Opinion
After ten rounds and several obstacles navigated through COVID-19 and WA’s border closures, the 2022 AFL Women’s finals series has arrived, with the biggest target on the Brisbane Lions as five other teams attempt to stop them from repeating as premiers.
The top six from last year is unchanged, though not necessarily in the same order, with the Adelaide Crows repeating as minor premiers with a 9-1 record, with the only defeat being by only a solitary point against the Western Bulldogs.
It was a similar case in 2019 when the Crows lost only one game that season, albeit in only seven rounds. The loss was against the Bulldogs at home by one point.
As the top two finishing teams, the Crows and Melbourne will each have a week off while they await the winners of this week’s qualifying finals, to be contested between the Brisbane Lions and Collingwood, and between North Melbourne and Fremantle.
A Crows versus Lions showdown in the decider is not possible this year, because whichever of the Lions and Pies win in the first qualifying final will proceed to face the Crows, likely at the Adelaide Oval, in the preliminary final.
The Dees will await the winner of the other qualifying final, and would have every reason to feel confident that they can reach the decider having defeated both teams convincingly during the course of the regular season.
Here is your preview to the two qualifying finals this weekend.
Brisbane Lions (3) versus Collingwood (6)
Saturday, March 19
3:10pm AEDT
The Gabba
This season: Brisbane Lions 5.5 (35) defeated Collingwood 1.5 (11) at Maroochydore in Round 5.
Last meeting in a final: Brisbane Lions 7.3 (45) defeated Collingwood 6.5 (41) at the Gabba, second preliminary final, 2021.
The Lions’ premiership defence got off to a disastrous start. Not only were they heavily beaten by the Adelaide Crows on the road in Round 1, they also lost last year’s grand final best-on-ground Kate Lutkins to a season-ending knee injury.
However, Craig Starcevich’s side were able to hit back, losing only one more regular-season game – a post-siren heartbreaker against Melbourne in Round 7 – to finish third on the ladder, just missing out on a home preliminary final on percentage.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Had the Lions won that match (they led by as much as 22 points), it would’ve been them having the week off. Instead, they must now win three consecutive sudden-death matches if they are to become the first back-to-back premiers in AFL Women’s history.
Last Sunday, the Lions flexed their premiership muscle with a 32-point win over the Western Bulldogs in Ballarat, with Sophie Conway, Orla O’Dwyer and Greta Bodey each kicking two majors as they kicked on following a half-time lead of only six points.
They will start favourites to defeat a Collingwood side that last week sealed their finals berth with a 38-point win over Richmond, and will head north for the second time this year with nothing to lose.
The Pies led proceedings throughout, and while they kicked six majors from 17 scoring shots, they could’ve won by a much larger margin had they been more accurate with their shooting for goal.
One major highlight was a snap at goal from Sabrina Frederick and her inside knowledge of the Lions, where she spent three seasons between 2017-19, could prove a major factor in this Saturday’s qualifying final.
While the Pies lost by four goals back in Round 5, they also did lose a preliminary final thriller last year, and were left to ponder what could’ve been, after the Lions went on to clinch their first flag, two decades after their men’s side did likewise against Essendon in 2001.
The Lions versus Pies qualifying final will be played as part of a Gabba double-header, which also features the Lions’ men’s side playing Port Adelaide in the evening, but it won’t be a two-for-one offer, with AFLW members needing to purchase a ticket to attend the latter match.
At home, the Lions should take one step closer towards defending their flag.
For the winner: a date with the Adelaide Crows, likely at the Adelaide Oval, in the preliminary final.
For the loser: Season over.
Prediction: Brisbane Lions by 12 points.
North Melbourne (4) versus Fremantle (5)
Saturday, March 19
2:10pm AEDT
Arden Street Oval
This season: North Melbourne 3.8 (26) defeated Fremantle 2.4 (16) at North Hobart Oval in Round 5.
Last meeting in a final: Never
Perennial contenders North Melbourne and Fremantle have both enjoyed exceptional seasons, though losses to the Adelaide Crows and Melbourne forced them to settle for fourth and fifth place on the ladder, respectively.
It might as well have been Freo with the home-ground advantage for this final, only for Trent Cooper’s side to suffer a record 88-point loss to Melbourne at Optus Stadium in the penultimate round of the season, copping a significant dent to their percentage in the process.
As a result, they have again missed out on a home final and must win three consecutive sudden-death matches on the road if they are to finally break the club’s premiership drought once and for all, having been in top two contention for most of the season.
The Dockers did bounce back last week with a 37-point win over the Gold Coast Suns, led by Kiara Bowers’ 18-disposal display in her return from a knee injury, as they fell just two goals short of regaining fourth place on the ladder.
(Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
North Melbourne’s 39-point win over the West Coast Eagles the previous day, led by a record-breaking 42-disposal performance by Ash Riddell, saw them gain the coveted home-ground advantage, which could prove crucial to the outcome of Saturday’s qualifying final.
They coughed up two of the first three goals of the game, but ran riot thereafter, kicking five goals to one after quarter-time as they bounced back from consecutive defeats against Melbourne and the Brisbane Lions.
Apart from Riddell’s heroics, four players kicked a pair of majors each, while Emma Kearney racked up 25 touches.
Now, the Roos have placed themselves in the box seat to progress to a preliminary final for the first time, and will start the prohibitive favourites to do so.
But it will not be without a challenge from the Dockers, who will be desperate to continue recouping some lost form from previous weeks.
For the winner: a showdown with Melbourne in the preliminary final, with the venue to be confirmed.
For the loser: Season over, and for Fremantle a long plane trip back home to Perth.
Prediction: North Melbourne by eight points.
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