PREVIEW | 2023 VFLW Finals Week 2: Nitty gritty truly begins
AFTER a weekend in which only one home team got the win, will week two of the VFL Women’s finals bring the same level of unpredictability? There is only one way to find out.
This week sees two semi finals, but with one more like another Qualifying Final. One team will move on to the Grand Final this weekend, one team’s season will end while the remaining two will move through to next weekend’s Preliminary Final. It truly is all to play for.
- Team
Collingwood VFLW
Essendon VFLW
Second Semi Final
Saturday at 1pm
Victoria Park
Semi Final in name, but Qualifying Final in nature. That is what faces Collingwood and Essendon when they square off at Victoria Park tomorrow.
This match is more like a Qualifying Final than a Semi Final because the winner moves on to the Grand Final while the loser gets another chance and plays the winner of the other semi final next weekend.
Collingwood is in a strong run of form at the moment, but Essendon will take some confidence from the fact that the last time these two sides met, which was back in April, it was the Bombers who emerged victorious.
Both sides have taken the if it ain’t broken do not fix it mentality to team selection this week, not making any changes to the teams that won them their respective matches last week. They will therefore be hoping their respective stars from last week, including the likes of Jessica Bates, Katie Lee, Sophie Molan and El Chaston, deliver another top performance..
- Team
Port Melbourne VFLW
Carlton VFLW
First Semi Final
Sunday at 12pm
ETU Stadium
Unlike tomorrow’s Semi Final, this match will be a true do or die Semi Final when the Borough host the Blues.
Due to a quirk in the VFLW finals system, the Borough used up their second chance last week against Collingwood, so cannot afford to have a similar performance this week against the Blues. The Blues on the other hand will take some confidence from the way they got the job done last week against Williamstown, but will also be breathing a sigh of relief knowing that if the Seagulls had kicked straighter things could have been very different.
These two sides have already played twice this year, with each side winning once. Back in round one it was a four goal win to Carlton, while in round six it was a 15 point win to the Borough after Carlton went goalless all game.
Port Melbourne has made two changes to last week’s team, bringing back Lisa Davie and Georgia Alomes.
Carlton meanwhile has also taken the if it ain’t broken do not fix it mentality to team selection this week, not making any changes to the team that beat Williamstown last week. It will however be hoping that the likes of Amelia Klingbeil and Christina Bernardi can deliver again like they did last week.