The Brisbane Lions have won back some pride with a Round 1 win over the Adelaide Crows in a rematch of 2017’s AFLW grand final.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Adelaide Crows 3.1 (19)
Brisbane Lions 4.7 (31)
It’s a grand final rematch in Round 1 of the 2018 AFLW season as the Adelaide Crows host the Brisbane Lions at Norwood Oval on Saturday night. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting from 7:15pm AEDT.
What a blockbuster round the opening week of the AFLW season is. Traditional rivals in the men’s comp Collingwood and Carlton kicked us off last night, we have our grand final rematch tonight, and tomorrow it’ll be women who play the first ever match of Australian Rules football on Optus Stadium.
Adelaide and Brisbane, by virtue of having played off in last year’s grand final, are the only sides in the competition who have played off against each other more than once, and the ledger is evenly split.
Brisbane conquered the Crows by a narrow three-point margin at this very ground in Round 5 last year as they went on to an undefeated season that netted them a home ground final.
However it was Adelaide who had the last laugh – they snuck into second on percentage ahead of Melbourne and went to Metricon to do battle with the Lions in the competition’s inaugural decider, ultimately winning by six points.
Erin Phillips became a premiership player, premiership captain, and the inaugural winner of the league’s best and fairest, her club best and fairest, and the best on ground award in the grand final. Australian of the Year and a Noble Peace Prize are surely on the way.
As for Brisbane it was a taste of bitter defeat and it only got worse when star forward Tayla Harris asked for a trade to Victoria at the end of the year.
The good news is they got two great players in Nat Exon and Bella Ayre to replace her. Exon in particular is a ferocious tackler and will fit well into Brisbane’s defense-minded gameplan, while young key forward Ayre can hopefully fill something of the void left behind by Harris.
Adelaide didn’t land any major offseason recruits but still have the starpower of Phillps, Sarah Perkins and Chelsea Randall, to name just a few.
Prediction
With home ground advantage I’m going to tip Adelaide, but both matches between these sides have been decided by less than a goal and I’m hoping to see the same tonight.
Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting from 7:15pm AEDT.
Maggie
Guest
Yes that mark that was not paid was rough. Great defensive play by the Lions all match though.
Josh
Expert
Full match report from the game here. Quality game, looking forward to seeing more of the Lions in particular, and will be good to have Erin Phillips back for the Crows next week.
Josh
Expert
Full Time That's the game! Lions win.
Adelaide Crows: 3.1 (19) Brisbane Lions: 4.7 (31)
Josh
Expert
With a minute left to go, the Lions look home.
Adelaide Crows: 3.1 (19) Brisbane Lions: 4.7 (31)
TomC
Roar Guru
I reckon there was a mark and a couple of holding the balls to the Crows inside 50 there. A bit of luck for the Lions.
Josh
Expert
Behind 3:45 - Brittany Gibson has a set shot from a long distance and can only manage a behind - but, it puts the Lions an even two goals ahead.
Adelaide Crows: 3.1 (19) Brisbane Lions: 4.7 (31)
TomC
Roar Guru
Handy point.
Maggie
Guest
What a fantastic combined piece of footy - the Frederick-Traub mark and pass combined with Ashmore’s body work to hold her ground, mark and then goal.
Josh
Expert
Goal 7:29 - SFT has another mark and she sets up Kaitlyn Ashmore who nails the shot on goal. That gives Brisbane an 11-point advantage which may just be enough.
Adelaide Crows: 3.1 (19) Brisbane Lions: 4.6 (30)
Josh
Expert
9:20 - Great chase-down tackle in the middle of the ground by Sharni Webb to earn a free kick.
Adelaide Crows: 3.1 (19) Brisbane Lions: 3.6 (24)
Josh
Expert
12:00 - Crows playing well with the wind so far but haven't troubled the scoreboard just yet. You'd think they're a chance though.
Adelaide Crows: 3.1 (19) Brisbane Lions: 3.6 (24)
Josh
Expert
Final term underway.
Josh
Expert
Notable that all scoring has gone with the breeze so far and no one has managed to kick a goal against it. Is that going to help the Crows in this last term?
Josh
Expert
Three-Quarter Time So two goals both from Jess Wuetschner in that quarter has Brisbane ahead by five points, but gee they could have iced the match by now if they had taken some more of their opportunities. That said, they've got all the momentum, and if they keep up the good effort this one looks likely to end in a win for them.
Adelaide Crows: 3.1 (19) Brisbane Lions: 3.6 (24)
Maggie
Guest
Yes, it would be less confusing for those of us listening to the call of the match!
Josh
Expert
Brisbane really should do the right thing and trade Gabby Collingwood to Collingwood.
Josh
Expert
1:49 - That's Wuetschner's second goal of the quarter.
Adelaide Crows: 3.1 (19) Brisbane Lions: 3.6 (24)
Josh
Expert
Goal 1:49 - Jess Wuetschner takes a mark up forward and is clipped by a passing Crow, leading to a 50m penalty which puts her at the top of the goalsquare. Even Brisbane can't miss from there, she converts, and they're back in the lead!
Adelaide Crows: 3.1 (19) Brisbane Lions: 3.6 (24)
Josh
Expert
Behind 4:00 - This is really starting to hurt to watch - SFT has a set shot but again she misses and she is 0.3 so far today. Really needs to convert those shots - dominating in the air, but wasting it when kicking at goal.
Adelaide Crows: 3.1 (19) Brisbane Lions: 2.6 (18)
Josh
Expert
Behind 5:11 - Kate McCarthy has a set shot from the pocket but just curls it a bit too much. Not sure how many more missed opportunities Brisbane can afford, but they're only two points off a lead that really should be theirs.
Adelaide Crows: 3.1 (19) Brisbane Lions: 2.5 (17)