Abbie McKay, daughter of former Carlton premiership star Andrew McKay, debuts on Saturday. Photo: GETTY IMAGES
Family relationships are dominating the headlines almost to the extent North Melbourne dominates the ladder as we head into the fourth round of the 2019 AFL Women’s season.
AFLW history was made ahead of Saturday’s opening game between Geelong and Carlton when the Blues named Abbie McKay on Thursday, the first-ever father-daughter professional combination, her father Andrew McKay a 244-game 1995 premiership player with the club.
Elsewhere, the Roos and Dockers both look to continue their unbeaten starts to 2019 in vastly different climates, Fremantle travelling to the dry heat of Darwin to tackle Adelaide, and North Melbourne to the unpredictable winds of Casey Fields in Cranbourne against a dangerous Melbourne outfit.
At the bottom of the table, meanwhile, Collingwood and GWS make the long trek to Morwell, both still striving to earn their first premiership points of the season.
Saturday, February 23, 4:45pm: Geelong v Carlton, GMHBA Stadium
The Cats return to Victoria having been convincingly outgunned at Norwood Oval last week. Few players could have been satisfied with their efforts outside Rochelle Cranston, whose 15 contested possessions reflected a fierce effort in midfield.
Geelong makes two changes from that side, Rebecca Webster injured, while Aasha O’Connor returns to the starting ruck position.
Carlton’s Maddie Prespakis continued her march towards a potential Rising Star award with a team-high 21 touches and three goals as the Blues got themselves off the mark against the Giants in Blacktown.
Tayla Harris starred alongside Prespakis with three majors of her own, but might consider herself fortunate to line up in Geelong this weekend after escaping suspension at the Tribunal on Tuesday night.
Abbie McKay is the selection story of the week, one of Carlton’s two changes.
Tip: Geelong by 14 points. The Cats crashed hard and the Blues conversely soared in contrasting outcomes last week, but Carlton still seems to be missing a spark that allows results to be strung together.
Saturday, February 23, 7:10pm: Western Bulldogs v Brisbane, VU Whitten Oval
Heading into a 2018 grand final rematch, the “daughters of the West” were unable to put their typical resilient defensive attributes on display in Tasmania last Friday night as they were simply overrun by the rampant Roos. Even key stalwart Lauren Spark was down on her usual output, managing only one touch more than her tally of five marks.
Kirsty Lamb was noticeable as perhaps their most influential performer, with 14 touches at 64 per cent efficiency with four marks and three tackles, but Belinda Smith, Bailey Hunt and Hayley Wildes are all omitted for this week’s clash after registering a combined 12 disposals.
Last week’s preview forecast an intriguing midfield battle between Brisbane’s Alexandra Anderson and Melbourne’s Karen Paxman, and the 22-year-old Lion certainly held up her end of the bargain with 21 touches (12 contested) and five tackles. She was the only Lion with more than one centre clearance on a dismal afternoon at Hickey Park.
Defender Kate Lutkins was busy with five tackles and five rebound-50s, but there was little positive news otherwise as the two-time runners-up remains mid-table in the weaker Conference B.
Tip: Bulldogs by 10 points. These two teams crashed in heavy losses last week, but the Bulldogs have shown more promise in their previous two games.
Saturday, February 23, 8:35pm: Adelaide v Fremantle, TIO Stadium
Adelaide’s “home” game in Darwin this week will prove a stern test for the inaugural AFLW premier, which has rebounded from an early stutter to post two assertive wins.
Ebony Marinoff has been running the show all season long and made records tumble last week with an all-time AFLW high of 33 disposals, complementing a dominant appetite with six tackles and eight inside-50s.
Sarah Perkins has been left out for the trip to the Top End, but cross-code Crow Jenna McCormack is included on return from time in the W-League.
The undefeated Dockers outfit will show up with confidence, however, after a strong performance, seeing off the winless Magpies at Fremantle Oval.
While Dana Hooker’s 12 touches represented a decline on the standards which came to be expected after her impressive opening fortnight, a more balanced array of performers came to the fore.
Ruck Parris Laurie was an important contributor around the ground with 88 per cent of her 17 disposals finding the target, but the Dockers will be without Brianna Moyes on Saturday night after she became yet another victim of the ACL curse.
Tip: Adelaide by 3 points. The Crows’ form of the last two weeks makes this an incredibly tough game to predict, but the stars addressed in the preview might prove just too much for the Dockers.
Sunday, February 24, 2:05pm: Collingwood v GWS, Morwell Recreation Reserve
Matters have continued to go from bad to worse at Victoria Park following another toothless display in Western Australia.
Ash Brazill was one of few positive talking points with her continued fight and ability to remain composed and efficient in the heart of defence, and her numbers were again solid in defeat, but injury rules her out of the trip to the Latrobe Valley as one of at least five changes in the extended squad.
Her absence is the only forced substitution, though, as coach Wayne Siekman attempts to resurrect a quickly fading season by re-introducing the likes of Sharni Layton.
Although the Giants were perhaps upset in handing Carlton its first points of season 2019, Rebecca Beeson again showed her willingness to compete in the engine room, racking up 17 touches, all but one on target.
They may take confidence in going in slight favourites come Sunday, and will be boosted by the return of Nicola Barr from suspension. They still need a result just as badly as Collingwood, though.
Tip: GWS by 7 points. Likely to be a scrappy affair in Gippsland as both sides cling to faint hopes in 2019 – but expect a fierce contest.
Sunday, February 24, 4:05pm: Melbourne v North Melbourne, Casey Fields
Melbourne looked red-hot in disposing of Brisbane last week but is now handed the unfortunate task of coming up a team in at-times unstoppable form.
Karen Paxman ensured she would remain North Melbourne’s one to watch with her role in the Dees’ 39-point drubbing, while Aliesha Newman was explosive across the half-forward flank with 19 disposals and three well-earned goals.
Melbourne is yet to confirm any omissions for the game Sunday either, which is a sign of general squad health.
The same cannot be said in Round 4 for North Melbourne, which has so far been the benchmark side in AFLW, but this week will have to do without Rising Star nominee Courteney Munn, who earned her accolade following a breakout four-goal haul in their 31-point victory over the Western Bulldogs.
Munn misses with a calf injury, but there should be no shortage of effective forward options, such as former Blue Kate Gillespie-Jones (17 touches, seven tackles last week), although marquee signing Moana Hope remains short of finding her footing as the default full-forward.
Tip: North Melbourne by 12 points. This could be the most exciting match of the round, if not for the notorious tricky winds at Casey Fields. Regardless, North should have just enough quality to roll on.
This article originally appeared at HATCH@MacleayCollege
