AS we head into the final round of the home and away season, there is still plenty of jostling to be done for positions. Top spot is up for grabs in the game between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night, with the winner through to the grand final and the loser having to rely on results going their way. Adelaide and Brisbane will also be holding their breath for results to fall their way, while the Giants largely control their own destiny in the hope of securing their spot in the Grand Final. Collingwood are coming off a great win against Brisbane last week will have the opportunity to play spoiler once again as they take on the reigning premiers, whilst Carlton and Fremantle will be looking to end their campaigns on a high as they battle it out on Saturday afternoon.

Greater Western Sydney vs Brisbane

Friday March 16, 7:05pm at Blacktown International Sportspark

The round kicks off with two grand-final hopefuls going head-to-head under Friday night’s lights in Sydney. For the Giants, a win will likely secure them a spot in the grand final, as they possess a slightly better percentage than the Crows, who also sit on 14 points. The Giants will look to continue their terrific form over the past four games and cap off a spectacular home and away season which has seen significant improvement from last year. They will be riding high after a very strong performance last week against the ladder-leading Western Bulldogs. Erin McKinnon continues to be dominant in the ruck and has been instrumental in the team’s resurgence after they dropped the first two games. Keep an eye out for star midfielder, Courtney Gum who is likely to continue her quest for AFLW MVP. GWS captain, Amanda Farrugia is also likely to once again stand up when needed, this time in a quest to lead her team to a grand final. Brisbane on the other hand, will be looking to avenge a poor performance to the previous bottom-of-the-table Collingwood last week, and must win in order to give themselves any chance of playing off in the grand final. The midfield battle will be crucial, so expect Brisbane’s Emily Bates and Emma Zielke to really challenge the Giants midfielders if the Lions are to pull off the win.

Fremantle vs Carlton

Saturday March 17 at Fremantle Oval

Although it has not been the seasons that both teams would have intended, the Dockers and the Blues head into the game on Saturday with a chance to finish on a high. With both teams eliminated from grand-final contention, it opens up an opportunity for individual players to prove that they deserve to remain on the list moving into next season.  A strong team performance can provide fans hope moving into next year. As the Bulldogs and Giants proved, a turnaround from cellar dwellers to premiership contenders is a real possibility. For Fremantle, expect Dana Hooker to be dangerous once again. Her fantastic performance of 20 possessions and two goals last week almost lead the Dockers to a win against Adelaide, but ultimately it was not enough. After conceding six goals in the first quarter last week, Carlton’s defence was able to hold the Demons in-check for the remainder of the game and in the process, deny them that all-important percentage. If they are able to put that effort together for 60 minutes, it will give them a great chance to get a win and avoid the wooden spoon. Last week saw Darcy Vescio move up into the midfield for periods of the game, which will be interesting to watch and could help add another facet to her game whilst also assisting Carlton’s midfield, which has struggled as of late.

Western Bulldogs vs Melbourne

Saturday March 17, 7:05pm at VU Whitten Oval

The battle for top spot takes centre-stage on Saturday night, as the Western Bulldogs play host to Melbourne. For both teams, the equation is rather simple- winner secures top spot and a grand final berth, whilst the loser will have to rely on other results going their way to secure their spot. The Bulldogs come off a hard-fought game against the Giants last week which unfortunately did not go their way. After looking a certainty to make the grand final a week ago, the Dogs now face their biggest test of the year. They will get a huge boost this week, as captain and key forward Katie Brennan makes her return to the line-up, after missing the last three games due to injury. She will look to have a big impact on a depleted Melbourne defence, who will sadly be without Melissa Hickey, who suffered an ACL injury last week. This will make it extremely difficult for them, with the Bulldogs possessing a dangerous forward-line which includes the likes of Brooke Lochland and Rising Star, Monique Conti. Perhaps the most exciting head-to-head match-ups come in the midfield, with the Demons trio of Daisy Pearce, Elise O’Dea and Karen Paxman going head-to-head against the Bulldogs’ dynamic duo of Ellie Blackburn and Emma Kearney. These exciting match-ups across the board should make for an extremely entertaining contest, and one which will have a huge impact on which teams will face off the following week in the grand final.

Collingwood vs Adelaide

Sunday March 18, 2:35pm at Olympic Park Oval

It is the classic case of too little, too late for Collingwood. The Pies have been in fantastic form over the past month, but as was the case last season, a poor start to the season will see them on the outside looking in. Despite the final margin being only 13 points, they were extremely dominant last week in the win against the Lions, which threw a wrench into their finals hopes. The Magpies find themselves in a similar situation this week, as another win here would send the Crows packing. This will allow them to play with an all-out, nothing to lose, attacking game style- something that has been serving them well. Collingwood has made several changes heading into the game, with youngsters Holly Whitford and Sarah Dargan receiving an opportunity. The young team that will front up this week will give Pies fans a glimpse into what looks to be a very promising future for the football club. Adelaide enter the game unbeaten in the last four games, and have a golden opportunity to get back to the grand final and defend its crown. Sitting slightly behind the Giants on percentage, the Crows may find themselves having to win the game by a large margin in order to leapfrog the Giants (provided they defeat Brisbane) and take second place. Adelaide will look for another huge game from Chelsea Randall, who has been fantastic of late, and will hope that their inspirational leader, Erin Phillips can continue to fight through the pain and lead them to another victory.