Richmond AFLW team [merged]

[one-eyed]

Who's training at your club? The Academy stars on show for six weeks

Sarah Black
womens.afl
17 December 2019

All Academy players get the opportunity to spend time at AFLW clubs – often those most convenient to travel to – over a six-week period in summer.

The time spent at clubs gives some of the best junior players from around the country a sneak peek into what's required to play at AFLW level.

Players in italics are not eligible to be drafted until 2021

Richmond: Nyakoat Dojiok (GWV Rebels), Tara Slender (Bendigo Pioneers), Ella Friend (GWV Rebels)

https://womens.afl/news/39691/who-s-training-at-your-club-the-academy-stars-on-show-for-six-weeks

[one-eyed]

Star Tigers recruit could miss up to three games due to WNBL

Sarah Black
womens.afl
17 December 2019

STAR Richmond recruit Monique Conti is a chance to miss up to three games in the club's first NAB AFLW season due to the WNBL finals.

Conti, 20, juggles her AFLW commitments alongside her basketball with Melbourne Boomers.

The top four sides qualify for finals, and the Boomers are currently in third place, four wins clear of Perth in fifth with seven rounds remaining.

Depending on what position the Boomers finish in, Richmond's round two (1v4 for basketball) and round three (2v3 for basketball) matches are on the same days as the WNBL semi-finals series.

Richmond's season opener against Carlton is unaffected, with a week's break between the final round of the WNBL and the finals.

The WNBL Grand Final series runs across rounds four and five of the AFLW season. While the matches do not directly clash with Richmond's games over that period, the Tigers are playing in Bendigo and Wagga Wagga the day before the basketball games, meaning travel could be an issue.

The silky midfielder is supremely talented, winning the best on ground medal in the 2018 Grand Final at just 18 years old, while playing for the Western Bulldogs.

After crossing from the Dogs to Richmond in May, Conti lined up for the club's VFLW side, winning the Tigers' best and fairest from just seven matches.

"There could be [a clash with] finals, and then it just depends on how the Boomers go," Richmond coach Tom Hunter told womens.afl.

"We're really supportive with Mon's basketball, because we know she's a dual-sport athlete and we want her to do really well.

"When her Boomers commitments finish up, we'll be able to get her full-time. She's able to balance it, as she has for the past two years with the Dogs. We're just trying to make her the best athlete possible."

Richmond have a balancing act of its own at this stage of pre-season, with "seven or eight" players – including fellow big-name recruit Christina Bernardi (foot) – on limited duties.

AFLW clubs have a list of 30 players, with 21 named for a match (16 on the ground, five on the bench).

"We're not in a dire position, I don't want to say that, but we've got a few girls in the modified group at the moment. We're starting to get them back," Hunter said.

"We've found with the jump from the NAB League (under-18) girls going into a semi full-time environment probably put a bit of stress on them and some of them we've had to modify.

"I think we've got seven to eight girls we're modifying, but we're looking to have most of them back after the Christmas break."

Hunter has led Richmond's VFLW side for the past two seasons, with the team qualifying for (and losing) an elimination final this year and is enjoying the step up to AFLW level.

"I'm certainly enjoying having more sessions with the players. We've got more time to educate them, and I'm not feeling rushed in our training, I don't feel we have to get everything in," he said.

"The standard of our girls has been pretty awesome so far, it's improved a long way and the players are getting the concepts more quickly. We don't have to spend so much time around the education.

"They get it, they can do it and we can add more layers to the plan. That's been a nice surprise."

https://womens.afl/news/39717/star-tigers-recruit-could-miss-up-to-three-games-due-to-wnbl

[Rampsation]

how much money do these womens teams lose for their clubs. I reckon womens footy will become a money pit with clubs losing heaps over time. Eventually the girls will want big pay rises and its gonna be the supporters who pay for this equality.

[WilliamPowell]

how much money do these womens teams lose for their clubs. I reckon womens footy will become a money pit with clubs losing heaps over time. Eventually the girls will want big pay rises and its gonna be the supporters who pay for this equality.

Sorry, but why do you think Club's are losing money?

It has been well documented that the AFL funds the bulk of the AFLW competition. Just like via annual distributions the AFL funds salary cap increases for AFL club's

I think you will find Clubs are making money off their AFLW club's. It's called sponsoship $$$. For Richmond they have had Jeep, NIB, Hostplus, National Storage and Swinburne increase their sponsorship and committed to the AFLW side.

AIO came on board in 2019 to sponsor of VFLW side

Other clubs have had sponsor's come on board just to be involved in the AFLW. Bulldogs, Saints, Adelaide, Brisbane - want me to go on?

[Rampsation]

I have doubts that the money raised from sponsors will cover the AFLW teams expenses. When the girls all ask for huge pay rises thats when itll all start to fall over.

[WilliamPowell]

I have doubts that the money raised from sponsors will cover the AFLW teams expenses. When the girls all ask for huge pay rises thats when itll all start to fall over.

You do realise there is a CBA in place for the next 3 seasons? That each team functions under a salary cap? So I am not sure how that equates to players asking for "huge pay rises" and getting them

The sponsorship deals in place across the entire AFLW comp are very strong. Throw in what the AFL is contributing as this comp builds and it is in a very healthy place

I appreciate that many people don't follow the comp, have no interest in it and that's fine but I think people are selling this comp very very short. 

I don't think people really understand the growth potential and what a massive untapped market there is around Women's sport, not just talking about AFLW here but all Women's sport.

[one-eyed]

Richmond season guide: All you need to know

Sarah Black
womens.afl.com.au
22 December 2019

Coach: Tom Hunter

2020 captaincy candidates: Katie Brennan, Christina Bernardi

Star recruits: Katie Brennan, Christina Bernardi, Monique Conti, Sabrina Frederick

Inactive players: Nil


2020 opponents: Carlton (h), Gold Coast (a), North Melbourne (h), Geelong (h), GWS (a), St Kilda (a), Brisbane (h), Adelaide (a).

Circle it: The round one match against Carlton pits two historic rivals against each other in a new format, the first AFLW game for the club. Despite the match moved to the bigger Ikon Park, seats will be in hot demand.

Player to watch: Monique Conti is ready to take the competition by storm. The dynamic on-baller will be coming into her third AFLW season, and won Richmond's VFLW b&f from just seven games over winter.

Best Rising Star chance: Sophie Molan

2020 prediction: It'll be tough going for the Tigers in their first season. Put in the slightly tougher Conference A with Adelaide, North Melbourne and Geelong, finals may be just out of reach for the fledgling side. Just over two-thirds of the list is made up of VFLW and under-18 graduates, meaning there's a fair bit of uncertainty whether they can make the step up.

https://womens.afl/news/40156/richmond-season-guide-all-you-need-to-know

[big tone]

I have doubts that the money raised from sponsors will cover the AFLW teams expenses. When the girls all ask for huge pay rises thats when itll all start to fall over.

You do realise there is a CBA in place for the next 3 seasons? That each team functions under a salary cap? So I am not sure how that equates to players asking for "huge pay rises" and getting them

The sponsorship deals in place across the entire AFLW comp are very strong. Throw in what the AFL is contributing as this comp builds and it is in a very healthy place

I appreciate that many people don't follow the comp, have no interest in it and that's fine but I think people are selling this comp very very short. 

I don't think people really understand the growth potential and what a massive untapped market there is around Women's sport, not just talking about AFLW here but all Women's sport.

How are people selling it short WP??

It is unwatchable in its present state IMO. I gave it a go but it’s not in the slightest entertaining.
And I can watch most sports... I can sit for hours watching girls golf and tennis because the standard is first class.
Girls footy is not and I understand it’s in its infancy, but the standard is horrible.
Pure and simple...

So no I don’t think people sell it short at all.

[WilliamPowell]

How are people selling it short WP??

It is unwatchable in its present state IMO. I gave it a go but it’s not in the slightest entertaining.
And I can watch most sports... I can sit for hours watching girls golf and tennis because the standard is first class.
Girls footy is not and I understand it’s in its infancy, but the standard is horrible.
Pure and simple...

So no I don’t think people sell it short at all.

Your key point is "IMO" it is "unwatchable"

That's your view and I have no issue with that

But for every person who says it's "unwatchable" I could find you at least 10 who say it is fantastic to watch and great to be involved in.

Does it need to get better? Yep, no doubt but for a competition that is only 3 years old it is doing very well. 50k plus at last year's GF highlights that. Throw in it is a barely a semi professional compettion and standard is where you'd expect it to be based on its age

Reckon if we went back 150 years when the game was invented the standard would have been pretty crappy to say the least.

I have followed it from season 1 and year on year the standard has improved and IMV will continue to improve,  granted not as quickly that some people think it should but it will

The fact that multinational Companies are tipping in millions to support it, grow it means it is on the right track. Growth potential of Women's sport is massive. Go back 10 years and look at the standard of Women's cricket, its improvement in the last decade is staggering and it is because in part to the health and development that has gone it to it by officialdom. Same opportunity is there for Women's footy but it isn't going to happen overnight

Patience and doing it the right way is the key

[Gracie]

Pretty obvious that it will be low on skill and team play for a few years yet.

Boys have a football in their hands from an early age and are playing footy from a young age. The majority of girls have not had this avenue available to them so their individual skill level will not be high. There will be exceptions.

Women's sport is different. Take golf. They play the game similar to the average guy as the top women golfers and the average male player are hitting similar distances. So for me I can relate to how they are playing better than watching the men almost drive a green it takes two shots for me to get to. Same with basketball.

And it will be the same with women's footy when they get their fitness levels and their skill levels up.

[Rampsation]

Australian womens cricket and soccer teams are worthwhile watching imho.

[big tone]

How are people selling it short WP??

It is unwatchable in its present state IMO. I gave it a go but it’s not in the slightest entertaining.
And I can watch most sports... I can sit for hours watching girls golf and tennis because the standard is first class.
Girls footy is not and I understand it’s in its infancy, but the standard is horrible.
Pure and simple...

So no I don’t think people sell it short at all.

Your key point is "IMO" it is "unwatchable"

That's your view and I have no issue with that

But for every person who says it's "unwatchable" I could find you at least 10 who say it is fantastic to watch and great to be involved in.

Does it need to get better? Yep, no doubt but for a competition that is only 3 years old it is doing very well. 50k plus at last year's GF highlights that. Throw in it is a barely a semi professional compettion and standard is where you'd expect it to be based on its age

Reckon if we went back 150 years when the game was invented the standard would have been pretty crappy to say the least.

I have followed it from season 1 and year on year the standard has improved and IMV will continue to improve,  granted not as quickly that some people think it should but it will

The fact that multinational Companies are tipping in millions to support it, grow it means it is on the right track. Growth potential of Women's sport is massive. Go back 10 years and look at the standard of Women's cricket, its improvement in the last decade is staggering and it is because in part to the health and development that has gone it to it by officialdom. Same opportunity is there for Women's footy but it isn't going to happen overnight

Patience and doing it the right way is the key

I actually don’t know anyone who thinks it’s worth watching to be honest. So I think your stat of 10 to 1 is BS IN MY OPINION.

And the rest of your post is just excuses of why it is unwatchable.

I have no doubt it will improve and I will give it another go, but for now I would rather watch grass grow.

Each to their own though- I just found your comment in your original post a bit rich about people selling it short. I would love another sport to watch- but as I said it’s unwatchable.

[WilliamPowell]

I actually don’t know anyone who thinks it’s worth watching to be honest. So I think your stat of 10 to 1 is BS IN MY OPINION.

And the rest of your post is just excuses of why it is unwatchable.

I have no doubt it will improve and I will give it another go, but for now I would rather watch grass grow.

Each to their own though- I just found your comment in your original post a bit rich about people selling it short. I would love another sport to watch- but as I said it’s unwatchable.

So the people I go to games with or have met at games are figments of my imagination and don't exist? By calling BS, that is clearly what you are saying

People I work with who enjoy it don't count either?

I have many conversations with people who don't like it but more with people that do.

I've said many times I get that alot of people don't like, don't rate it and even hate it and that's fine but IMHO it is a comp that is growing and garnering more popularity every season and that is (again) IMHO a great thing

[Diocletian]

Are many of these people you go to games with females of the sapphic persuasion by chance?

[WilliamPowell]

Are many of these people you go to games with females of the sapphic persuasion by chance?

Nice sexist deflect

But I'll ask my mate David when I next see him