From left: Adelaide’s Ebony Marinoff, Fremantle’s Mim Strom, Hawthorn’s Tilly Lucas-Rodd and Port Adelaide’s Abbey Dowrick
Last year’s AFLW grand finalists Brisbane and North Melbourne lay in wait to host preliminary finals against the winners of this weekend’s AFLW semi-finals.
The Lions will be taking on the winner of the Adelaide-Fremantle semi-final, with the Roos scheduled to play the victor of Saturday’s Hawthorn-Port Adelaide clash.
Just two years ago, in Season 7, the Hawks and Power finished 15th and 17th respectively in their first forays in the AFLW competition, yet here they both are, fighting for a preliminary final berth.
The Dockers haven’t been this deep into finals since Season 6, when they reached a preliminary final, while three-time AFLW premier Adelaide has done no worse than a preliminary final in the last four campaigns. Both matches shape to be crackers.
ADELAIDE (8-4) v FREMANTLE (9-3) (Norwood Oval, 3.05 pm local time)
The Crows are known for playing their ferocious best after — albeit, rare — losses. Dropping a qualifier to North Melbourne by seven points has to be sticking in the Crows’ collective craw. Usually, it would spell doom for a visiting club to rock up to Adelaide’s Norwood Oval fortress off the back of a Crows’ defeat, but the Dockers were a perfect 5-0 this season away from home. Dockers’ ruck Mim Strom, just named an All-Australian nominee, had one of the league’s best-ever individual showings in last week’s elimination final win over Essendon. She recorded match-bests in hit-outs (55), possessions (26), clearances (11) and metres gained (441). Fremantle’s other two All-Australian nominees, Emma O’Driscoll and Aisling McCarthy, have also lifted to new heights in a year in which key teammates missed either all or most of the season. But while the Dockers will surely be brave, the Crows have a star-studded spine, from up forward, through the middle to down back. Ebony Marinoff is not only an All-Australian nominee but is a league’s best and fairest fancy, while stalwarts Chelsea Randall, Danielle Ponter, and Caitlin Gould continue firing. Jessica Allan, who had 44 hit-outs last week, will be a big test for Strom. Fremantle is no doubt on the rise. The Dockers will put a serious scare into more experienced Adelaide who I believe will get by, just.
LAST MEETING: Week 2, Adelaide won by 33 points
GIL TIPS: ADELAIDE
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HAWTHORN (10-2) v PORT ADELAIDE (8-4) (IKON Park, Saturday, 7.30 pm local time)
The Power successfully proved critics wrong last week, by notching their first win of this season against another top eight team. Yes, the Tigers were mistake-prone in the elimination final, but Port Adelaide earned its win, blowing Richmond away by 24 points. The Power are the hottest team in the comp, winners of seven straight matches. The Hawks, meanwhile, came out of nowhere to earn second spot on the ladder, but were upended by reigning premier Brisbane in a home qualifying final. That Hawthorn and Port Adelaide entered the league in the same season and both sides enjoyed meteoric rises in 2024 makes this a fascinating match-up. No doubt the Hawks had a far harder draw, and their list, including six All-Australian squad members, features far more big game experience. The Power rode magnificent performances by Abbey Dowrick (17 possessions, seven clearances, seven score involvements, seven tackles, and 445 metres gained) and Ashleigh Saint, (three majors) to defeat Richmond. The Hawks last weekend were plagued by a wonky goalkicking radar (4.8) which prevented them from holding a more commanding half-time lead than the 11-point advantage they had. In the end, the Lions efficiency and accuracy in front of goal (6.2) proved the difference. Hawthorn takes away other lessons from its loss that the Power perhaps, due to their relative youth, haven’t yet learned. Port Adelaide will be brave, but the Hawks will get home comfortably.
LAST MEETING: 2023 Round 9, Hawthorn won by 8 points
GIL TIPS: HAWTHORN
