WITH four weeks of VFL Women’s finals well and truly upon us, the top six teams in Collingwood, Southern Saints, Western Bulldogs, Richmond, Melbourne Uni and Geelong will be raring to go as they head into the new finals structure. With the two sides bumped out of contention for the second round of finals determined by this week’s results, every team will need to put their best foot forward to come out on top against their respective opposition.

Melbourne Uni v. Geelong
Elimination Final 2 – 31/8/19
11:45am
Adcon Stadium

For one of fifth and sixth placed Melbourne Uni and Geelong, the knowledge that this will be the end of the road for the unfortunate loser will surely be the kick they need to get over the line this weekend. Both sides ultimately only made it into the finals on the back of other results, winning eight and dropping six. While Uni have the highest points-scored in the competition after some impressive margins, they have also conceded the fourth most points – with the three sides higher sitting in the bottom three. Meanwhile, Geelong have conceded 92 less points-against this season, perhaps not having the same flair with big margins as other teams toward the top of the ladder, but keeping sides to close margins in their losses. While both sides have had some impressive wins and disappointing losses, what Geelong will need to look out for is the Mugars’ number of players who can have an impact on the scoreboard. Though the Mugars have not been overly accurate in front of goal this season they have a range of options who pose targets inside 50. AFL Women’s listed Kate Gillespie-Jones and Jasmine Garner have proven to be key throughout the season. North Melbourne AFLW captain, Emma Kearney has also been a massive threat in recent weeks since taking the field. For Geelong, Rene Caris and Renee Garing have been solid finding plenty of the footy and causing mayhem at stoppages, while Richelle Cranston continues to provide a force whenever close to the footy.

Collingwood v. Southern Saints
Qualifying Final – 31/8/19
12.00pm
Victoria Park

Collingwood finished minor premiers for the second year running and are well deserving of top spot after a mostly unblemished season, only dropping two games. While one of those two games was against this week’s opponents in the Southern Saints back in the opening round of the season, both losses saw the Pies put out inexperienced sides making this an unpredictable contest for all involved. The Saints had a similarly impressive season but dropped off the top of the ladder with a third loss of the season on the weekend, missing out on a home advantage this week. While Southern Saints have a solid season under their belt there is still plenty they will want to improve on, namely their ability to put ball to boot inside 50. Both teams certainly have the fire power forward and defensive pressure down back, meaning this match may come down to the better ball users through the midfield, shaping up for an interesting contest. Jaimee Lambert has starred this season for the Magpies, sitting number one in the league for goals with 21.7 from 11 games and in the top three for total disposals. The influence and leadership of Bri Davey on the field this season has been noted, despite only playing five games so far, while Chloe Molloy kicked nine goals from six games so could be a big threat to take some of the load from Lambert. For the Saints, Tilly Lucas-Rodd has been a regular in the bests along with Alison Drennan, while Caitlin Greiser and Samantha Johnson have found some good form to provide solid options around the field.

Western Bulldogs v. Richmond
Elimination Final 1 – 1/9/19
11:45am
Adcon Stadium

This will be an interesting match for the final position in week two of finals, with Richmond sure to come into the contest with all guns blazing but also with the knowledge that the Western Bulldogs defeated them twice this season, by a goal margin the first time and extending it to 43 points only two weeks ago. For the Bulldogs, this match will be as much about locking the ball inside 50 as it is about the mind-game, playing the game at hand without focusing too much on past results. The Tigers have the talent and forward options to provide a big threat if they can take control, with a number of confidence players sitting in the forward half and able to contest marking opportunities if only someone can get them the footy. The likes of Monique Conti and Sabrina Frederick have been big pickups this season while Tayla Stahl has had no issue getting on the board, and with a smattering of talent across the field for both sides the Tigers will need to do more than rely on their big names to get the job done. For the Bulldogs, Emma Mackay, Tayla Dinuccio and Ellie Gavalas played majority of games during the season and have been consistently in the mix for best credit to their respective pressure on the footy and ability to find the ball, while Mickayla Ward (10 goals) and Danielle Marshall (nine goals) have been solid targets inside 50.