Welcome to the Wrap, weekly podcast covering women's sports news.

Bears, What have we got around the grounds?

This week?

North Melbourne had become the first team to win back to back flags in AFLW history, The Perth Thundersticks had come from fourth place to win back to back Hockey One premierships and Aussie BMX so weird.

Sorry because I forgot it was I remember we talked about last week.

It was two in the one weekend, but I saw they won the seventy six.

The Sticks holy left the rest of the competition Thunderstruck.

I love that.

And Ozzie BMXA BMX Natalia dem has clinched bronze in the final BMX World Cup event of the year.

For the key story, we discussed the proposed expansion of the sun Corps supernet Ball, with Netball Australia's opening up expression of interests to have two new teams by twenty twenty seven.

I'm here for it.

Yeah.

Hey, we are home and exhausted and we had the best time ever in our pub to us.

Thank you so much to everyone who came along.

It was really lovely to meet lots of new faces, some familiar faces that we've seen in our sporting time and at different events and things.

But a lot of new faces, which is really lovely to meet new people.

Yeah.

I love getting out there and connecting with the people.

It was a great time and thank you to everyone for their enthusiasm about the card game.

I agree it was great.

And the teas we sold out.

Sorry if you missed out, we sold out on the tees.

We will be restocking though, so go jump on the product page.

So if well, pop it in the show notes.

Don't sleep on it.

We might only restock it one more time.

I like that.

I like how you just whatever time.

You just decided they were limited edition and we hadn't even discussed whether they were.

Limited marketing one.

I wont choe they're being restocked.

Can confirm.

My name is Chloe Dalton.

I'm joined every week on the show by my co host Bez, who makes impromptu decisions.

Don't we all though, don't we all?

We're recording on gagle Land.

Let's take a look around the grounds in afl W.

North Melbourne has become the first AFLW team to win back to back premierships after defeating the Brisbane Lions fifty six to sixteen in the Big Dance.

It was theirs to lose, wasn't it?

It was?

And it was quite comprehensive in the end.

It was very comprehensive.

They just were the better team all season, all season and all day really at.

Icon Park, wasn't it.

Despite the Rues having the homegrown advantage.

It was the lines who kicked the first major, but it was pretty much North all day from there.

Wasn't a bez.

The Lines were kept scoreless in the second quarter, helping the Ruse to a thirty to eight halftime advantage, and while both sides could only manage one major each and the third term as Ruse kicked home at three consecutive goals in the last to seal back to back flags.

Now, I was pretty surprised that that's the first back to back.

Yeah.

I remember we were discussing a post match and I think we probably thought either the Lines or the Crows had done it, but I think both of them were at the top and kind of the top.

They stole each other's thunder for a little while.

Yeah.

Interesting, I love that.

It just well, I liked it.

How difficult back to back is?

Yeah, it's same and well done.

To the Kangers.

Yeah, I agree.

The premiership did cap off an unprecentate and undefeated season for the Rus, recording an average winning margin of forty five point eight points across their fifteen matches and taking their overall record to twenty seven consecutive wins.

Good on them, How good?

That's awesome.

But as we kind of need to discuss the icon Park situation.

There was a lot of conversation in the lead up to the game, during the game, a little bit post game as well.

So there were twelve, seven hundred and forty one fans.

It was a sold out icon Park.

It was a funny experience watching it on Telly because we could see empty sections because of icon Park is kind of doing like a gradual renovation.

Right, Yeah, that old part not safe, Yeah.

Not safe for people to sit in.

There was a lot of conversation around this idea of move it to Marvel.

Do you even move it to Marvel and keep the bottom section of Marvel open, close off the top sections while you allow more like allow twenty thousand fans, yes to get in.

Yes, you do, And I think you would have got that easily.

I saw Darren Crocker the North Melbourne head coach talked about he thinks you should wait until you're able to sell out Marvel altogether.

I understand his point, but I just don't think capping it what three or four years in a row now at twelve thousand people for a Grand Final, for a league that's desperately trying to grow.

It's the best game of the season.

Why would you why would you continue to cap it?

Okay?

And also hypothetically if it had a chuck.

Down in Melbourne all day, you know, icons surface would have suffered, the game would have suffered.

We're talking about Marvel, which is a world class venue.

Close a roof, you guarantee the surface is going to be in good nick and then you just it's fan experience too.

I'm not sure.

I think tickets were around thirty five dollars per adul right, you happily pay that at Marvel, but you have a lot more food and beverage venues a lot more mam.

Yeah, it's a lot easier to access.

You know, you're literally getting off the train and walking to Marble Stadium.

Like for me, it's a world class venue and those kind of games belong.

Look and I love Carlton.

Don't get me wrong.

I love seeing the so you've seen in the background when they're playing in Icon, but it's just as they weren't in it.

And the reality is that that is a is a suburban ground and a Grand Final should be played at Marvel.

I just do not agree with people that think that it's not ready.

They are ready.

Put as many people as you can in there and go from there because it's just a better day.

It's a better fan experience.

Yeah, it is.

And I read a Kelly Underwood article and she talked about, you know, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

We saw the AFL come out earlier in the year and kind of go public with this idea of the league losing millions of dollars.

So it's like, you're willing to kind of throw these women under the bus.

But then when there is demand for the biggest game of the year, you're capping it.

And then you're saying in other games, we're not filling seats.

What about the people who could come to the Grand Final potential as their first ever footy experience, fall in love with the game, or a team or a player, and then the next season consistently be going to games.

Yeah, I totally agree.

Next in sevens, oh, the Ozzie women.

Fred was awake at three am or whatever time, and so I was like, oh my gosh, dudbye time.

It's got a different lunas time.

I didn't get to watch it, but I saw the school line and both the Ozzi men and women went down to New Zealand in the final.

All morning brutal and I think the Black fans were pretty dominant in the game.

They got up twenty nine to fourteen over the Aussi's after sweeping all the other pool games.

Stacy Walker kicked things off for the Olympic gold medalists before Kelsey to Neetti and Georgia and Millie extended the lead, giving New Zealand a seventeen nil lead at the break.

It's a tough, tough lead to come back from seventeen now.

Yeah, brutal.

Substitute Heidi Dennis did provide a bit of spark for the Aussie she scored twice in the final, but it wasn't enough to stop the defending champs, who ended the OSSI's five year winning streak in.

Dubai Queens of the Desert no more ouch brutal.

Good to see it back though it's an interesting new format.

They're playing a lot less games over two days.

Yeah, I didn't, I must have.

I didn't watch a lot of it, I do.

I did see the mighty Australia a team one into international women steet.

Yeah, May Stewart, one of yours, one of your tars.

Playing with a few less people on the field, should be good at sevens I'd rate her.

Yeah.

In some Tillies news they put on an absolute clinic.

Yeah they did.

They beat the Kiwi's five nil.

There you go to New Zealand, thank you.

We needed to get back.

I didn't take off untill He's to find the breakthrough with Amy Sayer scoring their first goal in the thirteenth minute.

The Tilly's doubled their lead in the twenty fourth minute through Haley Rezzo, and it.

Took a little while.

Then it kind of went a bit flat.

Then Ellie Carpenter got on the score sheet in the seventieth minute, and then from the kickoff the ballfield of Kyak Cooney Cross, who in Kiak Cooney Cross things fashion, decided to score another long range goal just straight over saw the goalkeeper off her line and said, oh you're going to pay for that?

Yeah, yeah you are.

She's good at that, isn't she?

She is iconic?

Then who else but Mini to get on the score sheet and leave that final score at five nil and they play again this.

Week sometime this week.

We'll tell you and what to watch in Hockey one news.

I love this story.

I just love an underdog.

The Perth Understix are back to back Hockey one champions after a thrilling four two victory over Hockey Club Melbourne in this year's Grand Final.

Hockey Club Melbourne not a great name see cole things.

That's why.

So after finishing fourth and just scraping into the finals with a final round victory over the New South Wales Pride, the Thundersticks came out and demolished First Blase Pride six nil in their semi final.

Let's see Pickering starred with a hat trick supported by doubles from Nissap Flynn and a goal from Courtney Chanelle as Perth attack fight on all cylinders.

Even sim Landers then came big Dance up against Hockey Club Melbourne, who finished third.

Begin either side could break the deadlock was score saying nil all at the first break, but it was Maddy Radcliffe, of course.

It was in the second quarter, with the Hockey Roos scoring at the top of the circle before finishing the conversion underneath the keeper to extend their lead to two nil into halftime.

The score remained two nil at the end of the third quarter, but it was a drama field final term to say the least.

Melbourne clawed back with five minutes remaining as ash Yu Tree found the net to level a match two all after a scramble in the circle.

Were just two minutes remaining, Sarah Burns made a run down the left side and the ball eventually found Thundersticks captain Lenee Milan, who scored and converted, putting Perth ahead three to two before a final conversion gave them a four to victory as they successfully defended their title.

How good finals footy or hockey as it maybe hockey because once he gets the finals, anyone can win.

And I love that about finals.

I love that, which is why sometimes the whole first past the post thing doesn't excite me as much.

Oh yeah, yeah, nah, yeah, you need a grand file, ye it's basketball news.

Can we talk about Hansu arriving?

Yeah, she's a.

Unit in economy.

Can't be.

That has to be illegal.

That must be in every one of her basketball contracts to be it must be.

How's all is she?

I actually don't know what is she?

Like?

Seven foot is seven foot?

So the Perth links have down the camera capitals ninety one to sixty seven with Chinese olympian Hanzu starring in her WNBL debut.

We won't say day, but it confuses the people.

Oh, they did not.

The Facebook people did not like that.

Joe as a joke.

We just think we're funny.

It's a hard t despite having just three training sessions with her new side.

Oh, here we go.

The two hundred and eleven centimeter tall we could have just read.

I also don't know centimeters?

What is it?

What does that convert to?

Very tall?

She managed twenty two points, four rebounds and two blocks, all with one hundred percent shooting act does not.

Miss I love that.

I mean there's not a lot of room between the top of the hands and the net.

I saw an interviewer.

They asked how easily she can done, and she was like, easily easily, easily.

I'm not close.

The Chinese megastar and Links coach Ryan Patrick only met in person on Tuesday last week, but they've been plotting their partnership online for weeks.

Close six foot eleven, six.

Foot eleven, let's call it seven.

Every Thursday night, the center would log onto a team's call.

It would be around seven pm with no time difference.

They're paring China and Western Australia, and Patrick will put his two young daughters to bed and then join.

The calls have been very helpful because I've had national games before I came to Australia, but I'm also a Perth Links player, so I need to learn the plays and start learning before I came here.

So I love that coding in the work.

Amy Atwell with twenty fio points and alex Chia Battoni thank you sixteen points were also typically busy as a Lynx bounce back from a big Life to the Bendigo Spirit and improved their record to six and three.

In other WNBL results, the Sydney Flames suffered their seventh defeat of the season, going down to sixty four to eighty to the Spirit.

I saw.

They've also parted ways with the coach or they will at the end.

Of the year.

Yeah, and he's moving into an advisory role.

Yeah.

Interesting towns were fired down the south Side Flyers by nineteen points and the Mendigo Spirit beat that lad Lightning seventy one to sixty five.

In a bit of cricket in the WBBL, and Elise Perry master classes catapulted the Sydney Sixers back into the wbbl's top four with a crucial win over the Sydney Thunder.

After heather Night sixty five and Aneka leeroid forty three rescued the Thunder from four for fifty eight at the end of the tenth over to post six for one seventy four.

Perry carried her back to score an unbeaten seventy seven and take the Sixers to victory with six wickets and five balls to spare.

Englishwoman Sophia Dunkley also hit forty four.

Up top for the Sixers, Lisa Healy provided a quick fire thirty three before perishing late.

Elsewhere, the Adelaide Strikers beat the Brisbane Heat with just two balls to spare.

The Hurricanes continued their hot form defeating the Scorches by seven wickets, and the Melbourne Stars beat the Renegades by forty five runs in the Melbourne Derby.

Oh my, did you see the Thunder East Strikers game being called off due to rain?

Was there one ball remaining?

It was really weird and Phoebe Lichhou had a chance to win the game, right, I think it was.

I just think a five over game is a bit like.

In it can you give context for the people in reflection?

So often when it rains they try and shorten the game to get some sort of contest on the field.

Now, obviously WBBL is normally twenty overs.

A five over game thirty balls, it's very short, it's brutal.

So I believe the Strikers scored forty.

Six runs in their five overs.

And it had been raining all match like it wasn't as if it were the sun had come out like it had been drizzling all match, And yeah, the thunder were about to they were about to win.

I guess they were none for forty three in the third over.

Oh sorry, they're in the third I don't know.

I was almost thinking it was like the last ball they were going to win the game.

They were going to win, yeah, and the umpires got together and said, oh no, it's raining too much now.

All of a sudden, it was really strange.

Yeah, that's very bizarre.

So basically, like I said, it'd been drizzling all match, but then they only need three more runs to win with two overs, and they decided that it was too heavy.

And brutal when Thunders pretty much almost ruled out.

Yeah, they needed the finals.

Now, so both teams were awarded a point following the drawn contest, which left the Thunder sitting its seventh and basically basically ending their hopes of making the finals.

Yeah brutal, Yeah, hush.

In some Brex news, I was the Olympic medalist and Tylia Dean has clinched bronze at the final BMX Freestyle World Cup event for the year.

After previous eleventh and eighth place finishes this year, this weekend's podium finish in Japan sees her seat finish the season overall in third position.

How good bronzecause she got bronze at the Olympics, right.

Yeah, nice one.

In some A League news, Melbourne victory of Cruise to US three, Neil win of a Perth Glory in the only game of the Women's A League this week.

First half golf from Kennedy White, Sofia so Carlos and Rihanna Paulachina guided Victory to a seventh consecutive match without defeat against the Glory and sees the Melbourne side move top of the table.

Cool Let's take a look at the key story.

Netball Australia has opened up expressions of interest for two new team licenses in the sun Corps Supernetball Big News massive.

The timing aligns with Netball Australia's ten year strategy Made in Netball, which aims to strengthen the reach, sustainability and commercial success of netball in Australia.

Netble Australia CEO Stacey West says the EOI process reflects the ambition and momentum of this The sun Corp Supernevle League has never been stronger, she said.

The twenty twenty five season reached new heights with a record three hundred and eighty eighty four hundred and fifty five at ten d's throughout the season, including a sold out and record Grand Final crowd of fifteen thy thirteen at Rod Laver Arena.

Maybe they should play the footy at Rod Laver Arena.

While the season was also the second highest streamed of all time across the Foxdale group with the twenty three percent increase in viewership across the Drama Field Finals series.

So the vision for sun Court supernet Bawl is to be the world's premier female sports league, a competition built around fan experience, innovation and world class netballers whose skill, personality and cultural impact drive at the sport forward.

It comes to the Melbourne Mavericks weresn's most recent new team, replacing Collingwood for the twenty twenty four season I, meaning the competition remained at eight teams, while that number has remained static since sun Corps Super nevols inaugural season in twenty seventeen.

After this disbanding of the Autra New Zealand A and Z Championship, the league has attracted the world's top netball talent to Australia.

And in probably some good news for the SSN, New Zealand have kind of gone a bit more lax on their rules around international eligibility, so there's probably going to be more talent coming across from New Zealand, which really helps two new teams in saying that, though I feel like we always discuss this with sun Corp Supernetball.

Obviously it's amazing quality, but it's also really cutthroat, like the lack of court time available when there is only eight team so I think I imagine there's going to be plenty of talent to fill those spots.

Absolutely.

Interestingly, to the recent success of SSN has seen Netball Australia on the trajectory to turn it's once financial woes around.

This is some positive news for netball, isn't it.

In September twenty twenty two, Netball Australia reported being around four million dollars in debt, having lost seven million in two years of pandemic disruption.

But in April this year, the organization recorded an operating surplus of about six hundred and fifty k for the year while continuing to reduce its debt over the twelve months by one point two million, and it's on track to clear the debt by twenty twenty seven.

I respect that that's a that's not an easy task, no, and there's a lot of people I respect the.

Not only the fact that they have been able to clear the debt.

There's a lot of organizations to just kind of say, well that's the debt and we'll just leave that there totally.

The fact that they're paying it down yeah impressive.

I agree.

Chair of Netball Australia Is Ellis told Code Sports we know that we've got to invest in resources in order to grow.

Netball has always been a sport that has big sport aspirations and a medium sized support budget.

I love that she's greatly this isn't she Let's say, look at what to watch the Tillies.

Are we looking to build on their big victory over New Zealand when they come up against the Football Ferns again, this time in Adelaide.

The match begins this Tuesday, so tonight at eight thirty pm ADT, and you can watch it live and free on the network ten in WBBL.

Just like that, the final week is here and it's going to be an epic one, with all top four sides set to play each other in the space of a week.

The second place Melbourne Stars will be looking to lock in a top two position when they take on the third place Sydney Six's on Wednesday night.

The match begins at three forty you can watch live on KOs Sports.

In WNBL, the third placed Birth Links come up against the fourth place South Side Flies on Friday night.

Match begins at nine to thirty pm ad T and you can watch it live and free on the nine Network.

In a bit of sevens, Ossie Women are back in action this week and when they head to Cape Town hoping to enact revenge on the Ferns.

The Cape Town Sevens begin on Saturday.

You can watch it live on stan Sport.

In some A League news, the Central chast marinasill be looking to end their three game losing streak when they host the inform Newcastle Jets for the first of the f three derbies of the season.

The match begins Saturday five pm ad ET and you can watch it live and free on ten.

The FIFA Futsal World Cup Final is this I think this is the first time the women have done this.

FIFA's Futsal World Cup is currently underway in the Philippines and Argentina.

Columbia, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Japan were the eight teams who qualified through to the final eight.

The final is set to be played on Sunday night at ten thirty pm ae d T.

You can watch it live and free on Network ten.

And in some she doesn't have her phone on.

Silent.

We almost made it right, How is that silent?

In some bob sled news that Aussie Bob said, as we're back in action at the World Cup circuit this week in lily Hammer.

The event begins Monday and runs until Sunday, and you can watch it live and free on the IBSF YouTube channel.

And that's the wrap.

See you next week, see you next week.

Bye.