Round 2 of the second AFL Women’s season stands to be huge for varying reasons, with premiership favourites Melbourne set to face another tough test while the first football match will be played at the brand new Perth Stadium.
Despite criticism over the low scoring and ball use across the four matches last weekend, 35 goals were still kicked (a fifth of them each by Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs), which was seven more than what was managed in the corresponding round last year.
Round two kicks off this Friday night with the GWS Giants hosting Carlton at Drummoyne Oval, while flag fancies Melbourne are set to be tested when they face reigning premiers Adelaide at home on Saturday afternoon.
A record crowd is all but guaranteed when Fremantle takes on Collingwood in the first football match at the new Optus Stadium on Saturday night, while the round concludes with the Brisbane Lions hosting the Western Bulldogs.
Here is your full preview to Round 2.
GWS Giants versus Carlton
They may have won the wooden spoon last season but the GWS Giants have proved already in the second AFL Women’s season that they are a side not to be taken lightly.
On the back of a strong recruiting period and a 50-point win over the Brisbane Lions in a trial match last month, the Giants took it right up to premiership favourites Melbourne in their first match at Casey Fields, leading by as much as ten points in the second quarter before falling away to lose by six points.
Forwards Phoebe McWilliams and Jacinda Barclay kicked five goals between them, while Irishwoman Cora Staunton kicked the side’s other goal as they pushed hard to record just their second win in the league (their first being against the Dees in Round 5 last year) before tiring in the final quarter.
Strong performances by first-gamers Courtney Gum and Tanya Hetherington were also highlights for a side many believe has the potential to improve in 2018. Their score of 6.3 (39) was the highest for a losing side in Round 1.
This Friday night, their opposition raises up a notch when they face Carlton at Drummoyne Oval.
As they did last year, the Blues again defeated bitter rivals Collingwood in the season opener at Ikon Park, doing so despite neither side being able to kick a goal after half-time.
Big name recruit Tayla Harris impressed in her Carlton debut, kicking a goal, while captain Brianna Davey was also a strong pillar in the club’s defence, which only allowed two goals.
It stands to be an exciting clash in Sydney’s inner west suburbs this Friday night, and it will remain to be seen how the Giants’ defence contains Harris and Darcy Vescio, the league’s leading goalkicker who endured a rather quiet performance last week.
At home, I think the Giants can take the points in this one – but only by just.
Prediction: GWS Giants by six points.
Melbourne versus Adelaide Crows
Premiership favourites Melbourne go up against reigning premiers Adelaide at home in what is no doubt the pick of the Round 2 matches.
The Dees have been touted by many as the best hope fans have of the premiership cup staying within the borders of Victoria for the first time.
Last week, Mick Stinear’s women survived a major scare from last year’s wooden spooners, the GWS Giants, trailing at every change before going on to win by six points, thanks to three goals from Richelle Cranston and a strong second half display by inspirational captain Daisy Pearce.
This Saturday night they will start favourites against an Adelaide Crows side that will again be missing co-captain Erin Phillips due to a quad injury.
Her absence was sorely felt as the Crows went down to the Brisbane Lions by twelve points in their season opener at Norwood Oval, scoring all nineteen of their points in the second quarter alone.
They were still served well by the other co-captain, Chelsea Randall, and it was thought that the three goals they kicked in the second quarter would’ve given them the momentum going into the second half.
However, they failed to score at all in the second half, marking a disappointing start to the club’s premiership defence and souring the occasion of their AFLW flag being unfurled prior to the match.
Bec Goddard’s side will want to put in a better effort against the Dees on Saturday afternoon, but without Phillips it will be tough attempting to shut down the likes of Cranston and Pearce especially at Casey Fields.
Prediction: Melbourne by 14 points.
Fremantle versus Collingwood
History will be made when Fremantle and Collingwood take to the field in front of what is expected to be a sell-out crowd (and record for an AFL Women’s premiership match) at the new Perth Stadium on Saturday night.
The Dockers’ men’s team may have missed out on contesting the first AFL premiership match at the ground (with that honour going to the West Coast Eagles), but they have received the best consolation possible, with their women’s team to play the first football match of any kind at the ground.
So far, up to 45,000 tickets have been sold for the clash (with an additional 3,000 tickets going on sale overnight), all but guaranteeing the record crowd for an AFLW premiership clash will be smashed.
The match will also be televised on free-to-air on the Seven Network, giving the club what could be its biggest exposure on the national stage since the men’s side was beaten by Hawthorn in the 2013 AFL grand final.
(Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
With the men’s team conducting their training session at the ground prior to the first bounce, it stands to be a massive night in the Dockers’ history, and there is no doubt the women will be spurred on by the occasion to perform in front of their fans for the first time in 2018.
Michelle Cowan’s side lost their first match of the season to the Western Bulldogs by 26 points after enduring a scoreless first half, the result leaving the Purple Haze last on the ladder after Round 1.
The Pies, on the other hand, were just as sloppy in their eight-point loss to Carlton; despite dominating most statistics they could only manage two goals for the night (the first through Jasmine Garner) and none after half-time.
They will also be without forward Sarah D’Arcy for the trip west after she copped a two-match suspension for lashing out at Sarah Hosking during the third quarter of the match at Ikon Park.
Despite her absence, and the expected will to be shown by the Dockers to perform on what is a huge occasion for the club, I still think the Pies will get home in this one.
Prediction: Collingwood by 12 points.
Brisbane Lions versus Western Bulldogs
The round concludes on Sunday with the Brisbane Lions welcoming the Western Bulldogs to the South Pine Sports Complex in Brisbane’s northern suburbs.
Led by forward Sabrina Frederick-Traub and two goals from Jessica Wuetschner, the Lions defied the hostility presented by the pro-Adelaide crowd to keep the Crows scoreless for three of four quarters (conceding only 19 points in the second quarter) and get their season off to a good start.
The result means they remain undefeated in premiership matches (last year’s grand final loss to the Crows not counting) but that record could come under threat when the Bulldogs come to town.
(AAP Image/Dan Peled)
Led by captain Katie Brennan, who only managed two games last year due to injury, the Dogs kicked the highest score of any side in Round 1, booting 7.7 (49) as they defeated Fremantle at the Whitten Oval for the second year running.
The 26-point win was good enough to see Paul Groves’ side finish the opening round on top of the ladder, and they will be keen to carry that form with them to the Sunshine Capital.
The Lions were victorious in their previous match, by seven points in Round 6 last year, a result which put the Bulldogs at the foot of the ladder (though they would eventually avoid the wooden spoon by beating the GWS Giants in the final round).
As was the case back then, the Lions are again at home for this fixture, and given their impressive display in the opening round against quality opposition in the Adelaide Crows, it’ll be hard seeing them beaten on their home deck.
Prediction: Brisbane Lions by 14 points.
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