Opinion
This article is designed to give you all the important information about your favourite team while pointing out some star players or ones to watch in the coming rounds.
Adelaide
This game honestly felt like a Grand Final. It was tense and nerve-racking in the first quarter, so there were many mistakes from both sides.
There was a ridiculous number of lead changes. The biggest margin of the game was eight points, and both teams had plenty of opportunities to win it. The Crows, off the back of Danielle Ponter’s stellar performance, booting two clutch goals and having 14 possessions, ended up the two-point victors.
Geelong
The Cats were super unlucky not to win this game, and it honestly might affect their chances of making a deep finals run.
I personally think they don’t have much to worry about. This Cats’ side gets better and better every week, and by the time they come up against the Crows again, they will easily be able to take them down. Nina Morrison was the standout Cat in this game with 12 touches and nine tackles, many of them at incredibly clutch moments.
Gold Coast
The Suns embarrassed Carlton and made a very loud statement to the rest of the competition that they will not go quietly into the night.
There is still the slightest chance that the Suns make the finals, but it looks like their players will do whatever it takes to get there.
Kalinda Howarth starred from both ends, kicking a goal and scrounging up 18 disposals, while the real star of the contest was former Bagger – Courtney Jones, who slotted two huge goals.
Carlton
I’m not even really sure what to say about the Blues. They are a team with unbelievable amounts of talent and potential, but they seem to be lacking something.
I think it’s leadership. Like the Suns, whenever the Blues get their chins down or start to feel the game slip from them, they start to capitulate. And it happened again against the Suns. Lucy McEvoy was the only real standout player, and it’s because she was playing goalkeeper all evening, soaking up easy marks and possession when the ball was kicked over everyone else’s head.
A disappointing season, to say the least, but ending it with a win against the Bulldogs at home next week would make it much more stomachable.
(Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
Collingwood
The Pies are the joke team of the top eight. Have you ever seen that meme of the army soldiers, all in their uniforms, standing up against a wall trying to be hidden?
And then, amongst them, is a guy wearing a clown costume. That is how I view Collingwood this season. They have had such an easy schedule and have lost very convincingly to two of the three top-eight sides they have come up against in Adelaide and North Melbourne.
If you’re a Pies fan, the news doesn’t get any better because they have Brisbane next week and will head into the finals with two consecutive blowout losses. Yikes.
North Melbourne
The Kangas have all the makings of a Premiership team, they will just need to ensure they continue to play the way they did against the Pies.
Their pressure was unbearable, and their ball movement was so mesmerising to watch. Jasmine Garner is one of the best players in the competition, flanked by Ashleigh Riddell and superstar ruck Emma King in the midfield.
When they get the ball, they kick it into a forward line where Tahlia Randall is waiting to take a big mark and kick an easy goal (now that she has gotten over her yipps). Kangas fans have something to look forward to in the coming weeks, and it all starts with taking down the Tigers next week.
Sydney
The Swans put on a formidable performance against the Dockers but could not get the choccies on the day. There’s not really much more I can say about these Swans that I haven’t already said in weeks past, but I’m happy to see them come out each week and continue to try their hearts out.
Number one draft pick Montana Ham finally kicked her first goal in AFLW (the first of what I can only assume will be many) and played one of her best games thus far.
Fremantle
The Dockers have some really shabby-looking passages every week, which against good teams string on for too long, but against the Swans this week, those did not make much of a difference. There are too many kicks that are players just bombing the ball and hoping, and way too many fundamental mistakes (dropped marks and handballs) for my liking.
This team of players should not be this poor. Despite their flaws, they did manage to win, off the back of skipper Hayley Miller’s ridiculous nine inside 50s performance and Ebony Antonio’s game, making her way back into the side after weeks sidelined with injury.
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
West Coast
The Eagles made a valiant effort against the Dogs, but they would not be successful. There was still a lot to cheer about if you’re a West Coast supporter; youngster Ashleigh Gomes kicked her first goal in AFLW football from a nice set shot, and Eleanor Hartill kicked a spectacular first AFLW goal from the boundary line with a very delightful dribble kick.
Unfortunately for the Eagles, they travel to a hostile Casey Fields next week to take on the Demons, who will be looking to walk into the finals with their heads high, potentially looking to embarrass the Eagles. I hope the Eagles remember to show up.
Western Bulldogs
The Bullies have just about cemented their spot in the top eight and have played some impressive football of late. I was on their case earlier in the season because they could not play a full four quarters of football, but they seem to have rectified that.
With their form now, heading into finals, they are a real chance to make some noise and cause some upsets. Sadly, football is not all smiles and rainbows; Bulldog’s premiership player Kirsten McLeod made her first appearance after spending 580 days on the sideline dealing with a concussion, and in the opening minutes, severely injured her ankle, which could see her sidelined for several weeks (the remainder of the season).
It’s times like these, we all just have to remember how lucky we are to live healthy lives on this planet and appreciate the things we do have.
Hawthorn
The Hawks were up against Goliath, and they were, unfortunately, not David. The amount of effort the Hawks put in all game long and how good of a job they did keeping Brisbane out of scoring positions should be commended immensely. If you just look at the box score, you’re probably confused by what I just said, but I’ll have you know that the score should have been blown out by even more.
Tegan Cunningham had the unenviable job of playing directly on the AFLW’s leading goal kicker, and while her opponent still managed to kick three goals, Cunningham played exceptionally. There was even a loud exchange of pleasantries between the two players as they ran off once in the second quarter. You’ve got to love to see that sort of fight.
Brisbane
The Lions were classic Lions against the Hawks. They made the win look easy, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that the players took their foot off the gas pedal after the first quarter. Speaking of first quarters, the Lions finally managed to impact the scoreboard in a big way in the first quarter, which made a massive difference in the match. It felt over at quarter time.
Dakota Davidson has continued her good form, kicking two goals, while fellow forward and AFLW leading goal kicker Jesse Wardlaw extended her lead with three big ones. It doesn’t look like Wardlaw is even capable of missing the goals.
Ruby Svarc of the Lions celebrates a goal. (Photo by Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
St Kilda
The Saints versing the Power was the ultimate one-quarter-wonder battle, and honestly, the game did not disappoint. The Saints had a much more consistent performance over the full game, which is why they won. But they did, by no means, impress me.
Their ball movement was uninspiring for most of the game, and the amount of missed kicks was very disappointing. I guess a win is a win. Hannah Stuart had a great game, with four tackles and two centre clearances to go with her goal.
Port Adelaide
The Power versing the Saints was the ultimate one-quarter-wonder battle, and honestly, the game did not disappoint. The Power’s second quarter was so much fun to watch, but then they made it look impossible to kick a goal after that.
In the final term, only a kick away from victory, they had so many opportunities but could not convert a single one. Hannah Ewings was likely best on ground despite being on the losing team. Ewings appeared everywhere you looked and was almost always effectively disposing of it.
Richmond
The Tigers might be the single most enjoyable team in footy to watch right now. Their midfield is stacked with talent, they have better bench players than most teams have starters. Their backline and forward line are similarly chocked with talent, almost all unknown players who deserve so much more respect.
Taking on the Kangas next week will be the ultimate challenge before the finals. Still, there is a slim chance they actually finish third on the ladder… mind-blowing, considering they have never finished higher than 10th since they’ve been in the competition. Could this be the year of the tiger?
GWS
The Giants travelled to Mildura, but did they really show up? They seem to be the best team for opponents to play outside of Sydney because they cannot put on a decent performance out of NSW. I’d like to see them come out next week against the Suns at home and put on a show that I know they’re capable of. There doesn’t seem to be much else to get excited about sadly. Alyce Parker was the Giant’s best player this week, slotting just her third goal for the season, but she also racked up 18 handy possessions.
Melbourne
Whoever scheduled this week’s games really front-loaded the interesting matches and left us with some rather lacklustre Sunday hit outs.
This game showcased that in the best way. Melbourne won by 41 points but made it look so easy that it was as if they were on autopilot. I thoroughly enjoyed Alyssa Bannan’s game; her two goals came at pretty key moments in the match, while Karen Paxman was the best player with 24 disposals and a goal.
Essendon
The Dons came up against a fierce opponent, that is in their prime and loading up for a deep finals run… there was no way they were ever going to win. Catherine Phillips played one of her best games for the season against her old side slotting a goal and laying four tackles.
Speaking of tackles, Jacqui Vogt had ten of them, a season-high for her, and her pressure around the stoppages was very high all game. A delight to watch when not much else was going right for the Bombers.
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