IN a new weekly piece throughout the AFL Women’s season, we name those players or teams who will be looking to have a big week in the upcoming round. From underperforming sides to players looking to step up, or continue their form, Big Week For will look at all those who could be ones to watch over the weekend.

EXPANSION SIDES

There is no better time to endear early fans than in Round 1 of the regular season. Essendon, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and Sydney all step out into action in matches that either feature each other, or the bottom two teams from Season 6.

Essendon will go in as favourites against Hawthorn, while Port Adelaide takes on a new-look West Coast coming off a wooden spoon, and the Swans host their first ever match against the Saints at North Sydney Oval. In more history, the Bombers and Hawks will lock horns at Marvel Stadium after fans flocked to buy tickets in droves for the two club’s first ever match and sold out ETU Stadium.

Keep an eye out in particular for the likes of Madison Prespakis and Tilly Lucas-Rodd to go head-to-head having crossed from their former clubs coming off outstanding seasons. Meanwhile Port captain Erin Phillips will follow in her father’s footsteps donning the teal, and number one draft pick Montana Ham will be unveiled by the Swans.

GEORGIA PATRIKIOS

It has been a long time between competitive matches for the St Kilda star, who returns after missing Season 6 due to the AFL’s vaccine mandate policy. Now able to run out for the red, white and black again, Patrikios will look to pick up where she left off at the club, having won back-to-back best and fairests.

Her inclusion will be a welcome one for the Saints who struggled in her and Tyanna Smith‘s (anterior cruciate ligament injury) absence. Now Patrikios will team up with Tarni White in the Saints’ midfield, and against the Swans will look to work into form. She was a little scratchy in the practice match, but lost none of her ball-winning ability, and with time, her touch will come.

MELBOURNE

After having an off-season – albeit a shortened one – to stew over their last loss of Season 6, the Demons will look to make a statement in the grand final rematch. Never an easy task in South Australia, Adelaide will unfurl the flag against the side they beat in the grand final, and will be similarly looking to show that even without Phillips, the Crows can still be a threat.

The game has already had some drama, having been moved from Norwood to Glenelg, but expect it to be game of the round with both sides anticipated to be top four sides once again. Both sides lost some depth over the off-season, but the likes of Tyla Hanks and Olivia Purcell will lock horns with Anne Hatchard and Ebony Marinoff.

CARLTON

There are a lot of external pundits that have written Carlton off for Season 7, and it is understandable to see why. Minus best and fairest winner Prespakis, leading goalkicker Courtney Jones, outstanding winger/forward Georgia Gee and the likes of Grace Egan, Nicola Stevens and Charlotte Wilson, the Blues will be a very different unit in Season 7.

They come up against arch-rivals Collingwood who are once again predicted to be thereabouts over the next few months. Though the season expectations might be night and day for the two teams, the Magpies will of course be without star on-ballers Brittany Bonnici and Brianna Davey for the season, and the rest of the midfield group is either out or underdone for tonight’s clash.

Former Blue Alison Downie will miss, while Mikala Cann and Jaimee Lambert have battled injury in the lead-up, and Ruby Schleicher is coming off a concussion against the Swans. To put it simply, the Magpies will not be at full strength, and if there is a time the Blues can strike, it will be tonight. They still have the likes of Mimi Hill, Darcy Vescio, Breann Moody and Kerryn Peterson (nee Harrington) who fill each line and can do a lot of damage.