With only three rounds of the AFL Women’s season remaining before the finals, time is running out for a number of teams.
There are two top-of-the-conference clashes in both pools this weekend, the first seeing two-time grand finalists the Brisbane Lions come up against the Geelong Cats, and the other with competition pacesetters North Melbourne hosting 2017 premiers the Adelaide Crows in Werribee.
Meantime, Collingwood will be desperate to get on the board when hosting Carlton, while the Greater Western Sydney Giants will be out to build on last week’s win over the Pies when they host Melbourne in Blacktown.
The other match sees both Fremantle and the Western Bulldogs look to make amends for poor Round 4 showings.
Here is your guide to Round 5.
Brisbane Lions vs Geelong Cats
After two dismal losses against Fremantle and Melbourne, Brisbane needed to bounce back if they were to have any chance of reviving their finals hopes – and they did so in devastating fashion last Saturday night.
In their first meeting against the Western Bulldogs since last year’s grand final, the Lions not only exacted some revenge, but also hammered the Dogs by 32 points to rocket up to the top of Conference B.
Forward Sabrina Frederick-Traub rebounded from a forgettable showing against the Dees to be one of the Lions’ best.
The Cats – who were also coming off two losses, though to the Western Bulldogs and Crows – survived a major scare against Carlton before eventually prevailing by five points, the result seeing them claim second place in Conference B.
But they will be without Maddie Boyd and Aasta O’Connor for the trip to Brisbane, after copping suspensions for rough conduct and striking, respectively.
Prediction: Brisbane Lions by 14 points.
Carlton vs Collingwood
Last week, Collingwood slumped to a new low – falling to their fourth straight loss.
A scoreless first quarter against the Giants in Morwell saw the Pies forced to play catch-up, but while they scored four majors to one after quarter-time, they ended up falling short by nine points.
On Saturday night they have their best chance yet to break their duck, in what shapes as a mockbuster at Ikon Park, with the Blues languishing on one win for the season.
After breaking through for their first win in over 12 months, against the Giants in Round 3, Daniel Harford’s side fell agonisingly short of a second consecutive win when they went down to the Geelong Cats by just five points last Saturday night.
Had Tayla Harris not hit the post twice in the third quarter (as well as dropped some gettable marks), the Blues could so easily have won consecutive matches for the first time since the opening two rounds of last season.
Instead, they remain third in Conference B and while a win will go a long way towards keeping their finals chances alive, it would also see the Pies edge closer to the overall wooden spoon (not only have they not won a match, their percentage is 56.2).
Prediction: Carlton by six points.
Tayla Harris of Carlton celebrates with Madison Prespakis. (Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)
GWS Giants vs Melbourne
After three straight losses, the Giants roared back into finals contention thanks to a strong first quarter against the Pies, in which they kicked four goals and kept their opposition scoreless.
But while they could only manage one major thereafter, they did enough to register their first win for the season and keep alive their chances of qualifying for the finals for the first time.
Meanwhile, the Dees are coming off another gut-wrenching loss, this time to competition pacesetters North Melbourne, a result which has them sitting in fourth place in the powerful Conference A.
They had taken the lead early in the last quarter, thanks to a goal from Aliesha Newman, but a controversial free kick awarded to North’s Emma King allowed her to kick a goal which ultimately sentenced the Dees to yet another narrow defeat.
Their trip to Blacktown will come exactly two years to the day since they suffered a five-point defeat at the same venue in pouring rain – a result which ultimately resulted in them missing the grand final on percentage.
It also remains the Giants’ only ever win at Blacktown – and they’ll be hoping to win their second in their last match at the venue for this year.
Prediction: GWS Giants by four points.
North Melbourne vs Adelaide Crows
Another serious test awaits North when they take on the resurgent Crows in their first home game in Melbourne, but last for the season, in a top-of-the-conference showdown.
Thanks to a contentious free kick in the final quarter, the Roos kept their undefeated record intact and with a per centage of over 200, it’ll be hard seeing them miss the finals.
The Crows, meantime, have rebounded from their heartbreaking, one-point loss to the Western Bulldogs to win their last three on the trot, the most recent an impressive 42-point win over Fremantle.
They had led by only three points at halftime, but kicked six majors to none after to post their biggest win for the season, with Ebony Marinoff and Erin Phillips the Crows’ best.
Still, at home, Scott Gowans’ side should claim the points and secure a finals berth.
Prediction: North Melbourne by eight points.
Fremantle vs Western Bulldogs
The final match of the round sees Fremantle and the Western Bulldogs coming off heavy defeats, when they face off in Perth for the first time.
The previously unbeaten Dockers had trailed the Crows by only three points at halftime, but lost their way after that to go down by 42 points and be knocked out of the top two of Conference A.
Meanwhile, the reigning premiers crashed to their second consecutive defeat, and their heaviest for the year, going down to Brisbane by 32 points at home in the grand final rematch.
Despite having the breeze behind their backs in the first quarter, the Dogs failed to score a goal and from that point were on the back foot.
But while they did lift in the second half, the sight of co-captain Ellie Blackburn being stretchered off in the final quarter just about summed up the Dogs’ terrible night.
The result leaves them at the bottom of Conference A and the last thing they would want as they attempt to keep their premiership defence alive is to head west to face a Fremantle side eager to bounce back in front of their fans.
Prediction: Fremantle by 12 points.
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