Earlier than the 2024 AFLW season started, Fremantle copped two large blows.
Star midfielder Kiara Bowers would miss the length of the season to provide start, whereas newly minted captain Ange Stannett ruptured her ACL and was moved to the inactive listing.
These absences had been compounded by spearhead Áine Tighe’s personal ACL damage in week 4 towards Melbourne.
However amongst all of it, coach Lisa Webb has led her aspect to its most wins since 2022 (S6), regardless of being simply seven matches into the season.
There was a component of trial and error — an try to maneuver key defender Laura Pugh into the ahead line was finally met with an acceptance that it wasn’t the suitable selection — however the addition of some new faces, alongside a clearer sport plan has been the right storm for Fremantle.
The additions
4 key inclusions have been essential to the membership’s success. Aisling McCarthy, who was traded in from West Coast, has helped to fill the Bowers-sized hole across the contest, whereas additionally expertly shifting ahead to hit the scoreboard.
Ash Brazill has added a way of safety behind the ball alongside present All-Australian defender Emma O’Driscoll. Substitute signing Tunisha Kikoak is a bodily presence forward of the ball.
And former primary draft choose Gabby Newton gives a versatility that has been essential as Webb establishes her greatest mixture on the sphere.
With this quartet on board, working effectively alongside the Dockers’ present enjoying group, a transparent shift in sport type has been executed by which they’re defending increased up the bottom, utilizing its contested wins extra successfully, and figuring out extra avenues to purpose.
On the contest
New recruit Aisling McCarthy has helped the Dockers across the ball, with 4 clearances and greater than 21 disposals a sport. (Getty Pictures: Paul Kane)
With out Bowers or Stannett across the footy, assumptions had been that Fremantle’s energy at contest could be diminished, however in reality the alternative has confirmed to be true.
The Dockers are producing extra clearances than they ever have earlier than with 29.4 per sport, and that’s via a extra even contribution. McCarthy’s addition across the ball has been vital, along with her averaging 4 clearances and 21.6 disposals per sport, whereas Newton’s inclusion via the midfield has additionally been fruitful, bearing 4.3 clearances and 15.7 disposals.
A career-best season from ruck Mim Strom has additionally been a major contributor, along with her 33.4 hit-outs and three.7 clearances per sport.
However what has been most essential, above the pure numbers, is the aspect’s capability to interrupt freed from contest extra reliably, moderately than getting slowed down in congestion because it was susceptible to doing final 12 months.
Whereas the competition remains to be essential to how the Dockers wish to play, their effectivity at utilizing that contested ball to shift into area has vastly improved. That is typically through lengthy ahead handballs, or kicks chopping towards runners within the hall.
Establishing that motion into area has resulted in additional inside 50s and alternatives at purpose.
Fremantle’s bettering numbers in assault
| Ave I50s | Ave Mks I50 | Ave Aim Eff (computer) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 33.1 | 5.5 | 14.7 |
| 2023 | 30.3 | 4.4 | 12.9 |
Rising alternatives ahead have additionally welcomed extra breadth within the aspect’s scoring energy.
Unfold in assault
Final 12 months Fremantle was responsible of being too singularly centered when going inside 50, with it typically feeling prefer it was Áine Tighe or bust. This 12 months, there was a transparent mission to discover a wider unfold of conduits to purpose.
This mission made them extra harmful in assault early within the season after which, importantly, made them higher outfitted to cowl Tighe’s absence as soon as she went down with damage.
Kikoak has develop into the tall ahead round whom the remainder of the ahead line can function, whereas midfielder/ahead Gabby O’Sullivan’s vitality on the floor ball has provided some actual X-factor for the road, and McCarthy’s unfold from contest makes her harmful inside 50.
There was a rise on common variety of purpose kickers from three per sport final 12 months, to three.7 this 12 months, with that quantity solely rising to 4.3 if the aspect’s goalless week two match towards Adelaide is excluded.
Whereas these will increase seem marginal, it’s an space of great progress for the aspect this 12 months, resulting in a progress of an additional purpose per sport in 2024.
Defending increased
Ash Brazill’s defence and run off half-back has been important within the Dockers’ cost in the direction of finals. (Getty Pictures: Will Russell)
Not solely is Fremantle scoring extra every week than it did final season, however it’s also limiting the opposition’s assault extra successfully, conceding practically two fewer objectives per sport this 12 months.
Brazill’s work throughout half-back has been essential on this respect, as has O’Driscoll’s, whereas Madi Scanlon has began to essentially hit her straps in defence.
However it’s a real workforce defence that has led to a lower in inside 50s being conceded every sport.
A solidified defence
| Ave I50s conceded | Ave Marks I50 conceded | Ave Shot Eff. conceded (computer) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 26.1 | 4.3 | 38.3 |
| 2023 | 32.1 | 6.8 | 42.5 |
Extra dependable management round stoppage, by which the membership maintains possession of the footy in attacking chains, has the ball shifting ahead extra, and again much less.
This has allowed the backline to arrange increased and squeeze the opposition into smaller patches of the bottom, farther from their very own purpose.
It won’t be perfected simply but, with some gaps nonetheless current every so often, however now in Webb’s second season on the helm, a transparent model is establishing itself.
And it is a model that, if utilized constantly sufficient, might very effectively ship the Dockers to their first finals sequence in three seasons.
