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Stanton isn’t a long term option but she is the best GA option they have now. Quite clearly. I would have liked to have seen Barkmeyer stay on. She looked stronger today in that first quarter than yesterday. Shot 2/2 including a super shot but needs to back herself to the post more often. After her super shot in the next play or so she had a penalty in the super shot zone, one defender out of play but rather than go for it passes off to MJ. McDonald started well. Nice movement. A couple of crafty bounce passes. But went off quite fast with poor pass selection and ended on 1/3 I think.
Smith is developing well in C. I think we might see her a bit there during the season with Moloney in WA as a change up. Brought nice drive and had better touch on the feed than in Sydney. I agree with LA that it isn’t a long term solution having Moloney in WA but definitely worth exploring especially for Smith’s development. Smith will captain Vixens when Moloney retires. If you’re looking at quarter scores with Smith in C …. the only quarter they won against Giants was with Smith at C and today the only quarter they won was the 3rd again with Smith in C. So definitely worth using to change momentum. Hopefully nothing major for Moloney’s knee.
Surely after this and the Sydney games Vixens will see they should recruit an experienced WA? If not I’m going to completely disagree with what I said yesterday and say they should go with Mundy. They are going to hugely struggle this year and I’m starting to think Mundy is the better long term investment. Mundy has a much stronger pass and circle feed than Honey. Smith can be the backup C.
I didn’t think they missed Weston yesterday but they sure did today. Slows the ball up through court so much. Also missed a straight switch of Dehaney in at GK to mix it up on Potgeiter if to just make the feeders adjust and see something different.
Going to be a very long season for Vixens. They won’t make finals. They will be with Collingwood and TBirds between 6th and 8th. Not sure where Lightning will sit. Hopefully they have enough games like yesterday where their defence is on fire as is MJ getting them a few wins and maybe an upset or two.
For TBirds fans… how do you feel about Williams not having a contract? I think she is amazing. I was impressed with her last year and was surprised they didn’t sign her. I’m not sure what Elle McDonald is going to bring to this lineup especially considering what they lose in Williams dropping out. SA again has such great young talent but the TBirds have 7 players either as imports or from interstate. Hopefully TBirds don’t lose this generation to interstate like they did with Klau, Turner and Proud. Heck Vixens should recruit Williams and Austin in 2022!
I love Nankivell and in this team I think she should be the captain. Petty has longer tenure and leadership experience but not sure she is starting 7. Nankivell is going to the be the rock of this TBirds lineup for a long time. How old is Nankivell? She wouldn’t be that much younger than Proud or Moloney were when they became captains would she?
I didn’t really like Wilson. Seemed to be quite a bit of holding and late contact. Hopefully she cleans that up. I’d actually like to see them use Van De Merwe in GD. Nankivell plays well in WD (she’d be my C but nothing wrong with playing her at WD sometimes to allow Van De Merwe into the circle).