PREVIEW | VFLW Round 2 – Easter bonanza awaits
AFTER an action packed Round 1, Round 2 of the VFL Women’s is already upon us.
North Melbourne vs Carlton
Tomorrow at 9:30am
Arden St Oval
The action kicks off nice and early tomorrow with a clash between two Round 1 winners that will no doubt be keen to keep that winning momentum going.
North Melbourne’s forwards were pretty on song last week, so Octavia Di Donato, Asha Turner Funk and the rest of the Carlton defence will have plenty to worry about this weekend, keeping the likes of Emily Paterno and Nyakoat Dojiok quiet.
Port Melbourne vs Collingwood
Tomorrow at 12:35pm
ETU Stadium
Grand Final rematches are always spicy, but this one comes between two sides who look very different to what they did eight months ago, so will perhaps eventuate in a much different result.
Collingwood need to find a better return on investment in front of goal if they want any hope in winning tomorrow, so Ava Campbell, Sachi DeGiacomi and the rest of the Collingwood forwards will really need to step it up if they want to match it with an opposing forward line that contains the likes of Emily Harley and Madeleine Patterson.
Casey vs Western Bulldogs
Saturday at 11:05am
Casey Fields
Saturday’s action begins down the highway at Casey Fields, with the Dees looking for a much improved performance this week compared to what they delt with in Round 1, against a Bulldogs side who will be keen to ensure Round 2 does not eventuate as frustratingly as Round 1 did.
Renee Saulitis was the key up forward for the Bulldogs last week, so it will be key for Casey to get that match up right, and it may fall to someone like Melanie Hogg to get the job done.
Essendon vs Williamstown
Saturday at 12:05pm
The Hangar
The second half of the round begins with a clash that could be very telling with how the respective sides go this season. The pressure will be on Essendon more though to prove they will be up there and contending this season.
Ruby Mahony starred in her first VFLW match for Essendon last week, but will have an even tougher competition this week, dealing with the in form Emily Eaves in what perhaps might be a tagging role.
Geelong vs Box Hill
Saturday at 2:10pm
GMHBA Stadium
The final match on Saturday is one that has plenty of old history in other competitions, but is sure to still be a fascinating match up here.
Geelong may have been the one of the two to lose in Round 1, but they do have the home ground advantage here. Box Hill may also not have the AFLW stars they had last week, but will still have Mietta Kendall as a focal point in attack, so Johanna Sunderland and co will still have a busy afternoon.
Southern Saints vs Darebin
Sunday at 9:45am
Trevor Barker Oval
Sunday’s one and only clash is between two sides who had very different first up matches, but both learnt a powerful lesson about making the most of your opportunities in attack.
The key for Darebin will be to give Alyssa Mifsud more support in attack, while also keeping the likes of Chloe Hunt quiet up the other end. Not always the easiest of tasks, especially against the Saints on their home deck and the conditions that come with it.