The Doc continues to keep an eye on everything AFLW-related. Here are his stars and finds of this week… so far.
THE STARS
AISLING MCCARTHY
It’s been a ripping first year at the Dockers for Aisling McCarthy, and given the amount of talent she’s brought to the game both at the Dogs and at the Eagles in past years, then this has been a long time coming in the sense of stringing together a really good year.
The Dockers needed a hero to stand up in the absence of captain Ange Stannett and their number one midfielder in Kiara Bowers, and McCarthy has often been the one this year to drag the Dockers over the line when the going gets tough.
McCarthy registered another 28 touches on Tuesday night against the Cats, with half of those being contested possessions as well as picking up seven clearances. She also managed 1.1 from six score involvements.
She’s averaging career-best numbers in nearly every stat imaginable for a midfielder.
She is bringing up 22 disposals per game this year, which is seven disposals up from her previous best, which was last year in her final season as an Eagle.
Her goal numbers are on track as well to match the five she kicked in her first year in the competition, but that was when she was playing more of a forward role with the Bulldogs.
And her tackle numbers have gone from 5.3 per game last year, to 7.6 this year.
MIM STROM
The race for All-Australian ruck is a close one, but Tuesday night saw Mim Strom gain a few metres on the chasing pack.
She currently is leading the competition on average for hitouts, averaging 32.5 per game, and top five in the competition for hitouts to advantage. She also leads all rucks this season for clearances, averaging 3.3 per game.
She’s not clearly out of the woods yet, she’s battling Jess Allan, both Steph and Lucy Wales and Alice Edmonds currently as the All-Australian ruck this year. However, did what she needed to against a depleted Geelong ruck tandem which consisted of Kate Darby, Melissa Bragg and Gabbi Featherston.
She amassed 42 hitouts, but it was her work around the ground that was impressive, picking up 14 disposals, with nine contested, as well as four intercept possessions, seven tackles and six marks with two of them contested.
We knew early on she was going to be a brilliant tap ruck, but we’re discovering that she’s building that reputation of winning her ball when it hits the deck and effectively playing as the spare behind the play.
Strom currently averages 15.3 disposals per game and two intercept marks per game.
GEORGIA NANSCAWEN
Maddy Prespakis had a frustrating night, having to endure a Tanya Kennedy tag, but the Dons are fast establishing an on-ball brigade that is not only reliable but has depth.
Last year Georgia Nanscawen was able to put together a season with no injury issues after missing the Dons’ first year in the AFLW due to an ACL injury sustained in the Bombers’ VFLW triumph in that same year.
Nasncawen is an elite gut-runner, but her willingness to tackle and her ability to be clean at ground level and in congestion often gets overlooked. Of her 22 disposals in Wednesday’s win over Sydney, 13 of them were contested and also picked up seven clearances.
Only two players had more contested possessions on the ground – Sofia Hurley and Laura Gardiner – and only one player had more clearances, that being Hurley.
Nanscawen is what I sometimes love to refer to as a ‘blue collar’ player, she’s no fuss, no frills, and she is a player who just gets to business and does it extremely well.
Also a special shoutout to Brooke Walker, who’s settled in the midfield over the past few weeks, she picked up 12 contested possessions and influenced the battle of the midfield.
ALYSSA BANNAN
Heading into Thursday night’s game against the Giants, Alyssa Bannan had only managed one goal for the season and was having a hard time just trying to impact on the ground, let alone the scoresheet.
That all changed, as the Demons looked to a lot of their experienced heads to stand up against a GWS side, that was sensing blood in the water with a depleted Demon squad.
She set the tone early by kicking a screamer of a goal from 30 out on a tight angle, and from then on in, made Pepa Randall’s life extremely miserable, bodying her at every opportunity and nearly clunking everything in sight.
There would be a heart-in-mouth moment, when she was in the arms of the trainers for a long time and came off through the blood rule, but returned to the field, and whilst she didn’t have a major impact after halftime, we saw enough that suggests she’s finding the confidence back in her game.
She’s backing her speed, and she’s backing her body in a one-on-one. She finished with two goals and a behind from 10 disposals and two contested marks.
KATE HORE
After being a prominent feature in the midfield to start the year, Kate Hore featured in only 33 per cent and 25 per cent of centre bounce attendances against Fremantle and Essendon respectively, and looked far off the mark of being the elite player she was in years previous.
Against GWS, she was largely dominant in the midfield. GWS tried to use Claire Ransom during the match as a run-with player on Hore, but the Melbourne captain continued to flex her muscle in and around the contest.
She had 27 disposals, with 18 of those being contested. She also managed a career-best 12 clearances against the Giants. The Demons beat them around the stoppage, recording a differential of +7 – and out of Hore’s 12 clearances, 10 of them were direct from stoppage play.
It’s been a torrid month for the Demons, and Hore has been one of the players who has had her colours lowered through this time, but it’s pleasing for the Dees fans to see their captain up and about and around the ball where she’s needed currently.
THE FINDS
ZALI FRISWELL
I remember the 2021 AFLW Draft well – after the Cats took Georgie Prespakis as expected with their first selection at pick two, they then proceeded to take Zali Friswell with their second selection at pick seven.
It was head-scratching, because there were players like Keeley Sherar, Tess Craven, Ash Richards and Emilia Yassir all on the board and all of them managed to put together strong football or looked comfortable in their roles.
Another thing that wasn’t favourable is that she was small, an outside player and lightly built.
But we are starting to see exactly what the Cats saw a few years ago, and why they valued her so highly.
While only five of her 16 disposals were kicks, she positions herself brilliantly on the outside, and positions well as an outlet pass. Her goal was ugly to watch, as she nearly did everything to fumble and stop the Cats from scoring, but has a great game sense in knowing when to go when it is time to run, and being able to sneak out the back of a Fremantle defence is good stuff as well.
She’s not Geelong’s most important player, but she does have a strong role to play as an outside midfielder, and with 16 disposals, she did well enough given the scrappy nature of the game.
ELLYSE GAMBLE
Against Adelaide in week four, Nat Wood pulled the trigger to send Ellyse Gamble, who’s been playing as a key defender for all of her AFLW playing career, up forward to present as a key target.
It didn’t quite work against the Crows, but last week in Essendon’s demolition against Melbourne, Wood persisted with it and it brought in two goals for her.
This week against the Swans, Gamble was again forward, and after dislocating a finger in the opening five minutes, came back onto the field and added another two goals kicked two of Essendon’s four goals and still provided a presence up forward.
I get the idea, Bonnie Toogood is still some time away, and Sophie Alexander is not the answer to the solutions, but more of a second-up key forward who can pinch-hit in the ruck.
Gamble saw some time in the middle as well in this one, but it’s clear the move to the forward half has helped rejuvenate Essendon’s season.
Paige Scott (15 disposals, seven marks and 1.1) was a dangerous presence for a lot of the night, and there’s a lot to love about Chloe Adams roving the ball at ground level.
It’s an unconventional and unorthodox forward line, but it sees Essendon continue to battle among the final eight.
BRODEE MOWBRAY
A positive for the Giants this week, Brodee Mowbray endured an ACL injury in October last year, after showing plenty of promise up forward. Upon her return, she continued to improve her game, and show why clubs need to pay a little more attention.
The Giants are still looking for a stable forward line structure, Tarni Evans has competed well and been able to take marks inside 50, Alicia Eva was interestingly used more as a deep forward option and Georgia Garnett is still there too.
But they’ve got themselves a player here who can read the ball well, is deceptively quick and is someone you can rely on to get goals on the board.
Saw a few times where she offered a lead-up from half forward to about the midway point as well, and got on the end of some nice ball movement from the Giants, they’ve got plenty to work with.
WHERE TO?
FREMANTLE
As of Tuesday night, Fremantle were in third place, but Hawthorn’s win has seen them slide down to fourth. However, Sunday’s clash between the Dockers and the Hawks will be must-watch footy.
Hawthorn have been a thrill to watch offensively, while Fremantle have been astute and locking the game down and being able to find the goals when they need to. These two sides have put out bangers in recent years as well.
The Dockers may not have the talent to go all the way this year, they’ve got the want and the hunger, and it should see them net a home elimination final at worst. I worry up forward, with no Aine Tighe, who is far and away their best forward, where the goals come from.
Gabby O’Sullivan has been outstanding this year, kicking six goals from five matches, and looms as the one to turn to, but they’re also getting goalscoring input through their midfielders – Hayley Miller (three goals in 2024) and Aisling McCarthy (four) hit the scoreboard again on Tuesday night.
They look like they’ve unearthed a ripper in Tunisha Kikoak as well – a replacement player on the eve of the season, she’s slotted in really well as a small forward, and they’ve got a decent pressure forward in Amy Mulholland as well.
If any team outside of the big three can halt Hawthorn’s run-and-gun style, I’d bank on the Dockers to stifle them all over the ground.
GOLD COAST
Still, to register a win this year, some would say the Suns are unlucky not to have won against Collingwood when a Jamie Stanton goal was disallowed due to the score review system claiming the ball had been touched off the boot. The league later clarified that the decision was incorrect, citing ‘human error’.
Against Hawthorn on Wednesday night, poor accuracy from the Hawks kept the Suns in it, and they threatened to pinch it on the back of their third quarter – some might argue it was their best quarter of the year.
However, what the Suns won’t take too kindly is their efforts around the contest and in the clearances. Hawthorn smashed them in both categories, that’s despite mammoth efforts from Charlie Rowbottom (24 contested possessions and 10 clearances), and Lucy Single (15 contested possessions).
Every week, we’re talking about the same Suns standing up: It’s Rowbottom, Single, Daisy D’Arcy and a select few others. Meara Girvan had a brilliant third term, Jacqui Dupuy kicked two of the Suns’ three goals and I loved the endeavour of Georgia Clayden.
Otherwise, no one genuinely looks able to stand up when they need to. Hawthorn had 15 scoring shots from 28 inside 50 entries, and while the Suns had only six fewer entries, they only managed eight shots on goal for 3.4
I guess the Suns have the incoming Havana Harris to look forward to. A Suns’ academy prospect, she’s looked head and shoulders above the rest of her draft class, which is saying something considering the talent that is on offer.
SYDNEY
Sydney has lost four of their last five now, and although they spectacularly currently sit a game out of the top eight, they are not looking like anything resembling a finals threat.
Injuries have cruelled them the past month, but the reality is that the list Scott Gowans has is still reasonably young and will take time to get them where they need to be.
Like last week against the Bulldogs, their entries and ability to use the ball were exceptionally poor, only managing one goal in the opening three quarters, before a final term that saw them kick 2.3 from 12 inside 50s nearly hauled them over the line.
The Swans host fellow strugglers Geelong on Sunday at Henson Park, and it becomes essentially a cutthroat elimination final.
The big concern I’ve got with the Swans is what’s up forward. You know what you’ll get with Bec Privitelli, she offers a presence and is good for a goal per game. But there isn’t a hell of a lot else that’s standing up as star power.
Cynthia Hamilton can be that, but she’s splitting time between forward and mid, they’ve got no Chloe Molloy for the year, and they are desperate for Montana Ham to come back in. She was a late out last week against the Dogs, and this week wasn’t even considered an emergency.
It speaks as if she’s battling something and the Swans are disclosing it – why would you not play her in a big-time game?
Brooke Lochland’s eight tackles showed great defensive presence, but they’d love a goal or two from her in the coming weeks to alleviate the pressure of Privitelli.
GWS GIANTS
It was almost a case of déjà vu for the Giants – last week they let the West Coast storm out to an early lead before they eventually started getting goals on the board.
I like to think the Giants are making inroads in terms of their development, despite being five goals to nil down, the Giants had enough territory, had enough of the ball and pressed well enough, but for what feels like eons now, the Giants have lacked cohesion as they advance of the ball, as well as the consistency that comes with that.
Tarni Evans up forward this year has been good here and there, she had a few shots on goal, but poor kicking let her down, Garnett playing as a centre-half forward type has looked more like the season seven variation, where she looked confident where she lead and was good with her marking hands,
I also like the younger players coming through in the midfield. Srhoj has lived up to the billing as a top draft pick with her impact on fast play, Madi Brazendale has shown lots of pace on the wing and Claire Ransom has got roles in the midfield group too.
The Giants are building, and whilst fans have a right to be frustrated with the lack of on-field success that surrounds the club, the corner will turn eventually.
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