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.
Gold Coast
After what Gold Coast delivered in Season 6, many thought the Suns were a team on the up and could be challenging for finals this season.
Although they lost a lot of experience since then, the performance they delivered against North Melbourne last weekend was hardly representative of a team on the rise, especially considering they went goalless for three quarters.
This week they are back at home against West Coast, who are much closer in standard to the Suns than the Kangaroos are – at least on paper. This is the perfect opportunity for the Suns to bounce back and show the rest of the competition what they are really made of in Season 7.
Darcy Vescio and Phoebe McWilliams
When it comes to Carlton, much of the talk surrounding the club in the preseason was about the entrance of Phoebe McWilliams, and what kind of affect she would have on the game of Darcy Vescio.
Unfortunately for the Blues, their new partnership did not get off to the start many would have hoped for. Between the pair of them, they had 11 disposals and one goal, so everyone will be looking for a better performance from these two this weekend.
With the Blues managing less than half of Collingwood’s total inside 50 entries last week, the dynamic forward duo will hope for plenty more supply against an inexperienced Essendon defence.
Port Adelaide
A new team into the competition normally gets some leniency to a degree, depending on the side in question, and Port Adelaide is no different. The Power gave a great first up performance against West Coast last weekend, but ultimately fell short.
But, this week is still a huge one for the team in teal. They are set to play their first home game at the historic Alberton Oval against the Western Bulldogs. This is a significant occasion for a club with so much history in both the sport and at the ground, so they will be wanting to give a fitting performance.
Time for Charlotte to cement a home
CHARLOTTE Wilson is someone who can reliably do a job, but has been struggling for game time for the past several years. After crossing from Carlton to Melbourne ahead of Season 7, Wilson struggled to break into the impressively strong Melbourne defence and was forced to watch on the sidelines as the Dees went on […]
Analysis: Verity brings variety to new code and new team
AFTER a decorated career in Australian netball, Verity Simmons retired from the sport after the 2023 Suncorp Super Netball season. However her retirement from netball was not the end of her elite sporting career, with the announcement coming last week that she was going to be joining the West Coast Eagles in the AFLW as […]
Koenen’s colossal performance helps Brisbane take title
SUNDAY’s AFLW Grand Final was tight and tense, and had no clear winner until the final term. Ultimately it was Brisbane that emerged victorious, and it was thanks in large part to the exploits of its skipper Bre Koenen. Playing in both defence and in the midfield, her tireless work first helped keep Brisbane in […]
North holds nerve to break glass ceiling
NORTH Melbourne has broken its AFL Women’s Grand Final hoodoo, holding their nerve in a tense final quarter of yesterday’s preliminary final to defeat Adelaide and reach a maiden women’s decider. For the second time in the space of only a month, it was a nail-biter that was ultimately decided by one tense final quarter, […]
Midfield muscle helps Geelong earn upset
GEELONG pulled off a huge upset in the AFL Women’s yesterday afternoon, defeating reigning premiers Melbourne by five points in the second semi final. After dominating for three quarters the Cats almost let things slip away in the final quarter but held on to pull off the win and move on to a Preliminary Final. […]
Kangas hop into prelim after Dee-molition
NORTH Melbourne has had many impressive performances over the years, but few could argue that yesterday’s demolition of reigning premiers Melbourne to reach the 2023 AFL Women’s Preliminary Finals was not the finest of the lot. Consistently reminded externally of their inability to win big games – notably against the other top three sides – […]
How Geelong ensured history did not repeat itself
GEELONG made history yesterday afternoon, defeating Essendon to win its first ever AFL Women’s Final and move on to the semi-finals stage. The win completed a double turnaround for the Cats, both from last year’s elimination final and from Round 6 this season, which is when the Cats and Bombers last played before yesterday. But […]
Swans show adaptability and growth in historic finals win
SYDNEY Swans created history last night, defeating Gold Coast Suns in the first elimination final to win their first ever final from just their second season in the AFL Women’s competition. Not only was last night’s win a sign of how far the team has come in the last 12 months or so, but one […]
From cygnets to signalling their arrival: Swans claim finals place
AN ever-threatening Swans outfit broke the shackles of the Dockers late to herald a coda for an astounding 2023 turnaround after season seven’s win-less campaign. The victory shook down a cathartic thunder and sets up a tantalising first finals berth against the Suns. To the credit of the 13th-placed purple team, despite being well shot […]
