The Coathanger

We discuss gendered language in women’s football. And why “girl up” is maybe not the best expression, and “ruck” is better than ruckman and ruckwoman. We argue both sides of the issues around expansion of the league and update our Tipping comp with a hint about the prizes available in the Coathanger Showbag. As always we share our highlights from Round 8 and check out that ladder. And by the end of the show, Fi has accepted that GWS MAY NOT make it to finals…For the best harbour views in women’s footy, “Tune in to The Coathanger”

We hear about “The Lucas Girls: a film about the first recorded game of AFL by women in 1918. Free viewings are available on the Victorian State Library webpage! Highlights from Round 7 include Fi’s rain-lashed, freezing trip to RSEA Park to watch the Giants triumph over the Saints, followed by a trip out to Casey Fields to watch Melbourne’s win over Adelaide. Carlton’s loss to Freo at Princes Park was an absolute cracker and we almost forget to mention that the Pies were knocked off their perch by the Brisbane Lions! Whilst the top and bottom 6 are well and truly decided now, the flag is still up for grabs for all 6 top teams which we think is exciting!

Nat receives a warning from a Melbourne tipster and Kiwi reminds us all about Newtown Breakaways’ Preseason AFLX tournament this weekend. But really, we’re all just feeling grateful that women weren’t shot at the @March4Justice in Sydney on Monday, and we thank our Prime Minister for reminding us!

Nat, Em and Fi share the stories of 3 inspirational women for International Women’s Day. We also discuss the celebration of International Women’s Day in the current political climate where the pervasive emotion is one of anger, if not rage. MP Dave Sharma (Member for Wentworth) gave everyone a Harbour View of a massive IWD fail!

We also share highlights from Round 6, check out the ladder and Nat has bragging rights again for the tipping comp. All that and more in Episode 7!

We delve into the things we loved most about Indigenous Round – inclusion, participation and learning, including the Free The Flag campaign and the custom of exchanging gifts. Nat has her moment in the sun with the Tipping comp, and celebrates the “Flag-Pies” reaching the top of the ladder. And we discuss the fixture changes and how that affects the integrity of the season and the league. For the best harbour views in women’s footy, “Tune in to The Coathanger”

We mark the occasion of Jacinda Barclay’s 30th Birthday with a song, “What’s Wrong With $200 Thousand?” and agree that with Cinda’s elite athletic skills across 3 codes, she could have asked many times that figure. The Bulldogs’ Hannah Scott’s bump on the Dees’ Lily Mithen in Round 4 is deemed “Hot Cinders Energy.” We celebrate the more mature players Erin Phillips and Cora Staunton and their 4 goal hauls. Nat has a good old chinwag with Georgina Hibberd, author of Never Surrender – the inside story of the Giants 2020 AFLW season. Finally we look at the changes to the ladder – especially the surprise fall of North Melbourne out of the top 6 and call a Magpies- Freo grand final. You heard it here first! For the best harbour views in women’s footy, Tune in to The Coathanger!

Fi accepts responsibility for the Marvel Stadium being added to the Round 4 fixture. You’re welcome. Em has a wide ranging conversation with Pepa Randall including pay issues and the CBA, hubbing, and her role as a defender. Kiwi wonders why Krissie Steene was overlooked as additional support when the Giants were short staffed in the Adelaide hub. Melissa Hickey and Courtney Cramey on the All Australian selection panel for AFLW highlights the disparity with the AFL panel. Kiwi calls for more retired players to be included. Fi thinks they should “Look in the V”. Em claims it was Pride Round every week in her footy club and Trace claims BVE (Big V Energy) created a queue in Sydney teams.Trace takes Fi to task for suggesting nothing happens in Brisbane. But when invited to kick a goal for BrisVegas she drops the ball and gives away a free kick. On the back of Ash Barty and Casey Dellacqua recent commitment to AFLW, Kiwi names Sam Stosur as a hot contender in the post-Tennis draft. Tracey has a sad tale to tell about the tipping comp and conversation deteriorates further. Everyone joins Fi in her criticism of the setup and development of the GWS Giants team in 2017, and the damage still being undone to this day. If experienced Sydney AFL players had able to “BUSH BASH” the way forward, the path would have been set out for younger, less experienced players to follow.

Pride Round has been and gone but what about the Trans flag? Fi and Kiwi chat to Hannah Mouncey about the current state of play for transgender players and the policy stance of the AFL.

We hear voices in the crowd: AFLW fans at the Bulldogs/Carlton match tell us what Pride Round means to them. Em takes umbrage at accusations of North Melbourne’s stacked list, and airs the old Darebin rivalry. Trace catches up with Bec Privitelli and Nat laments her fall from a great height in our Coathanger Tipping Comp. Finally, after the long anticipated fixture announcement, the Coathanger team announce a 60% efficiency rate for a trip out to Blacktown this weekend for the Giants’ first home game of 2021!

The AFLW comp has been thrown into turmoil due to the outbreak and subsequent lockdown in WA, forcing the postponement of 2 matches for the 2nd Round: GWS vs WCE and Crows vs Freo. And with that, the Pod plan is thrown completely out the window! We discuss the Jacinda Barclay tributes at each Round 1 match and the word “Vale”, the blame game around Ebony Marinoff’s successful tribunal appeal and Brid Stack’s injury. We share our highlights from Round 1 and the upcoming Pride Round.In addition to the tribunal’s ruling, Maddy Prespakis gets a reprimand from Fi.

The AFLW comp has been thrown into turmoil due to the outbreak and subsequent lockdown in WA, forcing the postponement of 2 matches for the 2nd Round: GWS vs WCE and Crows vs Freo. And with that, the Pod plan is thrown completely out the window! We discuss the Jacinda Barclay tributes at each Round 1 match and the word “Vale”, the blame game around Ebony Marinoff’s successful tribunal appeal and Brid Stack’s injury. We share our highlights from Round 1 and the upcoming Pride Round.In addition to the tribunal’s ruling, Maddy Prespakis gets a reprimand from Fi.

In our Season 5 preview episode we discuss coaching and player changes for season 5– who’s in, who’s out and the injury count which is already serious.We cover the ticketing and membership issues and ask “Could the AFL be doing more to promote Season 5?” In our Half Time Huddle we give our take on Margaret Court’s Australia Day honour. We each share the teams we’ll be watching out for in 2021, and we follow the preseason Covid-affected movements of the Giants. For the best harbour views in women’s footy: Tune in to The Coathanger!