Almanac Footy – Zoch’s AFLW Dream Team: 2017-2021

 

 

 

The next AFLW season is fast approaching, and there are so many juicy questions to be answered I can hardly wait for it to start.  Can the Brisbane Lions win back-to-back after losing back-to-back in the first two years?  Can Adelaide win a third flag in what might be the final season for Erin Phillips?  Can the Melbourne women emulate the men and go all the way in what might also be Daisy Pearce’s final year?  Can their big recruit, Tayla Harris, regain her best form and help get the Demons over the line?  Can the Bulldogs play finals again this year? Can my team, Carlton, do so after a disappointing season five?

 

These questions will all be answered in due course, some of them perhaps by the end of January, given the shortness of the season and the earlier starting date this time around.  Meanwhile, let’s look backwards rather than forwards and ask another question.  What would be the best women’s team from the first five years of the competition?  Not the best actual team, which might be the Crows team that flogged the Blues in the 2019 Grand Final, or this year’s Brisbane outfit, but the best combined or ‘fantasy’ team, drawn from all the players we’ve seen so far.  Any ideas?  Obviously Erin Phillips should be in it, but what about Daisy and Tayla?  And if Daisy is included, in what position?

 

Such teams can be controversial, and a little arbitrary around the edges, but it might be a fun topic to discuss over the Christmas pudding. I was moved to jot down some names during the last lockdown and here’s what I came up with.  Here’s my all-time AFLW Dream Team.   I’ve followed the usual format, 5/6/5 with 5 on the bench, and there were only two selection criteria apart from the obvious one: at least one All-Australian guernsey, and at least 25 games (the most experienced players have notched up about 40).

 

Backs:                                                K Lutkins             K Harrington

Half-backs:                         B Davey               C Randall             D Pearce

Centres:                             K Paxman            E Kearney (vc)    M Conti

Half-forwards:                   K Brennan           J Garner               D Vescio

Forwards:                                         E Phillips (c)        J Wuetschner

 

Followers:                          E King                   E Blackburn        E Marinoff

 

Interchange:                     K Bowers             E Bates                T Harris                A Hatchard         C Molloy

 

Actually, I don’t think there’s anything too controversial here, given that neither Alyce Parker nor Maddie Prespakis nor Isabel Huntington has played the required number of games.  Most of those listed above have more than one All-Australian guernsey, several have more than two, and eight of them are current or former club captains.

 

But of course a few players were unlucky to miss out – Gemma Houghton, Dana Hooker, Meg McDonald, Sarah Allan and Lauren Pearce in particular.  If the team had a match to play, I would probably have Lauren on the bench ahead of Hatchard or Molloy, and I might well start with Harris on the field instead of Brennan.  The Richmond captain is perhaps the most contentious selection, but it came down to potency in the end: Houghton has 31 goals from 34 games, while Brennan has 30 goals from only 26 games.

 

It’s a pity there isn’t a match to be played.  Who wouldn’t like to watch the 21 women named above take on a top schoolboy side, or, better still, a team of fierce-looking women from another planet?  I’d hand over a fair bit of cash to see that, and I reckon plenty of others would.  And who knows – they’re all still fit and firing, so if a female team from outer space does drop by next April, maybe something could be arranged.

 

To return to our Footy Almanac home page click HERE.

 

Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

Do you enjoy the Almanac concept?

And want to ensure it continues in its current form, and better? To help things keep ticking over please consider making your own contribution.

 

Become an Almanac (annual) member – CLICK HERE.

One-off financial contribution – CLICK HERE.

Regular financial contribution (monthly EFT) – CLICK HERE.