Brisbane star Ally Anderson (left) and Geelong young gun Georgie Prespakis will go head-to-head in the first preliminary final. Photos: AFL MEDIA

FIRST PRELIMINARY FINAL
BRISBANE (8-3) v GEELONG (8-4) (Brighton Homes Arena, Saturday 7:45pm local time)
There is a bit of extra drama, suspense and intrigue in the lead-up to this contest and much of it involves star Cats goalkicker Chloe Scheer. When these two sides last met 22 months ago, the Lions eked out a two-point win at Maroochydore, withstanding a Geelong grandstand finish fuelled by three Scheer majors, including two in a fateful final term. In the dying minutes, Scheer lined up to kick the potential match-winner, but missed. Scheer booted 18 goals this season, to finish high among the league leaders, but suffered a hairline fracture in her collarbone in Geelong’s elimination final and sat out the semi-final. But she has strongly trained this week and could line up against the Lions. The Cats last week found other avenues to goal in their upset win over the Demons, including midfield star Amy McDonald, who booted two, and forwards Jacqui Parry and Aishling Moloney. Nina Morrison had a stellar outing with 29 possessions, while Georgie Prespakis had a quiet performance, by her own lofty standards, with 19. The Lions are lying in wait, after upsetting Adelaide by two points in a nail-biting qualifying final. In that match, Brisbane ball magnet Ally Anderson was characteristically prolific in hunting the footy, while tall forward Dakota Davidson and winger Orla O’Dwyer booted two goals each. A potential match-up between Davidson and Geelong defender Claudia Gunjaca is on the cards and if the Cats are a chance, Gunjaca must avoid getting pantsed as she did last week by Melbourne’s Eden Zanker. Whoever has the job on dangerous Lions small forward Courtney Hodder will also have a tough assignment. As strong as Brisbane has been, it hasn’t exactly made its new stadium an impenetrable fortress, suffering two of its three losses this season there as well as last year’s grand final. Geelong is playing fearlessly and has made a good habit lately of ambushing the opposition. The Cats are primed to ride their momentum and, with Scheer looking more and more likely to be back in the mix, record their biggest upset yet and reach their first AFLW Grand Final.
GIL’S TIP: GEELONG

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SECOND PRELIMINARY FINAL
NORTH MELBOURNE (8-3) v ADELAIDE (10-2) (Ikon Park, Sunday 3:05pm local time)
Despite their three-time premiership credentials, here are two things the Crows can’t afford going into this prelim final: think they’ll score at will as they did in last week’s semi-final win over Sydney (the notoriously stingy Kangaroos are by far the comp’s best defensive side); and don’t underestimate North who they’ve beaten in their last three meetings. The knock against the Roos since they entered the AFLW was that they lost too often against the comp’s “big three” – Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne. In fact, North Melbourne hasn’t beaten Adelaide since 2020. But the Kangaroos’ 41-point belting of the Demons two weeks ago should’ve quashed whatever doubts there were about their ability to run with the comp’s big girls. Three-time AFLCA Player of the Year Jasmine Garner is a perennial North Melbourne jet, and her ball-winning partner-in-crime Ash Riddell is playing her perfect foil. But key forward Tahlia Randall has recently monstered defenders and Bella Eddey, with whom Randall combined for five goals in their qualifying final win, is a more than capable goalsneak. Adelaide features the super dynamic midfield tag team of Anne Hatchard and Ebony Marinoff, as well as trio Niamh Kelly, Danielle Ponter and Caitlin Gould as heavy artillery to assault the scoreboard. But two weeks ago, the Kangaroos stymied the Demons who had the No.1 attack in the competition. And besides North Melbourne being ravenous to play in its first AFLW Grand Final, it is long overdue for a victory over the Crows. That finally will happen this week.
GIL’S TIP: NORTH MELBOURNE