After the weekend’s round of matches, three clubs will be fighting for two remaining finals berths as the battle for finals hots up. St Mary’s, Waratah and the Tiwi Bombers will go into the final two rounds of the home and away season very aware that if they blink they can miss finals. What makes it even more compelling is that each of the three play against at least one of the others in the run home.

The Bombers have two cutthroat games to make the finals. They play both St Mary’s and Waratah – their rivals for a finals spot. St Mary’s have perhaps the better run home, playing against the Bombers next weekend but then meeting the Palmerston Magpies in the final round and a chance to lock away another finals challenge. Waratah have the toughest draw, up against ladder leaders – Southern Districts - and then a final round clash for likely fifth spot with the Bombers. It is a fascinating script.

The Bulldogs were victors over Freo by 26 points Sunday afternoon in front of 8,500 fans at the home of the Western Bulldogs the Whitten Oval. A woeful Freo were only able to trouble the scorers in the third term, as they were only able to score their first goal at the 3 and a half minute mark of the third via Amy Lavell.

Katie Brennan starred for the home team with 3 goals and Lavell slotted 2 goals for the Dockers. Ellie Blackburn was the leading possession winner for the Dogs with 23 touches. 2017 best and fairest winner Dana Hooker along with Kara Donnellan had 12 disposals each for the Dockers.

This match showed the rest of the teams in the AFLW competition that the Dogs will not be a team to be taken lightly this year.

The Lions took home the chocolates in their Grand Final rematch against the Crows at Norwood Oval in front of 11,120 fans at the home of the Crows on Saturday evening. This match was a tight tussle like the previous two matches to open the 2018 AFLW season.

The Lions did not want a repeat of last year’s Grand Final and to ensure that history did not repeat itself they kept the Crows scoreless in the last stanza to win by 12 points.

Chelsea Randall ended the match with 18 disposals and led the possession count for the Crows and Jamie Stanton from the Lions accumulated an impressive 21 touches. Jess Wuetschner from the Lions was the only multiple goal scorer on the ground with 2 goals and Chelsea Randall, Eloise Jones and Ruth Wallace each kicked a goal apiece.

AFLW Round 1 Melbourne vs GWS

Venue:Casey Fields Date: 3/2/18 Time: 5:05pm

The Melbourne Demons won in a cracker of a match against the 2017 bottom placed GWS Giants this afternoon at the Casey Fields, the home of the Melbourne Women's Football Club. Both sides put on an entertaining see soaring contest from the first ball up till the end of the match.

For the whole match you could not pick a winner in this match due to both teams playing with a high amount of intensity and pressure. It was a great spectacle of women's football for the 5,100 fans who were there to see it. In particular many of the Melbourne fans who came to support their beloved Dees ladies play in their opening round match.

Before the match the young Melbourne Demons fans formed a guard of honour for the Melbourne players to run through. The Giants team ran through the banner first before the Demons who had two African drummers play the drums before there team song blasted through the grounds speakers. When the Melbourne theme song started playing the home crowd became loud to cheer their ladies onto the ground. The two captains Daisy Pearce and Amanda Farrugia tossed the coin in the centre and the Giants won the toss. Farrugia chose to kick to the left of the ground with the breeze and the Dees to the right of the ground.

AFLW Round 1  Carlton vs. Collingwood

Venue: Ikon Park Date: 2/2/18 Time: 7:45pm

The AFLW season opened once again with the clash of arch rivals Collingwood and Carlton. The match was held at Ikon Park, the home of the Carlton Football Club on a Friday night with an offical attendance of 19,852.

Image Source: Twitter @CarltonFC

About two hours before the match the crowds poured into the ground in their thousands and about 20 minutes before the first bounce the ground was almost full. The atmosphere at the ground was building with fans coming in their thousands. The Pies started the match by kicking to the eastern end of the ground and the Blues to western (Legends Stand) end of the ground.

Collingwood had a lot of the ball and ascendency in the first quarter but were unable to make the most of their opportunities when they had possession. In the first quarter Jasmine Garner for the Pies kicked the first goal of the match and she has now slotted through the first goal two years in a row against the Blues.

The 2018 AFLW matches will be broadcast outside Australia on some of the AFL's international broadcasting affiliates.  For the full list in Round 1 see below, but in short it will be broadcast in the US on Fox Soccer Plus and across Asia/Pacific on the Australia Network.  The Melbourne vs GWs match will be broadcast in Russia on Viasat.   

If you do want to watch AFLW matches outside Australia otherwise, you can do so by getting a WatchAFL subscription or hopefully stream the matches free from the AFL website afl.com.au or the AFLW app.

 

 Matt Thompson from the www.afl.com.au website takes a brief look at a unique problem in Australia’s “Top End”. It is very wet up here ( I live in Cairns), and Darwin and the more northerly climes of the Northern Territory are having a bumper “wet season”. Crocodiles enjoy the wet season, especially when their swollen river homes allow them to explore a little further…like the local footy ground. 

IMAGINE the prospect of a crocodile at full-forward.

Locals at the Daly River Football Club in the Northern Territory are preparing for that chance, with a croc net tied to the goalposts at their flooded oval. 

Located about 220km south-west of Darwin, the community of under 500 has taken extra precautions as the big wet strikes. 

Tash Gunawardana spoke with GWS Giants recruit Courtney Gum ahead of this Saturday's AFLW Round 1 clash against Melbourne at Casey Fields.

How did it feel at 36 years of age to be drafted by the GWS Giants in the 2017 AFLW Draft?

Mixed emotions. I was really excited to be drafted and to get the opportunity to train and play at this level. There was also part of me that thought maybe it was a bit silly taking on this commitment at my age with a young family, business and a very busy life in South Australia.

Who have been the player or players at the GWS Giants that you have learnt from in your short time so far at the club?

All of them! Everyone brings their own unique story and experiences. Some have amazing technical knowledge like Alicia Eva and Jess Dal Pos. Amanda Farrugia is the most amazing leader. Then there are the young ones that show the most incredible commitment.

Tash Gunawardana interviewed Carlton young gun Bridie Kennedy ahead of the Blues and Pies opening clash of the second AFLW season this Friday the 2nd of February. Good luck to Kennedy on her first season with the Navy Blues.

When did you start playing Australian Rules?

I started playing when I was 15. My best friend convinced me to start playing.

Image Left Source: vfl.com.au

Did you play any other sports growing up?

I feel like I played every sport growing up. Basketball, netball, cricket, gymnastics and even did some horse riding. I found my fit when I started playing football.

Robert Louis Stevenson didn’t ever write about St Mary’s, though one of his most famous books – The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde - fairly aptly describes the Green Machine this season. Supporters would be bouncing from delirium to despair as the Saints have gone from has-beens to supermen multiple times across the season. Three losses to start the season before two wins, a loss then three wins, three losses and now three wins.

So far, every time they fall to bits they bounce back. Every time they get on a roll, they crash. With three rounds remaining, fans must be wondering which Saints team will play out the final three rounds. However, maybe this is why they have won 32 flags since 1952 – they simply don’t understand when they are done. Nevertheless, after downing Buffaloes on the weekend, and nabbing third place on the ladder, Saints need to understand quickly to secure a finals double chance and another chance at glory.