AFTER all of the shifting and shaking of season 2023, the dust has settled on the top four teams in the Sydney AFL Women’s Premier Division. UTS Bats, East Coast Eagles, Manly Warringah Wolves and Macquarie University Goannas have earned their places in the semi-finals.

Excitingly, each of the four teams have legitimate hopes that they can win a flag, but the final three weeks of the season will determine who that will be. UTS Bats and East Coast Eagles have earned favouritism after finishing top two after the regular season, and they face off this weekend for a spot in the grand final.

UTS BATS vs. EAST COAST EAGLES
Saturday, August 26 @ Henson Park, 11:20am

Caitlin Reid is one of the league’s best players all season, with the East Coast Eagles star a potential game-defining talent. However with both sides having brilliant players across the board, the team that can share the load the most will get the job done

UTS Bats exemplify that perfectly, which has seen them rise up the table. They have contributors all over the ground in a very even spread, and players who do the hard contested work, and then be ready to link offensively.

The top-end Eagles players are capable to using their weapons such as reading the play and being able to link up through marks and effective kicks. They can pull off bursts of exciting and quick play, which will give their forwards plenty of opportunities

The Bats have a never-say-die attitude and will make life difficult for the Eagles with their pressure around the ball and opponent. Even if the Eagles go up, expect UTS to keep pushing until the final siren. It will likely be a game that goes down to the wire.

Henson Park is likely to favour East Coast’s style of play, with the one possession out of the middle inside 50 giving the Eagles’ forwards first opportunity and Renee Tomkins and Abbey Martin‘s overhead marking is second to none in the league at the moment.

The other question mark will be how the Bats deal with the run into the final affecting their first post-season match. Two byes either side of a 196-point win over Southern Power means it has been a month since they have had a competitive match, and it will be fascinating to see if the lead-in will be a help or a hindrance.

East Coast should have an advantage in the middle and love using the corridor where possible. With Caitlin Davidson and Brooke Bailey among others up front, they should be able to either mark or bring the ball down for teammates. The question mark will be when the the Bats put pressure on the Eagles, whether or not they can maintain their style and not panic under pressure with the the added pressure.

UTS Bats will not be too worried if the Eagles do get a fast start, and are happy to slow down proceedings to stifle the tempo. Producing lower kicks to try and nullify the Eagles’ talls and then pinpointing passes to breakdown the opposition’s defence will be key. They are inexperienced compared to the Eagles, and must stop the Eagles from getting the ball to the outside and moving it with speed too often. Young gun Ella Parker has some speed of her own for the Bats though.

The likes of Jess Whelan (East Coast) and Danika Spamer (UTS) should have a say on the result, with Bats’ Melissa Lindsay and Georgina McDonnell also likely to cause some headaches for the Eagles defence.

Expect the match to be in the single digit margin range with the experience of the Eagles and the well-balanced side potentially tipping the scales in their favour. There is nothing in it though, and is a must-watch as a potential grand final preview.

MANLY WARRINGAH WOLVES vs. MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY GOANNAS
Sunday, August 27 @ Henson Park, 12:20pm

It is almost impossible to pick a differential in this game for pure form, and thus the match really will come down to the performance on the day. Both Manly Warringah Wolves and Macquarie University Goannas will give themselves chances to win and it will make for a fascinating contest.

The juxtaposition of strengths between these two teams is staggering with Manly Warringah regarded as the best defensive pressure side in the league, while the Goannas have a core group of outstanding inside midfielders. Both teams have similar tall marking targets, yet the two teams play wildly different styles in regards to crumbing inside 50. The Wolves can tend to be up and down but pile on scores quickly, while the Goannas are likely to produce that even, consistent brand of football.

Manly Warringah will have watched the tape from last week and see the space that it allowed opposition defenders, which put the Wolves under pressure to execute far too often. They will need to maximise their run when they get the chance and limit the Goannas’ inside midfielders from bursting out of the stoppages, laying tackles that stick

Macquarie University will look to the likes of Michala Ford and Amanda Farrugia to lead the Goannas. Ford could roll into the middle when not inside 50 with her speed a great weapon to maximise. Farrugia can cover the ground with ease and will be the one play the Wolves look to limit. Most importantly, when presented with the opportunity, the Goannas need to clunk contested marks inside 50.

The Wolves will be wary of the Goannas looking to mimic the Eagles last week, who went around the boundary line with slick foot skills on a number of occasions. Needing to be more proactive in this game, Manly Warringah will be looking for a fast start. The Goannas need to ensure that does not happen, and with less experience, they will need to keep calm regardless of how the game begins to go.

Farrugia up against Andrea Roditis will be a crucial watch, as both are leading impact possession getters for their teams and curbing their influence will be a big step towards success on the day. Defender Paige Pirotta will hope to limit top-age key forward London Ashcroft and Wolves’ skipper Ash Carter from trying to move the ball quickly. Hannah Woolf is in ripping form at the moment and will hope to lock down on another in-form player in Sophie Kavanagh.

Overall expect it to be a tight, low-scoring game with the team that is able to get it out of the middle and give its forwards the best chances, more than likely set to win. The Wolves finished on top of the Goannas and will be favourites, but there is not much between the two sides as they fight it out for a spot in the preliminary final. There is no going back for the loser, so expect it to be a cracking match.