ROUND five’s matches made it even harder to predict who the 2018 AFLW premiers will be. The Crows got their season back on track with a huge win against Carlton, thanks to Ruth Wallace’s magic in the forward line. Despite Sabrina Frederick-Traub’s three goals, Brisbane suffered a loss against the Dees, who fought back after handing Collingwood its first win of the season last week. The Western Bulldogs were given a scare by the Magpies at Moe, but were able to hold on to keep their spot on the top of the ladder. Unfortunately for Carlton, the losses just keep coming, and they will have to do everything they can to finish off their season on a high note. 

Melbourne vs. Brisbane

By Connor Ferris 

#1: Elise O’Dea- Melbourne

One of the best players on the ground who made an impact whenever she got the ball. Tallied 26 possessions as well as a game-high 12 tackles to continue her terrific form. 

#2: Daisy Pearce- Melbourne

Bounced back like a true champion after being held in check last week. Kicked Melbourne’s first two goals, and kicked her first major of the season in the process. Ended with 24 possessions in what was a true captain’s effort.

#3: Kate Lutkins- Brisbane

A standout in what was a disappointing affair for the rest of her team. Was the leading possession-getter on the ground with 26 off the half-back flank and through the middle of the ground.

#4: Kaitlyn Ashmore- Brisbane

Got off to a great start. Presented a strong target all game, taking eight marks. Was able to set Brisbane up inside 50, however she was unable to convert any majors herself, with only two minor scores.

#5: Sabrina Frederick-Traub- Brisbane

Able to show off her strength throughout the game and looked unstoppable at times. Kicked three of Brisbane’s four goals and helped keep them within striking distance.

#6: Ally Anderson- Brisbane

One of the better players for Brisbane. Had 19 possessions, three marks and five tackles in what was an excellent all-round game.

#7: Lauren Pearce- Melbourne

Back into the side this week and played a good game. Competed well in the ruck contest and was able to impact the game around the ground.

#8: Karen Paxman- Melbourne

Fantastic once again. An absolute ball-magnet with 25 possessions, and was able to kick-start several forward drives for Melbourne.

#9: Richelle Cranston- Melbourne

Excellent passage of play with several running bounces, which led to a scoring opportunity for Melbourne. Continued what has been a good start to the season for her. 

#10: Shelley Scott- Melbourne

Solid game with 12 possessions. Had several opportunities to score but she couldn’t convert, ending with only a behind.

#11: Katherine Smith- Melbourne

Held up well under constant pressure in the third quarter from Brisbane’s attack. Also applied great pressure of her own with five tackles, and earning free kicks for holding the ball.

#12: Kate Hore- Melbourne

Looked very dangerous in the early stages, helping Melbourne get off to a fast start. Continued to be impactful late, kicking the crucial goal at the beginning of the last quarter, which gave Melbourne some breathing space when Brisbane looked threatening.

#13: Emily Bates- Brisbane

Played very well through the middle of the ground. Tallied 15 possessions at an efficient rate and applied relentless pressure, laying four tackles.

#14: Emma Zielke- Brisbane

One of Brisbane’s better players. Got a fair bit of the ball off the wing and the forward-flank. Laid four tackles to complete a good all-round performance.

#15: Anna Teague- Melbourne

Non-stop effort all day. Fought so hard down in defence to prevent Brisbane from scoring, and made good use of the footy when she got possession of it.

#16: Lily Mithen- Melbourne

Really impactful in the middle of the ground. Played an in-and-under style game that proved effective, as she was able to evade the Brisbane midfielders at important times throughout the contest. 

#17: Jess Wuetschner- Brisbane

Opportunistic in the forward line without troubling the scores. Provided good forward pressure, laying three tackles.

#18: Nat Exon- Brisbane

Possession-wise was quiet, however she laid six tackles and provided a terrific contest with Melbourne’s midfielders throughout the match.

#19: Melissa Hickey- Melbourne

Ran well around the ground and battled hard in the contest. Gained a lot of the ball in the first half and kept quiet late. However, she laid a massive tackle in the goal square to prevent Brisbane from levelling the scores with a little over a minute to go.

#20: Jamie Stanton- Brisbane

Proactive with the ball in hand, and laid some aggressive tackles throughout the evening. 

Fremantle vs. GWS

By Taylah Melki

#1: Courtney Gum- GWS

Gum has clean hands, worked hard, and starred all over the ground. Used her footy smarts to create overlap run and slot an important goal for the Giants. Made her physical presence felt, laying big tackles and imposing herself on the contest.

#2: Kara Donnellan- Fremantle

Used the footy efficiently, capitalised on her impressive kicking ability with 10 of her 15 touches being kicks. Helped to surge the Dockers forward and applied immense tackling pressure all over the ground. Showed great on-field leadership, standing up again for the Dockers. 

#3: Alicia Eva- GWS

Starred yet again for the Giants with her long kick, and got plenty of touches. Ran hard to create space for her teammates and imposed herself on the contest. Pushed forward in the fourth quarter, creating another target in the forward 50.

#4: Dana Hooker- Fremantle

Applied plenty of pressure and hunted the footy. Was a ball magnet particularly in the first quarter and used the footy effectively. Was lively and used the footy effectively throughout the match.

#5: Amanda Farrugia- GWS

Impressed with her excellent awareness. The captain hit targets and worked hard to create space, allowing her teammates to flow forward. She was in everything and fought hard to win every contest.

#6: Britt Tully-  GWS

Contested and scrapped hard to win the footy. Put her body on the line and applied plenty of crunching tackles. Good long, penetrating and clearing kick.

#7: Jacinda Barclay- GWS

Fought hard and imposed herself on the contest. Took a huge contested mark and had clean hands throughout the game. Read the play well.

#8: Stephanie Cain- Fremantle

Worked hard to get herself into damaging scoring positions. Took good intercept grabs and got plenty of the footy.

#9: Ebony Antonio- Fremantle

Got plenty of the footy and used the ball well, showing off her extreme class and football knowledge. Set her teammates up by creating space. Showed great athleticism to manoeuvre her body and run away from her opponent.

#10: Erin McKinnon- GWS

Fought well in the ruck and competed hard to win the contest. Tapped the ball down to her teammates’ advantage and got plenty of touches.

#11: Phoebe McWilliams- GWS

Was a key target for the Giants up forward and scored a goal early in the match to set up GWS’ day. Had strong hands and contested hard to win the footy in the air and on the ground. Used her speed and footy smarts to dominate her opponents.

#12: Cassie Davidson- Fremantle

Showed great courage and commitment to win the footy. Worked hard in the contest to get in and under and win the footy. Showed her physical prowess with her tackling ability.

#13: Lara Filocamo- Fremantle

Got plenty touches of the footy and dominated across the ground. Showed her class and competed hard to win the footy in packs. Took big grabs and was influential for the Dockers in helping to set up structures.

#14: Elle Bennetts- GWS

Got plenty of touches in the opening quarter of the game, contested hard for the footy and tried to help set teammates up. Had good speed to open up space and had clean hands.

#15: Evangeline Gooch- Fremantle  

Competed hard for the footy, going in hard at the contests. She was a tackling machine and applied a heap of pressure on the ball carrier.

#16: Belinda Smith- Fremantle

Got plenty of disposals and had clean hands in and around the contest. Tackled well and put pressure on her opponents.

#17: Rebecca Beeson- GWS

Never far from the contest. Had strong hands and took clean grabs. Was also able to capitalise on scoring opportunity. Showed her footy smarts and class setting teammates up in front of goal.

#18: Ellie Brush- GWS

Good defensive pressure, got herself into good positions to take intercept marks and propel the Giants forward. Had plenty of possessions, and used her clean hands to open up play.

#19: Nicola Barr- GWS

Good defensive pressure and was a ball magnet, racking up 15 touches for the game. Was never far from the contest and imposed herself on the game.

#20: Hayley Miller- Fremantle

Long, penetrating kick and used the footy well. Showed great speed and power to burst through packs and congestion. Clean pick up of the footy.

Adelaide vs. Carlton

By James Halley 

#1: Chelsea Randall- Adelaide

With Foley playing in the backline against Vescio, it allowed Randall to play up forward as she is dangerous across both ends of the ground. She was then forced to play against Harris after she was dominating in the air. She was one of the most influential players on the ground with 15 disposals.

#2: Ebony Marinoff- Adelaide

Was really strong throughout the contest all night. In one instance, she still managed to get her hands onto the ball, despite two opposition players tackling her. Backed up last week’s tackling efforts with another six on Saturday night. Got plenty of the ball, racking up 16 disposals. 

#3: Ruth Wallace- Adelaide

Early in the first quarter she managed to gather the ball from a spillage and finish nicely with a snap around the corner. Then about 10 minutes later, she snapped another goal from the opposite pocket, showing her versatility across the forward line. She has fancy footwork that allows her to sidestep her opponents. She kicked her third goal for the game in the last quarter that was an impressive long kick into an open goal.

#4: Katie Loynes- Carlton

She displayed an impressive mindset throughout the game, and was able to execute the one percenters. Went in hard at the contest, and did the little things, like when she smothered a kick to send it out of bounds. She also tackled very well. 

#5: Breann Moody- Carlton

Was in a good battle throughout the match against Metcalfe and probably got the better of her on the day. She finished with 11 disposals for the match.

#6: Courtney Cramey- Adelaide

Good intercepting and distributing of the ball throughout the evening. Has one of the longest kicks in AFLW, and was able to penetrate the ball forward multiple times thanks to her kicking ability.

#7: Marijana Rajcic- Adelaide

Kicked one behind for the day and finished with 14 possessions for the game. Good sweeping across the back-line. 

#8: Shae Audley- Carlton

Played a great shut-down role on Erin Phillips before she went off with an injury. Tackling pressure was high as usual, and played well in a rare outing for her in the midfield. 

#9: Deni Varnhagen- Adelaide

Always put her head over the footy but sometimes gave away high free kicks as a result of going too low for the ball. Intent was there, just needed to polish off her good work. 

#10: Kerryn Harrington- Carlton

Her best game in navy blue. The former basketballer dug in deep for her side all day and mopped up what she could in the back-line. A tough player who laid nine tackles for the evening. 

#11: Tayla Harris- Carlton

With her superior height and leap she managed to take plenty of impressive contested marks. In the dying seconds of the first quarter, she was able to finish off a goal from 45m out. She was the Blues’ only real target up forward, kicking one of their two goals for the match. 

#12: Jess Sedunary- Adelaide

She managed to kick the last goal of the night in the last minute, from a routine set-shot. Not a known goal-kicker but deserved to get on the scoreboard. She finished with seven disposals, and work-rate was high all night. 

#13: Sarah Hosking- Carlton

Has the class to evade tackles, and even evaded the game’s best tackler in Ebony Marinoff! Not afraid to go in hard for the footy, and was always at the bottom of the contest at the stoppages. 

#14: Tilly Lucas-Rodd- Carlton

She is very good in one-on-one scenarios, preventing her opponent from winning the ball, and often turning her inside-out. 

#15: Angela Foley- Adelaide

Played a new role this week in the back-line, matching up on Vescio. Kept her quiet and intercepted the ball really well in the process. 

#16: Jenna McCormick- Adelaide

She has good hands on the lead, but could not convert from a short distance on the run. Finished off a set-shot in the second term for the Crows’ sixth goal, which was Adelaide’s most impressive play of the match.

#17: Rhiannon Metcalfe- Adelaide

Was engaged in a tough ruck battle all day, but she lost the battle to Moody. She didn’t have any major impact in the forward-line or back-line, but gave her midfielders the opportunity to get their hands on the ball first at times. 

#18: Justine Mules- Adelaide

She was quite creative in the last play of the match with some handy footwork to get away from some opponents. Her centering kick from the boundary line to Sedunary in the goal square was exquisite. 

#19: Anne Hatchard- Adelaide

Intent was evident throughout the game, but she needs to be more aware of tacklers around her and not just take her time, as she isn’t the fastest player. 

#20: Maddison Gay- Carlton

Tried hard for the Blues in the middle of the ground. Clearance intent was good, but just couldn’t break through the elite Adelaide midfielders. 

Collingwood vs. Western Bulldogs

By Peter Williams 

#1: Ellie Blackburn- Western Bulldogs

Unbelievable effort on the weekend, she just stood up and led from the front after taking bump after bump from opposition players. Missed a goal tight on the boundary late in the game, but her work rate throughout the match saw her rack up 17 disposals, two marks and a major. She seems to be so underrated compared to other leaders in the game, but she is a champion.

#2: Caitlyn Edwards- Collingwood

Edwards was a tough nut in the forward 50, even without her trademark plaits which she was told were no longer acceptable as a hairstyle in the AFLW. Donning a ponytail as her hairstyle of choice, Edwards booted two goals and laid six crucial tackles to be the Pies’ top player and most dangerous forward. She plays that defensive forward role well, where she can nullify an attacking defender, while hurting the opposition team on the scoreboard. Had 11 disposals as well.

#3: Emma Kearney- Western Bulldogs

The skilful Bulldogs midfielder would have seen it as a privilege when Pies tagger Brittany Bonnici stepped up beside her at the opening bounce. After quelling Daisy Pearce the week before, Kearney knew she was in for a tough slog at the office. To her credit, she worked hard and ended up the winner in that battle, having 13 disposals – all kicks – as well as two marks and a tackle. She might not have had the free space she can be accustomed to at times, but showed she can win tough and she did just that.

#4: Kirsty Lamb- Western Bulldogs

An equal game-high seven tackles for Lamb, who also won her fair share of the football. While all eyes were on the prime Bulldogs movers, Lamb just continued to be an option and won 10 disposals, linking up well throughout the match and putting in a good four-quarter performance. Another underrated player on the Bulldogs list.

#5: Jasmine Garner- Collingwood

After being a prolific forward last season, Garner has relished her role in the defensive 50. She is a strong overhead mark, reads the play well and positions herself in the right spots. She was really impressive working with Chloe Molloy back there, and was the reason why the Dogs did not have it all their own way early on when the Dogs were dominating the clearances.

#6: Nicole Callinan- Western Bulldogs

A really solid performance from Callinan who effectively sealed the contest with her last quarter goal. She is a smart player who stands up in big moments and she did just that on Sunday, pushing the margin out to 23 points which was a bridge too far for the Pies, and turned out to be the difference. Callinan had 10 disposals, four marks and laid three tackles as well, so a good all-round game.

#7: Jaimee Lambert- Collingwood

The former Bulldog would have undoubtedly been a little nervous heading into the game, having transferred from the now top-of-the-table Dogs, to the cellar-dwelling Pies. But she shook off any nerves to play a vital role for the Magpies laying eight bone-crunching tackles and making her former teammates earn every touch. Just the eight disposals for Lambert, but her defensive work was impressive.

#8: Monique Conti- Western Bulldogs

It must have been a tad strange for the pocket rocket Conti to shake hands with former teammate and fellow dual-sport athlete Chloe Molloy. Both were so athletically similar, with Conti having that extra spring in her step, while Molloy was so good at reading the play. I thought they broke even in their one-on-one battles, with Conti even cracking a few smiles when she realised she was being tackled by Molloy. Nonetheless, Conti’s work when up the ground or opposing others just got her the nod overall, having 12 disposals for the game.

#9: Chloe Molloy- Collingwood

Molloy was her usual reliable self, getting down in the forward line to kick her first AFLW goal – something she became accustomed to in the TAC Cup Girls and VFL Women’s seasons last year. Her battle with Conti was intriguing, but when she got free she roamed through the defensive 50 and was a steady hand, directing traffic and switching play when required.

#10: Brooke Lochland- Western Bulldogs

After breaking the AFLW most goals record last week, Lochland knew she would not be flying under the radar at Moe. The Pies made their presence felt early, and Lochland was the subject of some pretty tough love. It must have felt good when she was the recipient in the best position for a goal-square goal to ease the pressure, and she finished the game with two majors from seven disposals and three marks.

#11: Jess Duffin- Collingwood

A key cog in the Collingwood defence, Jess Duffin was one of the best defenders on the day. She had her work cut out for her from the beginning but weathered the storm and finished with 11 disposals, seven marks and two tackles. She provided crucial rebound and often stopped Dogs’ attacks with strong marks inside the defensive 50.

#12: Brittany Bonnici- Collingwood

After a successful job on Pearce last week, Bonnici was given the role on Bulldogs star Emma Kearney. While Kearney took the points, Bonnici did manage to keep her from completely having the game on her own terms and played a tough inside role, winning 10 disposals herself and laying seven tackles.

#13: Jenna Bruton- Western Bulldogs

Another cog in the Bulldogs’ machine who just played her role to perfection. Bruton had eight disposals, three marks and laid five tackles in a strong offensive and defensive game. She has continued to improve week by week and is building up to have a big grand final, should the Dogs make it.

#14: Bonnie Toogood- Western Bulldogs

Kicked the opening goal of the game and presented well throughout the match. The exciting forward finished with eight disposals, two tackles and 1.1, but was constantly a danger in the forward 50.

#15: Emma King- Collingwood

Clearly won the hit-outs but the Dogs’ midfield was too strong. They began to read her taps and dominate around the stoppages, but you could not fault King’s efforts as she covered the ground well and asserted herself as the number one ruck on the ground. A whopping 29 hitouts, King could not be stopped in that area.

#16: Stephanie Chiocci- Collingwood

A passionate leader who unfortunately had a brain fade. The moment I saw her elbow lift, the signs were not good and she now will miss the remainder of the season. She has stepped it up this season compared to last and it took her a little while to shake off the nervous signs knowing she was in trouble – and the opponents’ wrath – but the Collingwood captain finished with 12 disposals and two tackles.

#17: Aasta O’Connor- Western Bulldogs

Was serviceable in the ruck against the league’s top ruck in Emma King. She had eight disposals and six hitouts, just playing her part through the midfield. Lost her battle to King, but was not disgraced and she presented around the ground as well.

#18: Christina Bernardi- Collingwood

Another Collingwood forward who continued to present and always looked dangerous around goals. Just the one major for Bernardi this week, but she laid four tackles and had nine disposals to be one of the Pies’ best.

#19: Kim Rennie- Western Bulldogs

Battled hard in the ruck and across the ground, finishing with just the four disposals. But Rennie had nine hit-outs and five tackles to work in tandem with O’Connor through the middle as they tried to combat King’s influence.

#20: Meg Hutchins- Collingwood

The Collingwood leader was strong in attack, booting the Magpies’ first goal and just went in hard for the four quarters. She was inspirational, willed herself to every contest and never took a backwards step. She had 14 hit-outs as well so was the second most dominant ruck on the field.