Hello and welcome to round 5. Stephanie certainly did not get mocked for referring to a match as a bout on Friday evening and Liz is resigning herself to crowds.

Steph Says:

• So many feelings about Susan Alberti this week, who stopped playing when she was 15 and is 70 this year cryface
• Finally my slacker team is stocking pride merch F I N A L L Y
• Don’t even talk to me about the ladder
• I honestly thought the season was going to end with a Dockers-Bulldogs final and instead it is basically the opposite of that
• Apparently I’ll be going to a bar in Fitzroy to watch the GF
• Imagine a warm weather GF
• It’s like our climate change future, except because of the patriarchy
• This is where I admit I didn’t see any games this round and I’m pretty sad about it
• BUT important reminder that Freo v Carlton is at 1505WST on Friday, which means a 1800 bounce for anyone watching from their couch in Melbourne (me)

Liz Says:

• For a few terrifying moments this week, I thought the Bulldogs were going to win their match against Carlton. All these weeks learning to cope with football loss would go to waste! I’d have to start again from scratch!
• Fear of winning is how you know you’re a real Bulldogs fan.
• For the last few games, the Bulldogs have basically fallen apart in the final quarter. This time, we managed to keep fighting and score goals right up to the end, and we were only six points behind when the siren went. So while it’s Yet Another Loss, I’m calling it a respectable one.
• Carlton player Darcy Vescio is an absolute queen, and one of those players you just can’t take your eyes off, even as she’s smashing your own team. She’s also a graphic designer in real life, because #carlton. Anyway, a quote from her Insta about smashing the patriarchy has been turned into a T-shirt that made a lot of Herald Sun commenters cross, and that alone makes me want to buy it.
• Given the probability that the GF will be held interstate, I guess I’ll be watching it with Stephanie at a bar in Fitzroy. Fortunately I have two and a half weeks to brace myself for crowds.

Things to Read and Do:

World famous AFLW: AFLW: How a women’s league has captivated Australia

AFLPA pushes for women to join players’ board

AFL Women’s club-by-club 2017 mid-season report

If you happen to be around Glen Waverly, you can hear Nicole Hayes talk about footy and women at Glen Waverly library on Wednesday 8 March. That’s nice! It’s mostly for young women and girls but other people can go along too.