The 2017 Swisse Wellness VFL Women's season is now only two days away.
Callum O'Connor continues his season preview series with a look at Cranbourne and VU Western Spurs before the teams meet in Round 1.
CRANBOURNE
Coach: Sein Clearihan (1st year)
2016 finish: 8th, 5-13
2016 Leading goalkicker: Kirsten McLeod – 27 goals
2016 Best & Fairest: Bianca Jakobsson
AFLW players on list: 8
With the return of seven AFL Women’s players and strong recruitment from the Gippsland area, the Cranbourne Eagles are looking to push their way up the Swisse Wellness VFL Women’s ladder in 2017.
Former Dromana player Sein Clearihan has taken the reins from previous coach Kris Smith. And by his own estimates, there is plenty of upside in his team.
“I thought they lacked run during the games and the ability to stay competitive against the top end teams,” reflects Clearihan on his appraisal of Cranbourne’s 2016 performances. “We have worked tirelessly over the pre-season on our group fitness and running.”
Any deficiencies in fitness have been fought against with a vengeance in Clearihan’s maiden pre-season. His fanatical focus on building a strong and fit team at the Eagles has pushed the club to a new benchmark at VFL Women’s level.
Cranbourne finished eighth in 2016 with a late season victory over the VU Western Spurs the best indication of progress being made at the new standard. With their strong focus on fitness sure to improve their ability to not only run out games but to start them in strong positions, it’s down to the football development made between coach and players to decide how they will fare in 2017.
Clearihan is willing to back both his game plan and his players’ ability to execute it, denying that the tactics and strategies employed in the AFL Women’s season by returning stars like Bianca Jakobsson, Danielle Hardiman, Hayley Wildes and Kirsten McLeod will blend into Cranbourne’s 2017 plans.
“Our game plan has not changed,” declares Clearihan. “That said, we have been excited to get our AFL players back as they will help with the development of our younger players.”
Clearihan has good reason to back the contributions of his AFL players, with Hardiman finishing second in Carlton’s Best & Fairest voting and Jas Grierson claiming a NAB Rising Star nomination during her stand out season at Melbourne. The Eagles have also snared the 2017 signature of Bulldog Romy Timmins. However, if you want any reason to be bullish about Cranbourne’s chances this year, it is in their hard-won and stellar recruitment of young talent in the Gippsland area. Darcy Guttridge, Shayla Marsh and Holly Whitford, 19 and 20-year-olds who have all previously played at Youth Girls’ representative level for the Gippsland Power, will be pulling on the blue and gold this year.
Cranbourne will play the VU Western Spurs at Frenken Homes Oval in Round 1.
CLICK HERE for the 2017 team lists
CLICK HERE for the updated 2017 fixture
VU WESTERN SPURS
Coach: Debbie Lee (2nd year)
2016 finish: 6th, 8-10
2016 Leading goalkicker: Alexandra Quigley – 25 goals
2016 Best & Fairest: Bree White
AFLW players on list: 12
Three years ago, the St Albans Spurs were on the brink. It took a relocation, an alignment with Victoria University, a rebranding and a whole lot of grunt work to keep the club, now known as the VU Western Spurs, alive.
Against the odds, the Spurs made it from death’s door to the inaugural Swisse Wellness VFL Women’s competition in 2016. After four seasons floundering at the foot of the ladder, they began to beat back the darkness with eight wins, including a meritorious victory over long-time tormentor Diamond Creek.
From two teams to four and from a handful of players to over 140 registered to pull on the boots in 2017, the club has a lot to be proud of. However, VFLWomen’s coach Debbie Lee isn’t content to let her Spurs rest on their laurels.
“I think we’ll see a bit of a new look Spurs,” says Lee, a pioneer of female football who was the Women’s Football Operations Manager of Melbourne during the inaugural AFL W season. “I think there’s going to be a combination of those who have been at the club for some time with some new recruits.
“Some of these players have been involved in AFL Women’s so that will enhance our team. I think the girls now know how competitive VFL is and the standards and behaviours that are required.”
Six Spurs were drafted to AFLW clubs in 2017 but that representation has doubled at Henry Turner Memorial Reserve. Demons Aleisha Newman, Harriet Cordner and Sarah Jolly, as well as Bulldogs Angelina Gogos and Ellyse Gamble and Collingwood’s Tara Morgan will be pulling on the blue and white in the VFL Women’s season.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for these players and we’ll continue to work with the AFL clubs to ensure their development continues,” says Lee.
Lee imparted the importance of consistency, maturity and mental approach on her side last season and the hard-fought progression they made was testament to the fact that they are walking in the right direction. Their 2017 opponents need only look at the AFLW performances of Alyssa Mifsud, Shelley Scott and Sarah Lampard at Melbourne to realise the rate of development in the list.
“I had an indication of what these players can do obviously, you work with these players week-to-week and I was really keen to see what they could do,” says Lee. “I knew their capabilities. It was just a matter of bringing it out of them.”
Lee, who says her own coaching has been “fast tracked” by working alongside Melbourne coach Mick Stinear, believes the way forward for the Spurs is clear.
“We’ve got to be competitive and ensure that our players take risks. We’ll certainly look at how our strength and conditioning program looks to continue their development, we want to be a pretty transitional side in our ball movement.
“I’d want all players to have developed in some sense in their knowledge and craft of the game. We’d like to see a fast running game, more Spurs drafted as a by-product of the coach’s investment and be competitive against the top four sides and finish in a better position than last year.”
The VU Western Spurs will play Cranbourne at Frenken Homes Oval in Round 1.
CLICK HERE for the 2017 team lists
CLICK HERE for the updated 2017 fixture
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Last Modified on 05/05/2017 13:40
