It was an AFLW round filled with one-sided outcomes, and the top teams in each of the conferences made their stamp on the competition. Here’s my take of what went down and what it means for the rest of the season.
Adelaide Crows
The Adelaide Crows finished Round 3 with a record of two wins and a loss. They have been in strong form all season long and could easily be undefeated, as they had a narrow defeat to the Western Bulldogs in Round 1 where their kicking inaccuracy let them down.
It means Adelaide have a solid platform to challenge for the 2019 AFLW premiership. They dominate their opponents thanks to their match-winners Erin Phillips, Chelsea Randall, Anne Hatchard and Ebony Marinoff. This makes them an extremely difficult opponent to match up on.
In the four remaining matches, the Crows will play teams around the same mark as them in the Dockers, Kangaroos and Demons. Adelaide could pull off some huge wins, as they have the class and talent all over the ground to match it with any other side.
(Photo by AFL Media)
Brisbane Lions
Surprisingly, the Brisbane Lions have only managed to win one match from three to start the season, and it was not a convincing victory at all; by just two points over fellow strugglers the GWS Giants.
The two losses have been by huge margins. The Lions have gone missing in those matches with their opponents taking full control in every position on the ground.
Before the season, many would have had Brisbane in finals contention but it is hard to see where their next win will come from.
Carlton Blues
Carlton started the season with a massive defeat at the hands of North Melbourne’s newcomers and everyone thought that it was the same old Blues from the previous two seasons.
However, in the following round they matched it against premiership contenders Adelaide for three and half quarters and lost by under three goals.
The Blues’ first win came this round against the Giants, when they played hard and uncompromising football for four quarters.
When Carlton are on, they can really take it up to any team in the competition. If they continue to play with the same grunt and determination they have shown in the past two matches, they will be in most of their remaining matches and notch up some unexpected wins.
Collingwood Magpies
Collingwood have been the real strugglers of AFLW 3.0. They are yet to win a match and don’t look like changing that anytime soon.
The Pies are struggling to score; they have only scored five goals in total over the first three rounds, averaging under two per game. This is only made poorer when compared to the top teams in the AFLW that are averaging 7-9 goals a match.
If Collingwood want to notch up a win this season, they will need to play a more attacking brand of football and hit the scoreboard more frequently.
Fremantle Dockers
The Dockers remain undefeated and the way they have won has been impressive; the teams they have come up against have not known how to halt their attacking prowess. The Dockers have scored heavily, averaging nine goals per a match.
Fremantle will be right up there at the end of the season, as they have a new head coach Trent Cooper that has them not only winning matches but dominating opposition teams.
(Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Geelong Cats
The new kids on the block, the Geelong Cats, have a memorable one-point win over the Pies to show from their first three rounds.
Since that first-round win, they have found it hard to kick goals and match opposition team’s pressure and intensity. The Cats have found it especially difficult in the midfield since they lost Nina Morrison following Round 1.
Rochelle Cranston and Mel Hickey were back from suspension and injury respectively this round, and Geelong look a stronger team with them in it. With more match time in their legs, they’ll help the Cats compete for four quarters and possibly pull off a few wins.
Melbourne Demons
Melbourne has had a reasonable start to the season with two huge victories and one narrow defeat to fellow premiership fancies the Dockers at Casey Fields.
The Dees are a tough outfit, able to take it right up to quality teams and score frequently.
With their captain from last year, Daisy Pearce, not playing this season, most people thought the Dees would struggle in the midfield but players like Karen Paxman and co-captain Elise O’Dea have stepped up in her absence.
Melbourne have star players in every position and they can really challenge for the premiership if they don’t get hit by injury.
North Melbourne Kangaroos
Kangaroos have finished Round 3 still undefeated. They are coached well by Scott Gowans, who has them playing a very exciting and fast brand of football.
North Melbourne have stars in every area of ground; Jess Duffin in defence, Emma Kearney, Kaitlyn Ashmore and Jenna Bruton in the midfield, Courtney Munn and Jasmine Garner up forward and Emma King in the ruck and forward.
They are averaging seven goals per game and it is difficult to see if any team can stop their key players’ influence.
The Kangaroos’ real challenges will come in three of their four next matches. They face Melbourne and Adelaide in consecutive matches and then Fremantle in the final round.
If North Melbourne can come away with wins or narrow losses from these matches, they’ll be in serious finals and premiership contention this season.
(Josh Elliott/The Roar)
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs have two wins to show from the first three rounds, the result of a great team-oriented style of football that’s impressive to watch.
The only real test for the Dogs came this round when they played North Melbourne; they could not get any fluidity into their game and play the style of football they wanted to. Each time they tried to shift the momentum their way, North Melbourne had answers.
The loss will make the Dogs more determined than ever, and their remaining four matches are winnable. They know they can match it with just about any team in the competition, and that the defeat was just the result of coming up against a side which has had a red hot start to the season.
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