AFLW Rd 7: Carlton vs Freo at Freo

[crashlander]

Speaking of tactically...
Why has nobody put Vescio for a run on the ball? Is her fitness simply not up to it??

You can often see Harris in the backline, but i don't think i've ever seen Vescio defensive side of the centreline....ever.

Throw her in the middle, or on a wing and let her provide a spark when we need it. What have we got to lose?!

I am inclined to think that her stamina isn't there at the moment. For that matter, last year she also has that extra yard of pace on most of her opponents.
This year she is coming back from a knee reco. She didn't have a single game in the VFLW season and was on a modified program during our Pre-season. That started her off very much on the back foot.
It also hampered her ball handling, as she fumbled a lot more this year that last year.
It comes from just handling the ball in game situations.

Now, next year will be the test for Vescio, and a number of others. Nobody will be talking 'premierships'. Getting off the bottom will be the #1 goal. Instead it is us who will have to come up with ways to get the most out of our players, as most are now known quantities.
With a whole season of VFLW and a proper AFLW pre-season (and hopefully a much more effective one than we had for this season) we should see the real Darcy Vescio. There will also be opportunities to experiment with her in different spots. Other clubs will not be prepared for that, while she will be at her athletic best.