WHAT’S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.<\/p>\n A W PERSPECTIVE: WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM LATEST HOMOPHOBIC SLUR<\/p>\n When news emerged of Izak Rankine\u2019s mid-game homophobic slur \u2013 and Adelaide\u2019s, ultimately successful, push to have any AFL-driven suspension reduced \u2013 many immediately sympathised with the Crows\u2019 AFLW playing group.<\/p>\n One of eight inaugural teams, Matthew Clarke\u2019s side has been a perennial contender in the competition, winning three flags and capturing the hearts of fans with their professionalism, talent and strong team culture.<\/p>\n And, like all AFLW playing lists, several Crows players are part of the LGBTQIA+ community.<\/p>\n Rankine has copped some criticism for not speaking publicly and flying out of the country to escape the spotlight in the wake of his four-match ban.<\/p>\n But foxfooty.com.au understands Rankine made a call to both Crows co-captain Ebony Marinoff, as well as three-time Adelaide premiership skipper Chelsea Randall \u2013 a development coach in the Crows men\u2019s program \u2013 before leaving for Europe. It\u2019s also expected Rankine will address the Adelaide AFLW playing list upon his return next week.<\/p>\n On top of Rankine\u2019s calls to the two senior Crows, club chief executive Tim Silvers also spoke to Adelaide\u2019s AFLW players three times last week, while men\u2019s captain Jordan Dawson, too, addressed the group about the situation.<\/p>\n Nicks: Rankine is not the victim | 10:52<\/p>\n The sense, therefore, is the Crows AFLW program has been well briefed and included during a difficult week for the club.<\/p>\n While no male player has ever \u2018come out\u2019 in AFL history, the LGBTQIA+ community is well entrenched, accepted and celebrated in the AFLW environment, essentially since the first season in 2017.<\/p>\n Kurdas said there\u2019d been progress in stamping out homophobia in the AFL space, but stressed there was more room to improve.<\/p>\n \u201cPreviously, it\u2019s not even that it would be swept under the carpet, but Australian football being a very hyper masculine environment for 160 years \u2026 it\u2019s not they\u2019ve been silent on it, but there have been active proponents of homophobia and sexism over many years \u2013 and the sport has contributed, I believe, to a culture where homophobia and sexism have been OK,\u201d Kurdas said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think what\u2019s really important now is that the sport \u2013 and the industry more broadly \u2013 plays a role in changing that position and creating a better future.<\/p>\n \u201cFor a long time, the sport has been part of the problem. I now want the sport to be part of the solution \u2013 and that has to be showing up with integrity in moments like this and doing it differently.<\/p>\n \u201cI would love the conversation to be: \u2018We\u2019ve gotten it wrong for a really long time and we now want to be part of the reason why people feel safe, they feel more included, they feel welcome, they\u2019re looked after and that we have a better community overall for everyone.\u2019 That\u2019s where I feel like they\u2019ve missed the opportunity here.\u201d<\/p>\n Kurdas said she had mixed feelings about the Rankine punishment and how it was handled. <\/p>\n \u201cI have a foot in each camp,\u201d she said. \u201cI think it\u2019s a real positive that we\u2019re having this conversation because how many blokes have played footy over the years and just had to endure this kind of behaviour and just put up and shut up? And that\u2019s not OK.<\/p>\n AFLW wrap: Crows, Dons, Roos & Dogs win | 01:50<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s great now that there\u2019s culture safety within the playing space for players to speak up and that people will be held to account for poor behaviour.<\/p>\n \u201cThe disappointing element to it is that when we\u2019ve looked at the other cases when players have owned it, really cut and dry, and gone \u2018yes, I said this\u2019 \u2013 and there doesn\u2019t seem to be any dispute that Rankine said this \u2013 but the desire to get a bit of leniency in the sentence, rather than just own it, I think it\u2019s done a lot more damage to Rankine, the club and I guess our desire as a sport to move forward in this space and create safer workplaces.<\/p>\n \u201cI understand what\u2019s at stake in terms of finals, but it\u2019s just never OK \u2013 and it wouldn\u2019t be OK in any workplace. There wouldn\u2019t be any workplace where you could say something like that and you wouldn\u2019t be disciplined and you wouldn\u2019t get the sack. So why is it OK and why is there this piece around arguing for a level of leniency when every other person that has been in this situation has gone \u2018yep\u2019 and the club\u2019s gone \u2018yep, we\u2019ll just cop whatever comes our way\u2019?<\/p>\n \u201cI know they talked about compelling medical reasons, but both of those things can be true at the same time. Yes, it can be very compelling or a high level of support that\u2019s required for the individual \u2013 I\u2019m not talking about Rankine in this situation \u2013 but there\u2019s always two things. The wellbeing of the person that\u2019s offended, absolutely, and how we can support that person and look after that person and make sure that they\u2019ve got the right counselling, support, guidance and education to move forward \u2026 there\u2019s got to be room for atonement. The second part to that is it doesn\u2019t excuse behaviour and there\u2019s got to be a level of accountability.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I think about the wellbeing of the people that were impacted by that behaviour of Rankine. We all make an assumption that\u2019d be spectators and the W players, but also there could possibly have been a same-sex attracted player on the opposite team or in the Adelaide Crows team that now feels they\u2019re safe \u2013 what about the wellbeing of those people? That conversation for me hasn\u2019t been strong enough, that we need to take into account the wellbeing of the people who potentially are on the end of that sledge.\u201d<\/p>\n Silvers supports ‘remorseful’ Rankine | 08:02<\/p>\n SUPERSTAR\u2019S \u2018NATURAL HUMILITY\u2019 DRIVING GREATNESS<\/p>\n If you thought pre-season North Melbourne superstar captain Jasmine Garner would be satisfied with what she\u2019s achieved so far in the AFLW, it\u2019s time to reassess.<\/p>\n She already boasts one of the AFLW\u2019s best CVs \u2013 a premiership player, grand final best on ground winner, seven-time All-Australian, five-time Kangaroos best and fairest, three-time club leading goalkicker, two-time AFLPA MVP and three-time AFLCA MVP \u2013 but Garner is clearly hungry for more.<\/p>\n After kicking 1.1 from 25 disposals and 12 tackles against Geelong in Round 1, Garner backed it up on Sunday against Port Adelaide with arguably the best individual game ever seen in the AFLW: 6.0 from 31 disposals, 16 contested possessions, a whopping 14 score involvements, eight marks, seven inside 50s and 561m gained.<\/p>\n Garner took over the Kangaroos captaincy prior to the start of the season \u2013 a move that has only enhanced her output, according to Kurdas, but also helps \u201cher teammates navigate the expectation\u201d as the club seeks back-to-back flags.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a wave of new leadership, a new movement forward,\u201d Kurdas said.<\/p>\n \u201cSince they\u2019ve come into the competition \u2013 because they were able to recruit so well \u2013 North were always on their way up the mountain. Now they\u2019re at the summit and there\u2019s a whole other mountain range to climb once you get up here, what else do you see?<\/p>\n \u201cThis shift in leadership to climb the next mountain range, which is: \u2018How do we stay here? How do we bring young players through? How do we get young players to be of the Shinboner way and play football as we expect to the way we\u2019ve always done it?\u2019 That\u2019s a really different mindset and mentality about \u2018how to stay up there\u2019, as opposed to \u2018how do you climb\u2019.<\/p>\n Jasmine Garner of the Kangaroos. Picture: Graham Denholm\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cI think Jas has got that humility that will certainly support young players coming through and role model the way of how to carry yourself when you are successful.\u201d<\/p>\n While adding \u2018premiership captain\u2019 would be a brilliant addition to an already stacked resume, so too would AFLW best and fairest medal \u2013 an award that has eluded Garner, who\u2019s constantly been overlooked by the umpires casting votes.<\/p>\n But Kurdas insisted missing out on that award wouldn\u2019t be a significant motivating factor for Garner.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s how Jas\u2019s psyche and ego operates,\u201d Kurdas said. \u201cShe\u2019s one of the most humble people that you can meet in football that is just so naturally gifted. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a real natural humility that she has that I think, funnily enough, gives her the ability to just ride the pressure wave really well. That\u2019s part of her weaponry and her arsenal.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think Jas ever cares about winning anything individually. She genuinely is someone who just wants to play her role for the team.<\/p>\n \u201cProbably where she does feel the pressure is everyone else\u2019s expectation of the umpires. It almost has come to a point now where poor Jas has to kind of calm everyone else down and make everyone else feel good that she hasn\u2019t won it yet. We\u2019re all more outraged than she is.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen she doesn\u2019t poll well or she doesn\u2019t get the rub of the umpires\u2019 votes as everyone else expects her to, I think she spends a lot of energy and time having to go: \u2018It\u2019s OK, I don\u2019t care, it\u2019s fine.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cI think she\u2019s really hungry for team success and I think that\u2019s how she rolls. But if she does win it, I think she\u2019d just be more happy for her mates that they\u2019re happy that she\u2019s finally won it, not because she\u2019s won it for herself.\u201d<\/p>\n Molloy equals AFLW record in Swans win | 00:43<\/p>\n RECORDS GALORE \u2026 BUT AT WHAT COST?<\/p>\n Garner\u2019s powerful performance was one of several record-breaking performances across Round 2.<\/p>\n In the same game \u2013 which saw North Melbourne produce its highest ever AFLW score against Port Adelaide \u2013 prolific midfielder Ash Riddell recorded a whopping 43 disposals, equalling the record set by Brisbane star Ally Anderson last season.<\/p>\n On the Gold Coast, returning Sydney superstar Chloe Molloy dined out on the Suns and equalled ex-Bulldog Brooke Lochland\u2019s record of seven goals in a game. Coincidentally, Lochland watched Molloy\u2019s performance from the coaches\u2019 box as she\u2019s an assistant with the Swans this year. And of course the group Lochland looks after is the forward line.<\/p>\n Molloy kicked seven of Sydney\u2019s 15 goals in its 82-point victory over the Suns \u2013 the third-biggest winning margin in AFLW history.<\/p>\n The Swans were also one of two teams to kick over 100 points on the weekend, with the sharpshooting Brisbane Lions amassing 17.3 (105). Only three AFLW teams \u2013 Melbourne, Adelaide and Geelong \u2013 had previously cracked triple figures in nine seasons. On Saturday, we had two clubs reach the mark in the space of four hours.<\/p>\n The records were gobsmacking and, for many, entertaining to watch. But they also came in dominant wins.<\/p>\n So was it purely a case of teams and players being more skilled and conditioned to pull off such feats? Or does it expose a growing chasm between the competition\u2019s best and worst players?<\/p>\n Lions smash Dockers by whopping 70 pts! | 00:25<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s probably a bit of all of that,\u201d Kurdas said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s also the impact of injuries and if you\u2019re not in that sort of top-four calibre of team, injuries certainly do impact you because you mightn\u2019t have the depth to cover it.<\/p>\n \u201cAlready a number of teams are going really deep with injuries at the moment. If you\u2019re a Port Adelaide, who finished in the prelim final last year, with a super long injury list, the bottom-end of their talent is still young, still underdeveloped, still growing \u2013 they can\u2019t cover injuries like a Melbourne or a Brisbane can cover. <\/p>\n \u201cI do think potentially with the new interpretation of the rule and the ball just being thrown out, teams that are a little stronger and a bit more skilful, even with the hot calls of holding the ball from the umpire, may be able to execute a bit better.<\/p>\n \u201cAlso, once you get up there and you\u2019ve got a system that works and you\u2019ve got the conditioning in your team, the skill, the list to support the system \u2026 if you keep applying yourself and you keep doing the work, it\u2019s probably a little bit easier to stay there, rather than climb the mountain.\u201d<\/p>\n CALLS FOR \u2018CONSISTENCY WITHIN GAME\u2019 AMID RULE TWEAK<\/p>\n Two weeks in and the entire AFLW industry is still adjusting to the new holding the ball interpretation.<\/p>\n The AFL in June announced there would be a stricter interpretation of the holding the ball rule regarding \u2018genuine attempt\u2019, while players who either dived on or dragged the ball in would be scrutinised more harshly. The intention behind the move is to keep the ball in motion, with a view it\u2019d lead to more scoring.<\/p>\n But the game-to-game consistency, for some, appears somewhat out of whack.<\/p>\n After an average of 16 holding the ball free kicks in Round 1 games, there was a slight increase to 17 in Round 2.<\/p>\n In Sunday\u2019s clash between the Western Bulldogs and Richmond, 63 free kicks were paid for the entire match \u2014 and a whopping 26 were holding the ball calls, although appropriate prior opportunity seemed to be given for most cases. Tigers coach Ryan Ferguson post-game insisted \u201cumpires weren\u2019t a factor\u201d in the match and that his ill-disciplined side \u201cgave away too many free kicks\u201d.<\/p>\n Hours later, only 20 free kicks were paid in the Adelaide-Geelong clash, with only seven holding the ball calls.<\/p>\n Pies claim first AFLW win in 331 days | 00:40<\/p>\n The games were different in nature. There were 146 tackles in the Tigers-Dogs clash with 45 stoppage clearances, while there were just 102 tackles and 38 stoppage clearances in the Crows-Cats encounter.<\/p>\n The point of contention, for many, remains how hot umpires have been on prior opportunity.<\/p>\n After Hawthorn\u2019s win over Carlton on Saturday night \u2014 in which 23 holding the ball free kicks were paid \u2014 coach Daniel Webster said some of the decisions \u201cwere way too hot\u201d, adding: \u201cThe tackler is now getting rewarded. I really don\u2019t like that \u2026 We\u2019re better off not trying to win the ball sometimes now, just tap it on, and I don\u2019t think that\u2019s the way the game should be played.\u201d<\/p>\n Kurdas, who called the Suns-Swans (16 holding the ball free kicks) and Bombers-Eagles (12) games for Fox Footy on the weekend, said she\u2019d noticed \u201can adjustment\u201d between Rounds 1 and 2, but added more needed to be done.<\/p>\n \u201cWithin the Essendon-West Coast game \u2013 it was a very contested game and Windy Hill is quite a narrow field, there was a lot of contested ball work, lots of tackling, lots of inside work \u2013 and at times it felt super hot and at times it felt they\u2019d let them try and push out of the congestion. For me, it didn\u2019t feel consistent within the game \u2013 and I don\u2019t feel it\u2019s consistent between games that I\u2019m watching at the moment,\u201d Kurdas said.<\/p>\n \u201cMy view is that I don\u2019t know if the umpires are able to get to a level of consistency so early in the season.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re all so conditioned for what prior opportunity feels like. It\u2019s a bit like we never have to count the steps that someone runs when you\u2019re measuring 15m for a bounce, but we all know what that feels like \u2026 and it\u2019s the same with prior opportunity, I think.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving to reprogram the umpires\u2019 brains and how they read the game, I think that\u2019s just really hard to do in such a short amount of time. So I\u2019m not surprised there\u2019s a level of inconsistency and I think there are different interpretations of what prior opportunity looks and feels like as well.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m in support of keeping the ball in play and I do feel like there are less stoppages, but it doesn\u2019t feel like they\u2019ve made the game a better spectacle as a result. The game to me looks less skilful, the ball looks less in control and teams and players look frightened at times to go near the ball for fear of giving away a free kick.\u201d<\/p>\n Demons flex muscles in 74-point win | 00:21<\/p>\n AND A WORD ON THE DEES \u2026<\/p>\n Melbourne last season missed out on finals for the first time in its history. And many pundits pre-season expected the team to miss again in 2025.<\/p>\n But two rounds in and the Demons are 2-0 on top of the ladder after big wins over the Western Bulldogs and Richmond.<\/p>\n While Melbourne would\u2019ve been favourites to beat both of those two teams, the fact they\u2019ve produced such emphatic wins amid personnel changes has impressed Kurdas.<\/p>\n \u201cMelbourne\u2019s performances with their injury list is quite something,\u201d she said. \u201cI really thought Melbourne wouldn\u2019t be this strong this early with the injuries that they\u2019ve got. <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s really exciting that missing finals last year has had a real impact on them and they\u2019ve adjusted really well with the injuries they\u2019ve got.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the calibre of players and where they are in terms of their conditioning and the like, they\u2019re able to cover it.\u201d<\/p>\n The Demons, however, are already reaching deep into their list, with star midfielder Olivia Purcell rupturing her ACL against St Kilda in a season-ending blow, while Blaithin Mackin (MCL) and Sarah Lampard (calf) are also set for extended sideline stints. They all join the likes of Gab Colvin (knee), Denby Taylor (foot), Tahlia Gillard (knee) and Grace Beasley (knee) on the Dees\u2019 injury list.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"How the Crows briefed their AFLW players in the wake of Izak Rankine\u2019s homophobic slur. 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