Saturday night’s meeting between North Melbourne and Collingwood will be one of the most highly-anticipated games of 2021. Photo: GETTY IMAGES.
When is Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution ever relevant in footy? When the competition’s predators face off in two marquee rematches.
First, there’ll be a Marvel Stadium Saturday night special between undefeated Collingwood and dynamic North Melbourne. The two clubs last year staged a thrilling semi final, which the Roos won by a slim two points. Sunday arvo in Queensland, the top-of-the-ladder Lions take on the perennially potent Crows at Hickey Park, re-staging their 2017 AFLW Grand Final, in which Adelaide won the competition’s inaugural flag.
The Collingwood-North contest offers too many good individual matchups to list here, so read the preview below. The Lions have for three rounds feasted on bottom dwellers Richmond, Gold Coast, and West Coast — enough to fashion a downright morbidly obese 502.9 percentage — but this murder of premiership-hardened Crows will be livid after their five-goal home loss to Fremantle.
While the 3-0 Dees and Dockers look to continue their win streaks and boosting their premiership cred, contending Carlton must first square its season ledger.
Middle of the pack clubs will battle to climb up the ladder, while one of the four winless sides has a genuine chance to pull a mild upset.
ST KILDA v GEELONG V Friday, 7.10 pm, RSEA Park
The Saints started the season with a bang, kicking a formidable 8.3 to best the Bulldogs. Since then? St Kilda has managed just three goals over the last two matches. While Georgia Patrikios has been an elite ball-winner for the Saints, averaging 23.7 touches a match, her teammates have struggled getting the ball in their half of the ground and locking it in there. St Kilda’s “G-Train,” Caitlin Greiser, can’t exactly kick goals up forward if her teammates can’t get the ball to her station. The Cats’ average score through their first three matches, meanwhile, is only marginally better than a shocking 1.10. Amy McDonald and Olivia Purcell are the Cats’ leading ball-winners, but they’ll have to get their paws on more of the pill this week if they’re any chance. Beating struggling St Kilda, though, on its home deck, will likely be a bridge too far for the Cats.
GIL TIPS: ST KILDA
CARLTON v RICHMOND Saturday 3.10 pm, Ikon Park
The Blues drew their line in the sand last week against the Saints, after dropping their first two matches both by one straight kick, while Richmond last week saved its best for the last quarter against Collingwood, before losing by 17 points. It may take the Blues some time to get it in gear — they’ve had two scoreless first quarters in the season’s first three rounds — but once they do, they tend to score in bunches. Carlton’s Maddie Prespakis has been a sublime ball-winner and last week didn’t get sucked into off-the-ball battles with her opponent. As for her teammates, Elise O’Dea last round played her best game so far this season, Nic Stevens was dangerous up forward, kicking two goals, and Abbie McKay’s 17 possessions and seven tackles earned her a deserved NAB Rising Star nomination. For Richmond, captain Katie Brennan has battled the yips in front of goal, but Monique Conti has racked up possessions on par with the comp’s best midfielders. But Richmond would need a boffo performance from its supporting cast to match Carlton’s arsenal. And what better incentive could the Blues possibly have, than a home game against struggling opposition?
GIL TIPS: CARLTON
FREMANTLE V GOLD COAST Saturday, 5.10 pm, Fremantle Oval
Saying Freo went all right in its last meeting with the Suns would be like saying Beethoven did some good things in composing and performing Symphony No. 5. In last year’s fateful semi final before the season’s cancellation, Fremantle kicked the highest score in league history, 12.8 (80), crushing the Suns like an empty beer can under its boot, and cruising to a 70-point annihilation. From the way Gold Coast capitulated to Brisbane in the recent Q Clash, putting a history-making low two points on the scoreboard, it’s damn hard not to forecast a similar hiding. Freo are riding a wave of confidence after conquering Adelaide on the road, while the Suns have kicked one goal in their last nine quarters of football and are scheduled to play away from their home ground for the third straight week. The Dockers will be tempted more by a golden opportunity to build their percentage with a lopsided win than a post-match victory coffee at Gino’s on the Cappuccino Strip, so the Suns are likely in for a brutally long day at the oval, after making the gruelling, trans-continental trip.
GIL TIPS: FREMANTLE
NORTH MELBOURNE v COLLINGWOOD Saturday 7.10 pm, Marvel Stadium
In many ways, this match is a dream scenario for individual battles between some of the comp’s best players. If the Pies’ Sharni Norder’s quad is right, imagine her rucking against the Roos’ Emma King at the opening bounce. If North shifts Vivien Saad into the ruck and sends King up forward, imagine a potential clash between King and Collingwood’s All-Australian defender, Stacey Livingstone. Collingwood midfielders Britt Bonnici and Jaimee Lambert taking on North’s Emma Kearney and Ashleigh Riddell promises to be entertaining. The Roos got over the Pies in last year’s semi final largely because of their robust third term, kicking 2.3 and not allowing the Pies a single score. The challenge then, will be for each team to play a full, four quarters’ worth of quality football. With the match being played at a neutral site, this shapes to be a very even contest — so even in fact, a draw wouldn’t be too surprising. However, if this match comes down to free kicks, it’s worth noting that while both clubs have conceded significantly more than they’ve been paid, the Pies have shown slightly more discipline and for that may reason, have the slightest of edges.
GIL TIPS: COLLINGWOOD
BRISBANE V ADELAIDE Sunday, 1.10 pm, Hickey Park
This weekend, Brisbane has a prime opportunity to muzzle the pundits. The knock on the Lions last year was that they mauled mere pretenders, but couldn’t beat flag contenders. What better test for Brisbane than a date with its fierce, Grand Final rivals from four seasons ago? The Crows’ midfield is star-studded, with Ebony Marinoff, Erin Phillips, and Anne Hatchard leading the way, while Stevie-Lee Thompson has thrived down back, and Rachelle Martin announced herself last week as quite the hard nut. Captain Chelsea Randall also is a chance to return from the effects of delayed concussion. For the Lions, Taylor Smith kicked her first three AFLW goals last round, to earn her top coaches’ votes in the Lions’ smashing of West Coast. Jesse Tawhiao-Wardlaw, Dakota Davidson, and Greta Bodey also have been major scoring threats up forward for Brisbane. But how will they and the rest of their pride go against easily the highest quality opposition they’ve so far faced? Look for the traveling Crows to avenge last week’s loss and give the Lions a bit of a reality check.
GIL TIPS: ADELAIDE
WESTERN BULLDOGS V MELBOURNE Sunday 3.10 pm, Victoria University Whitten Oval
The Dees have every reason to walk a bit taller this week after knocking off favored North and improving their record to 3-0. Birsbane’s percentage may be higher than Melbourne’s, but the Dees have kicked just as many goals for an equal best 8.3 average per match. It’s been hard getting an exact read on the Doggies so far, despite their 2-1 mark. While the Dees’ form has been consistently strong, will the Doggies’ side that runs out this weekend be the one that surprisingly toppled Carlton in Round 2, the one St Kilda outgunned in Round 1, or the one struggled for three quarters against last-on-the-ladder Geelong, before grinding out a win? The Doggies’ threesome of Ellie Blackburn, Jess Fitzgerald, and Izzy Huntington has been superb hitting the scoreboard, and Deanna Berry’s forward pressure has had a major impact. The Dees’ Kate Hore and Tegan Cunningham have kicked five goals each and in the third term of the last round, Jacqui Parry caught fire, kicking three goals. Combine those weapons with high possession-getters Lily Mithen, Karen Paxman, and Tyla Hanks, and the Dees are rapidly solidifying themselves as a premiership threat. Back rock-solid Melbourne to get the chocolates.
GIL TIPS: MELBOURNE
GWS V WEST COAST, Sunday 5.10 pm, Blacktown International Sportspark
The Eagles peppered the goals all first quarter last weekend against the Lions, but managed only one goal, while GWS kicked just two majors in recording an emotional home win over the Suns. West Coast also was very much in the hunt all the way to the middle of the final term a fortnight ago, against Fremantle, in the wet. It’s only a matter of time before the Eagles put everything together and get that elusive first win, and this match looms as a very likely chance. The Giants’ Alyce Parker and Rebecca Beeson are averaging 26.3 and 24.3 possessions per match, respectively, good enough for best and third-best in the competition so far, and Ellie Bennetts and Alicia Eva also have been prolific ball-magnets. Still, for all the Giants’ ball-winning prowess, it hasn’t really translated on the scoreboard. The Eagles haven’t exactly lit it up, either, but both Aisling McCarthy and Mikayla Bowen have looked dangerous up forward and with her 15-possession per match average, captain Emma Swanson is no slouch at getting her hands on the footy. The Eagles seem on the cusp of delivering a four-quarter performance — and they’re overdue for a win.
GIL TIPS: WEST COAST
