Brisbane was
defeated in the AFLW Grand Final but the achievements of the Lions in the
inaugural season should be something that the club and supporters should be
proud of.
Before the
season commenced, the Queenslanders weren’t given a hope or a prayer and were
expected to finish the 2017 season as wooden spooners but instead they finished
the top of the table and were the first side to secure their place in the Grand Final.
This was the
team that defeated a highly-fancied Melbourne squad and defeated them by 15
points in the rain at Casey in Round 1 and then went on to win their next five
AFLW matches.
Coach Craig
Starcevich constructed a team built on solid defending and Brisbane was a very
hard side to break down. There were teams that may have had more naturally
gifted players but they could have been thrown kitchen sinks at the Lionesses
and they coped more often that not.
Defensively,
the Lions were great at closing down spaces, tackling opponents, marking,
spoiling, and smothering kicks. The back six in particular were superb in the
defensive arts of the game but they also got support from the midfielders and
forwards too.
Shannon
Campbell will go down in history as Brisbane’s first-ever goalkicker in the
AFLW and she was solid as a key defender but my stand-out performers in defence
were Sam Virgo and Leah Kasler.
Virgo
displayed an amazing ability to read the play, stop opponents of different
sizes, and would do anything to block the runs or kicks of opposition players.
I would go as far as to say she is the most courageous player in women’s footy.
While Virgo
was a defensive specialist, Kasler was reliable in her marking and her ball use
in addition to her defending. Kate Lutkins was another back who had a reliable
pair of hands in Brisbane’s defensive 50.
Midfield is
one department that the Lions could improve on in 2018 but Emma Zielke was a
captain that led by example as well as display courage and would regularly
collect disposals. Young midfielder Emily Bates was Brisbane’s first draft pick
and would also rack a high amount of possessions.
As good as
Zielke and Bates were, the Lions need to be more effective in their disposals
next year so they can make better use of their exciting forwards. There is an
emphasis on handball in Brisbane’s game but better disposal by foot should
improve the supply into the forward 50.
Starcevich
can consider himself to be lucky to coach the two most promising key forwards
in the AFLW, Tayla Harris and Sabrina Frederick-Traub.
Harris is
known for her distinctive kicking style and her ability to kick the footy long
distances but she is also an excellent mark. She is still 19 years old though
and still has room to improve, especially in one-on-one contests.
Perhaps a temporary
change in role could help Harris so she can take more marks and her long
kicking can assist the Lions in getting the ball out of congestion quicker as
well as allow the speedsters to run into attacking spaces.
Frederick-Traub
is just 20 years old but she already looks like one of the best forwards of the
game. Although she plays as a key forward and has a solid frame, she is still
able to pick up crumbs and snap some goals. Occasionally she can play in the
ruck but her best work is done in the forward 50.
To
compliment the young key forwards at Brisbane’s disposal, Jessica Wuetschner, Kaitlyn
Ashmore, and Kate McCarthy are small forwards who provide spark and an X-factor.
Wuetschner and Ashmore have provided their share of spectacular goals but
McCarthy’s appearances in the team are more remarkable.
At 12 years
old, McCarthy had a pacemaker inserted after she was diagnosed with a blockage
in her heart, but it hasn’t stopped her dream of playing elite sport and she is
arguably the fastest player in the AFLW.
One of the
most redeeming features of Brisbane’s play is watching the speedster take
multiple bounces with the football and score goals and she finished 2017 as the
club’s leading goalkicker with nine goals.
Although the
Lions were defeated by Adelaide in the Grand Final on Saturday, they should not
look back in negatively on the season. Just by reaching the final, they
exceeded expectations and proved doubters wrong.
With this is
mind, these performances can be a springboard for a better 2018 AFLW season.
Comments
Post a Comment