Versatile talents take punt on footy
AS the interest in AFLW continues to grow, more and more athletes are transferring from other sports to kick the Sherrin.
In Wednesday’s AFL Women’s draft, WNBL player Monique Conti was snared by the Western Bulldogs; Ashleigh Brazill, previously playing for Collingwood in the Super Netball competition, was drafted by the Magpies; and Melbourne snared WNBL player Tegan Cunningham.
Locally, the Cairns Lions, made up of the most talented female footballers in the AFL Cairns competition, have landed a number of promising athletes from other sports.
The Lions claimed the North Queensland Women’s AFL Championships at Neil French Oval in Townsville last year for the second straight season and are aiming to make it a triple triumph next month.
Mel Kelly, a Manunda Hawks footballer, will be a focal point of the team after representing the first ever Australian Outback Women’s Naalso tional Gridiron side at the International Federation of American Football Women’s World Championship.
AFLQ regional manager Kieran Daley, who will coach the representative team with Centrals Trinity Beach’s Bev Speed, says Kelly has taken to Aussie rules like a duck to water.
“Mel is just willing to learn,” Daley said. “Her fitness base is huge and constantly covers the ground and she does not stop.
“From a footy perspective, she is clean under her knees, which is something that gives her more time.
“Her ability to use the footy is really good (and) has improved since she took up footy.”
The Lions have also acquired the services of Jacqueline Jess Clift Kelly Toby Christine Pike Lahtiffa Benjamin Rose Boden Rose Jorquera Centrals Trinity Beach Poppy Boltz Grace Perry Ruby Nandy Brooklyn Lancaster Rose Cash Elisha Conventry Shanna Butcher Chelsea Oxlade Rookie Search Jacqueline Dupuy Dupuy, captain of the Marlin Coast Marlins in the Queensland State Netball League, for the championships on November 4.
“She is just a competitor,” Daley said.
“She plays at the standard you need to play at these type of tournaments to win. “She is a gun.” South Cairns’ Jeda Nash is a talented netballer like many in the squad.
In 2016, the Cairns side kept the Townsville Eagles and the 3rd Brigade Army team scoreless in their first two games and prevailed by a point over Mackay in the final game.
Dual international Jo Butland coached the team last year and in the representative game against Townsville as the curtain-raiser to the Indigenous and South Pacific game earlier this year, and will drop back to assistant coach because of a heavy workload.
“The event has really expanded the last few years,” Daley said.
“It went to four teams last year and this year it will likely be five with Mackay and Capricornia joining together.
“We have kept the majority of the squad together from the one that played against Townsville earlier this year in the representative game.
“We have identified a couple of girls who missed out through injury and did not make that squad to bring them in.” WITH the second AFLW season commencing in early February, the girls are working hard to achieve the fitness levels required to compete at the elite level.
Most observers were impressed with the intensity shown last season and there’s little doubt you can expect the female players to take it to a new level this season.
GPS data tells us the girls are running between eight and 10 kilometres a game. A small percentage of that is made up of high-intensity running, with lots of collisions and tackles.
Apart from developing strength in the gym, the girls will be doing lots of aerobic and anaerobic interval running training to build fitness.
PRESEASON IS ABOUT IMPROVING STABILITY, STRENGTH, SPEED AND POWER. THIS IS WHERE GOOD FOUNDATIONS ARE MADE
Fitness testing helps conditioning staff determine the amount of additional work individual players must do to bring them to the desired level of fitness to play the game.
At the elite level, fitness testing would include a middistance time trial (1-2km) strength tests, skin fold tests and speed tests.
Throw in three skill sessions, a rehab session, pool sessions and massage, and the girls will be training six days per week.
Only a handful are professionals, which highlights their dedication to the game.
Like the elite men, preseason is about improving stability, strength, speed and power.
This is where good foundations are made and what sets teams up for success during the season.
The prevalence of young women playing AFL has increased markedly over recent years.
For this sport to flourish, the need for conditioning and a professional approach to training will be as important as the skills of the game. David Arnfield is a fitness coach and director of Queensland Elite Sports Training