're in with a chance. And strangely, a win would mean a genuine finals chance. That is, at the end of the round, we would probably only be outside the eight on percentage. Then over the last four rounds, we play teams whose current ladder positions range from 10th to 18th.

[longmile]

Finally one goes through ... bloody hell

Considering we only managed 2 behinds or something against them last year its amazing how much we have improved in one year!

[dejavoodoo44]

Nice to get a goal. Been all over them so far.

[longmile]

Girls look really in sync in the middle of the ground! Smoothest play I've seen from them

[dejavoodoo44]

Tanya Kennedy is a real find.

- - - Updated - - -

And Bella Smith is showing some promise.

[longmile]

Port getting a lot of frees

[mcs]

The umpiring in this game is "interesting" to say the least....

[mcs]

The umpires really need to get control of this match. They are all over the place and it is reflecting in frustration in the players.

Good arm wrestle of a match - we've had a couple of very slick pieces of play, but again not quite taking full advantage in front of the big sticks.

[dejavoodoo44]

The umpiring in this game is "interesting" to say the least....

Yes, and I'm sure that the people next door would have found my loud swearing at the screen "interesting". Hopefully, the occasional shout of "ball!" might be enough for them to realise that I'm just watching football, rather than battling my own personal demons.

[liz]

The umpiring in this game is "interesting" to say the least....

I actually think the umpiring has mostly been OK, and the game illustrates why looking at raw free kick numbers is a poor way to judge the umpiring. Port have received considerably more than we have, but that reflects some poor discipline in a few passages of play and our women being caught holding the ball (legitimately) a lot. My only criticism is that if they were going to play HTB against McEvoy in defence in that second quarter when she had no prior and was in the process of kicking as she was tackled (ie making a legitimate attempt to dispose with no prior), there were at least two that should have been paid in our favour - one to Kennedy at half forward near the wing in the first quarter, and one to us in defence early in the second quarter (I can't remember the tackler).

Overall it's a highly entertaining contest. The two teams look quite well matched. Shame Privitelli couldn't convert that last shot at goal.

[longmile]

Cynthia denied a great goal by her own ambition