The reigning premiers the Crows were too polished in the end for the Blues when they needed to be in the match, as they won by 35 points at their home ground the Norwood Oval. This match was played with an extremely high intensity and pressure from both teams. The Blues were in the contest for most of the match with their gameplay and it was just their wayward kicking in front of the big sticks that let them down.

Image Source: Twitter @Adelaide_FC

It was a high-pressured game from both teams in the first quarter. The Crows took their chances early in front of goal with two goals to the Blues four behinds, as the Blues kicking in front of goal was wayward and let them down. Sarah Perkins hand passed to Ruth Wallace who snap kicked the goal from 20m out for a nice team goal for the opening goal of the first term. Wallace was on fire for the Crows up forward, as she nailed through her second goal of the match of a snap kick around her body.

The Greater Western Sydney Giants keep their finals hopes alive in the second season of the AFLW after they ran out 18-point winners over the Fremantle Dockers at the Fremantle Oval.

Image Source: Twitter @nickowalsh

It was a do or die match for both teams who needed a win to keep there seasons alive. The Dockers came into the match after a loss last round to the Lions and the Giants came off a draw in the wet against the Crows.

The match between The match between the Melbourne Demons and Brisbane Lions at Casey Fields was a game of one per centers with great strong tackling and smothering pressure. This whole match was played with a finals type intensity and a real arm wrestle. The scoreboard at the final siren reflected this, as the Dees only won by 6 points.

The Dees came into this round 5 encounter after they had 2 losses on the road, so they were desperate for a win to keep their 2018 AFLW finals hopes alive.

As the AFL’s JLT Community Series pre-season competition wriggles its way around the country, North Queensland is preparing for its own extravaganza of AFL talent across March as first Townsville and then Cairns host matches. Townsville gets under way this weekend when the Gold Coast Suns and the Geelong Cats met in their JLT fixture. Cairns will then host the Round 1 AFL match between the Gold Coast Suns and North Melbourne Kangaroos.

The city of Townsville was looking forward to the Gary Ablett grudge match. With Ablett leaving the Sun and returning to his native Geelong last trade season, it gave the local fans the chance to watch an old-fashioned stoush between two past and present cat owners. Sadly, a hamstring injury will see Ablett ruled out of the match.

But, the people of Townsville would not be too disheartened. They will still host a great game of footy between the rising Suns from their home state and a Geelong side than has enjoyed an era of success – including three flags – since 2007.

The Darwin Buffaloes have taken an enormous stride towards winning their first NTFL premiership since the 2005/06 season by downing the Nightcliff Tigers in the Qualifying Final at TIO Stadium. It sets up Second Semi-Final showdown with Southern Districts Crocs next weekend – the team that won their last premiership the following year in 2006/07.

Nightcliff enjoyed the early running, hitting the scoreboard regularly and heading to the first break with a 17-point lead. The Buffaloes were desperate to bridge the gap, and did so by narrowing the Nightcliff lead to just two points by the half time break. By the final change, score were level in a tight tussle – the ideal finals match.

It was tough going for both the Greater Western Sydney Giants and the Adelaide Crows at Blacktown International Sports Park in Sydney, as they played out the first draw of the 2018 AFLW season in wet conditions.

Image Source: Twitter @GWSGIANTS

Neither of the teams was able to break away with clean disposal and this is what’s expected in wet weather football. It was an extremely physical brand of football by both teams from the first siren to the final siren and it was a credit to both teams to play with such a high intensity and skill for the entire match. This showed at the final siren with nothing separating both teams.

The Pies win in an upset over the Dees by 34 points in hot conditions up in TIO Traeger Park in Alice Springs. In this match the Dees donned their new Indigenous Guernsey designed by their Indigenous player Alisha Newman.

Image Source: @CollingwoodFCW

The Pies started the match very well as they had a lot of the football, but they just could not score. This changed in the second quarter as the Pies did get reward for their effort on the scoreboard and the Pies continued to be all over the Dees in the third term as well. The Pies looked like a totally different team tonight from the previous three rounds with clean and slick ball movement against a premiership favourite in the Dees.

The Brisbane Lions won by 7 points over the Fremantle Dockers in a game of good old fashion wet weather football at the South Pine Sports Complex in Brisbane. This match was a real arm wrestle in trying conditions for both teams who played with high intensity and fierceness.
Image Source: Twitter @lionsaflw

There was one stoppage after another, which made the opening term a real stoppage fest and this is expected when the conditions are wet. It was a very physical brand of football to begin.
 

In the first ever AFLW pride match between the Western Bulldogs and Carlton at the VU Whitten Oval, the Bulldogs ran away by 73 points over the Blues. The Bulldogs kept the Blues scoreless for the first half of the match and the Blues only managed to score their first goal with three and half minutes left in the third term.

Image Source: Twitter @BulldogsW

They also kept the Blues scoreless in the final quarter. This dominant attacking display by the Bulldogs had them record the highest ever AFLW score of 86 points beating Melbourne’s score from last year at Casey Fields against Fremantle. Bonnie Toogood and Brooke Lochland were the standouts up forward for the Dogs both combining for 10 goals.

 

Two AFL Cairns clubs have sought out help from the west for their 2018 season campaigns. Whilst it is not the first time that talented players or coaches have come over to the “tropical north” to boost clubs, it is rare that two clubs have both announced Territorians in the same season as their potential saviours. The decisions certainly reflect the efforts that clubs in Cairns are going to in a bid to stay competitive in an ever-increasing on-field and off-field competition.

Two of the greatest names in Northern Territory football – Motlop and Davey – will have roles at the Pyramid Power and Cairns City Lions clubs in 2018, with a view to having bigger roles in the future.

[Images: Aaron Davey in Lions' colours (left) and Mark Motlop in his playing days at Glenelg (right)]

Mark Motlop is a part of a footballing dynasty in Northern Territory football. Whilst some of his relatives have had wider recognition in AFL circles (Daniel at North Melbourne and Port Adelaide, Shannon at North Melbourne [Kangaroos] and Melbourne and currently Steven at Port Adelaide after leaving Geelong), Mark has, arguably, had a greater impact on the game.