Adelaide star Anne Hatchard shapes as a key to the Crows’ chances against Melbourne on Saturday. Photo: AFL MEDIA

Hold everything! West Coast and St Kilda are the latest AFLW teams in limbo after the league on Thursday afternoon cancelled the two teams’ Friday night match.

The latest AFLW fixture adjustment came with several Eagles players been forced into isolation after testing positive for or being exposed to COVID-19.

The league, which had already “condensed” this round to rearrange six of seven fixtured matches into new timeslots, now must formulate a Plan C to get the Western Australian sides’ games under their belts before a possible lifting of a border closure would allow them to return home.

And it all got a bit more difficult on Friday when the league announced the Eagles-Collingwood game scheduled for next Tuesday night, would not proceed and would revert instead to its original timeslot in Round Six, with multiple players from the West Coast squad remaining in AFL health and safety protocols.

If this latest logistical headache wasn’t complicated enough, the AFLW was already trying to slot four COVID-19-laid-off clubs back into regular rotation. To frustrated fans, the pandemic has turned the weekly scheduling of each round into a scattershot game of musical chairs.

Fremantle, which defeated Collingwood by 31 points on Thursday night, already has a brutal five days in which it must play two matches, then two more over the next nine.

Condensation to the Dockers’ women may seem more like squeezing players in a physically and mentally excruciating grip. And with a sizable number of star players already lost to injury early in the piece, what of the possible elevation of injury risks to them, with the shorter recovery times between matches? But the Dockers certainly rose to that challenge with their comprehensive win over the previously-undefeated Pies.

GWS (1-2) v WESTERN BULLDOGS (0-1) (Friday 5.10 pm, Henson Park)
Even Sherlock Holmes would be hard-pressed to solve the myriad mysteries surrounding this contest. First, which GWS side will show up, playing its first home game of 2022? Will they be the mighty Giants who rallied in Round 1 to beat West Coast, or the sleeping Giants who didn’t even hit the scoreboard last week against North Melbourne until the final term? As for the injury and COVID-19-decimated Bulldogs, do fans really have any idea what to expect from them after a Round 1 loss to the Demons followed by a forced two-week layoff? While the Dogs will no doubt be rested, they haven’t had actual match conditions. The Giants at least can carry momentum from last week’s strong final term. Getting Chloe Dalton back last week to help support ball-winning stars Alyce Parker and Alicia Eva helped, but as good as Cora Staunton is in front of goal, she can’t continue being the Giants’ only goalkicking option. Bulldogs captain Ellie Blackburn will be a welcome inclusion if she’s fit, but expect GWS to lift and get the win.
GIL TIPS: GWS

ADELAIDE (3-0) v MELBOURNE (3-0) (Saturday 3.10 pm, Norwood Oval)
If any match should have been swapped into a prime-time evening slot, it’s this one. These two juggernauts last battled in a 2021 preliminary final, with Adelaide besting the Dees by three goals and, with Melbourne kicking a shocking 1.9 on the day, leaving them wondering what might have been if only they’d so much as broken even in front of the sticks. In that final, Adelaide’s Ebony Marinoff equalled an all-time, league-best single-match disposal total of 35 — which her teammate Anne Hatchard had previously established. Both Marinoff and Hatchard have been in stellar form, Erin Phillips has been consistently strong, and recruit Ash Woodland, in hot pursuit of the AFLW’s home-and-away season record of 16 goals, already has booted 10. The Dees have shown they can catch fire in front of the sticks, too, with their own star recruit Tayla Harris kicking six majors, and Kate Hore five. Melbourne’s Tyla Hanks and Karen Paxman are stars in their own right, and Lauren Pearce can dominate the ruck, but the Crows bat just a bit deeper. Expect a physical match with plenty of feeling — it may be a grand final preview.
GIL TIPS: Adelaide

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BRISBANE (1-1) v GEELONG (0-3) (Saturday 5.10 pm, Maroochydore)
On the face of it, this match falls under the category of “Most Likely to Transform into a Glorified Training Run.” The Lions roared back with a vengeance against Carlton, with Emily Bates and Orla O’Dwyer putting on a ball movement clinic. Brisbane scored at will against the Blues and in the process, thanks to Jess Wuestchner, Greta Bodey, and Jess Wardlaw, showed off what might be the competition’s best forward line. With her silky skills, Lions’ debutant Zimmi Farquharson only added to Brisbane’s embarrassment of riches in their end of the ground. Geelong has shown a knack for hanging tough through first halves of contests against more experienced sides, but only West Coast has scored fewer points than the Cats through three matches. The woodshed awaits Geelong, with the Lions only too happy to escort them there.
GIL TIPS: Brisbane

CARLTON (1-2) v NORTH MELBOURNE (2-1) (Sunday 3.10 pm, Ikon Park)
The Roos decapitated the Giants last week and now face an underachieving Carlton side which, in its showdown against Brisbane, had far too many passengers. North Melbourne’s midfield brigade is in red-hot form, led by ball magnet Ash Riddell, who now is comfortably leading the competition for disposals, averaging slightly more than 28 per match. The Roos also have been getting great contributions from their small forwards Daria Bannister and Daisy Bateman, and are now successfully deploying Emma Kearney off half-back. While Maddie Prespakis has been at her best for the Blues, averaging 24 possessions per match, defender Kerryn Harrington is next at the club with nearly 17, reflecting how under siege is the Blues’ backline. And superstar Darcy Vescio’s having just 29 touches through three matches and no goals to their name is a huge red flag for the Blues.
GIL TIPS: North Melbourne

GOLD COAST (1-1) v RICHMOND (1-2) (Sunday 5.10 pm, Metricon Stadium)
Both these developing sides got an unexpected benefit of AFLW bumping back their match by two days. The Suns will be up and about after their big, come-from-behind victory over West Coast, breaking their long, winless drought. Richmond, meanwhile, has put up valiant efforts against Melbourne and Fremantle to go with its convincing Round 1 thumping of St Kilda. The Tigers remain on track to be the competition’s biggest improver and any club with matchwinners Mon Conti and Katie Brennan is always dangerous. While Gold Coast’s Charlie Rowbottom and Lauren Bella are exciting, emerging talents, Richmond as a collective is more mature, and a smashing here wouldn’t be out of the question.
GIL TIPS: Richmond