Former elite basketball player Lauren Pearce started with basketball but now has successfully made the transition to women’s football. She has called the Melbourne Football Club home since 2016 when she was drafted to the club.

“I was lucky enough to be invited to the draft and had Mum and Dad there with me,” Pearce said. “It was a weird feeling being in a room with great footballer and I was nervous to see what would come about.”

Image Source: Getty Images

The third nail biter of round 1 saw Brisbane hang on to win by two points in humid conditions over the GWS Giants at the Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex.

Image Source: @superfooty

New Fremantle head coach Trent Cooper was victorious in his first AFLW match. Fremantle finally locked away their first interstate win, as they caused a round 1 upset over Melbourne by four points on a hot and windy day at Casey. This was the second highest scoring AFLW match.

Image Source: @FremantleDockers 

The North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos thrashed Carlton by 36 points in a beautiful day down in Hobart. It was North Melbourne’s historic first win in their inaugural AFLW match against Carlton at Hobart Oval. North Melbourne really showed the rest of the competition that they would be a tough team to beat in AFLW 3.0 with their hard running, attacking football and the way they support and gel together as a team. 

Image Source: AFL Women's 

Adelaide hosted the Western Bulldogs at Norwood Oval in front of 7,830 fans. It was a tight tussle from both teams who gave it their all in a high pressured and exciting contest. Adelaide’s woeful kicking towards goal cost them in the end in a narrow one-point loss to the reigning premiers the Western Bulldogs. It was a memorable win for the Western Bulldogs who had never registered a win against Adelaide.

Image Source: @Western Bulldogs AFLW

A grandstand finish for Geelong’s women’s team on a historic night for the club who pulled off a one point victory in front of their home crowd faithful. AFLW 3.0 opened at the home of newcomers Geelong Cats, GMHBA stadium who hosted Collingwood in front of 18,429 adoring Aussie Rules fans. 

Image Source: Geelong Advertiser

It's exciting knowing that this time tomorrow AFLW 3.0 will be back and it sure is great to have football back for 2019!

If the first two seasons of the AFLW are anything to go by as far as the growth of women’s sport and crowd attendances, then AFLW 3.0 will be biggest and best season yet with the inclusion of two new AFLW teams and the new conference format. The Lions will be out to prove themselves after being the team to beat in the first two seasons, as they made the grand final for two consecutive years but did not come away with the premiership, so will AFLW 3.0 be the season they finally finish the season on a high as AFLW premiers.

Image Source: AFL Women's 

The Western Bulldogs will be the hunted this season after an incredible grand final upset win over the Lions, but the question is can the Dogs win back to back or will another team make history and win their first AFLW premiershipω In AFLW 3.0 the inclusion of North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos and the Geelong Cats is massive. There is a lot of speculation that North Melbourne will provide headaches for the rest of the competition due to the amount of stars they have picked up from other clubs in the AFLW expansion including former Western Bulldogs captain and premiership player Emma Kearney and classy Lions trio Kaitlyn Ashmore, Brittany Gibson and Tahlia Randall. 

Since the inaugural AFLW season, Emma Zielke has been a household name at the Brisbane Lions with her leadership and star talent.

Zielke captained the Lions in the first two seasons after she was signed as a priority access player in August 2016 before the inaugural AFLW season in 2017. “It was one of the best memories so far, I was extremely grateful and excited for the opportunity.”

 Zielke handed over the captaincy to Leah Kaslar for AFLW 3.0.

 “Leah is a great leader, being the Vice Captain the past two seasons I have leant on her in both seasons,” Zielke said. “I know she will be great, she gives it her all every time she steps out on the track and is fearless. I look forward to running out behind her this season!”

Image Source: Jason O'Brien/Getty Images AsiaPac

Image Source: AFL Women's 

The AFLW is finally back for it's third season and it promises to be the best season of the AFLW yet with two new teams North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos and Geelong Cats making history and joining the competition. First match of the season will commence this Saturday at the cattery and this match will be a history breaking match for the Geelong Cats, a team playing their first ever AFLW match. 

Round 1 extended team lists have been released below

Geelong Cats vs Collingwood, Saturday 2nd February 6:45pm at GMBHA Stadium

Geelong Squad 

Position	Name	#	Name	#	Name	#
Backs	A.Teague	40	R.Goring - C	44	C.Blakeway	4
Half Backs	D.Taylor	28	M.McDonald	11	R.Webster	21
Centreline			R.Garing	12
Half Forwards	S.Van De Heuvel	27	M.Boyd	26	N.Morrison	9
Forwards	K.Darby	8	P.McWilliams	23	J.Ivey	5
Followers	A.O'Connor	14	J.Crockett-Grills	6	O.Purcell	16
Interchange	D.Orr	2	M.Keryk	45	M.McMahon	24
	M.Fogas	13	M.Clifford	7
Emergencies	G.Rankin	10	R.Caris	1
	EMG4	EMG4_NO

In: - A.Teague, R.Goring, C.Blakeway, D.Taylor, M.McDonald, R.Webster, R.Garing, S.Van De Heuvel, M.Boyd, N.Morrison, K.Darby, P.McWilliams, J.Ivey, A.O'Connor, J.Crockett-Grills, O.Purcell, D.Orr, M.Keryk, M.McMahon, M.Fogas, M.Clifford

Out: - None

 Collingwood Squad

Position	Name	#	Name	#	Name	#
Backs	J.Allen	6	A.Brazill	10	I.Ross	21
Half Backs	S.Livingstone	12	S.Casey	22	E.Grant	5
Centreline			B.Bonnici	8
Half Forwards	L.Butler	23	S.D'Arcy	4	M.Cann	25
Forwards	S.Rowe	7	S.Alexander	24	C.McIntosh	20
Followers	S.Layton	1	S.Chiocci - C	17	J.Lambert	13
Interchange	R.Schleicher	18	G.Gourlay	32	S.Dargan	46
	K.Stratton	41	E.Fowler	15
Emergencies	H.Whitford	28	K.Lynch	16
	EMG4	EMG4_NO

 

 

In: - J.Allen, A.Brazill, I.Ross, S.Livingstone, S.Casey, E.Grant, B.Bonnici, L.Butler, S.D'Arcy, M.Cann, S.Rowe, S.Alexander, C.McIntosh, S.Layton, S.Chiocci, J.Lambert, R.Schleicher, G.Gourlay, S.Dargan, K.Stratton, E.Fowler

Out: - None

 

Adelaide Crows vs Western Bulldogs, Saturday 2nd February 7:40pm at Norwood Oval

Adelaide Crows Squad 

Position	Name	#	Name	#	Name	#
Backs	R.Forth	27	S.Allan	39	C.Cramey	22
Half Backs	A.Foley	3	C.Randall	26	S.Thompson	14
Centreline			E.Marinoff	10
Half Forwards	D.Varnhagen	9	A.Hatchard	33	C.Scheer	4
Forwards	E.Jones	2	M.Rajcic	32	J.Mules	23
Followers	J.Foley	24	E.Phillips - C	13	D.Cox	31
Interchange	M.Nankivell	12	H.Martin	6	J.McCormick	5
	A.Considine	16	S.Li	19
Emergencies	S.Riley	8	D.Ponter	15
	EMG4	EMG4_NO

In: - R.Forth, S.Allan, C.Cramey, A.Foley, C.Randall, S.Thompson, E.Marinoff, D.Varnhagen, A.Hatchard, C.Scheer, E.Jones, M.Rajcic, J.Mules, J.Foley, E.Phillips, D.Cox, M.Nankivell, H.Martin, J.McCormick, A.Considine, S.Li

Out: - None

Western Bulldogs Squad

Position	Name	#	Name	#	Name	#
Backs	L.Birch	18	L.Spark	11	B.Hunt	21
Half Backs	N.Callinan	10	T.Ernst	19	H.Scott	22
Centreline			B.Smith	12
Half Forwards	N.Ferres	16	K.Brennan - C	3	M.Conti	8
Forwards	K.McLeod	6	E.Mackie	25	A.Utri	23
Followers	K.Rennie	24	K.Lamb	27	E.Blackburn	2
Interchange	B.Toogood	28	C.Moody	13	E.Brown	9
	A.Gogos	36	D.Berry	7
Emergencies	A.McCarthy	15	S.Karlson	26
	EMG4	EMG4_NO

In: - L.Birch, L.Spark, B.Hunt, N.Callinan, T.Ernst, H.Scott, B.Smith, N.Ferres, K.Brennan, M.Conti, K.McLeod, E.Mackie, A.Utri, K.Rennie, K.Lamb, E.Blackburn, B.Toogood, C.Moody, E.Brown, A.Gogos, D.Berry

Out: - None