EACH game in Round 6 of the AFL Sydney Women’s Premier Division has a clear favourite and underdog across the four matchups, though the manner in which each game will unfold is likely to be wildly different.

UTS BATS vs PENNANT HILLS DEMONS
Saturday, May 11 @ 12:15pm
Trumper Oval

UTS Bats are the strong favourites against Pennant Hills Demons on Ladies Day, which is always a well done and enjoyable event. Hover, over the last two seasons the Bats have given Pennant Hills heavy losses in this annual match, whilst cementing their rise up the ladder.

Pennant Hills has not been able to find linkage or clean football on the tighter and smaller Trumper Oval and have yet to find the keys as to why that is happening. In an interesting and somewhat quizzical twist of fate, the ex-Pennant Hills coach has taken the reins of the UTS team and now gets to play the Demons for the first time. It remains to be seen how this affects the Bats tilt at a repeat grand final chance.

Expect a hard running and extraction from the contest bombardment from the UTS players, and Pennant Hills will need to work hard all day to repel and find a goal or two of their own. Watch for Eliza Harvey‘s athleticism to trouble the Bats backline if it does get forward. A good barometer for the Demons’ chances is whether she gets drawn into defending across the half-back line

UTS to win by around 27 points.

MANLY WARRINGAH WOLVES vs ST GEORGE DRAGONS
Saturday, May 11 @ 12:30pm
Weldon Oval

It would be easy to say that this result will be a lopsided one and say newcomers St George cannot win this contest at this point because they have not discovered the keys to offensive football at Premier Division level yet. But there is something about the current defensive mindsets of both of these teams, including their matched physical capabilities that suggests the margin will not be a blow out.

Manly Warringah is coming off two very good and comfortable wins, but the Wolves should not take the big open expanses of Weldon Oval lightly.

Watch for a multitude of moving scrums, where the ball just will not come out and the size of this result will be determined by the fact that Manly will come out of the inside football contests many more times. The Wolves should win by around 40 points on paper as the cleaner team with more forward flow.

EAST COAST EAGLES vs NORTH SHORE BOMBERS
Saturday, May 11 @ 12:30pm
Kanebridge Oval

Clearly the match of the round and it has top of the table implications. But, in this one, East Coast is the favourite, and North Shore the underdog despite the latter holding pole position at this point. Last week the Eagles looked incredible with Caitlin Reid back organising the side, but she will miss this crucial clash as she juggles her commitments with Geelong VFLW.

The Bombers currently sit on top of the ladder and all the internal talk this week will have been about proving they belong there, and this is the ultimate test. However they will need to find a way to get around Abbey Martin who will be a key player for the Eagles in rebounding off half-back and providing transition for the reigning premiers.

Brooke Bailey is a key player out of the midfield for the Eagles and pushing forward, while their forwards in Caitlin Davidson and Rylee McGartland are outstanding finishers. The influence of young guns such as Amelie and Darcie Prosser-Shaw will held after their stint with the Giants Academy, as well Swans Academy’s Lucinda Watson.

The Bombers on the other hand regain over-ager Ava Barraclough to the side who has done some great work with the Giants Academy, alongside tough Swans Academy inside midfielder, Lucy Yates. However, if East Coast proactively hunt the player with the ball, anywhere near what they ate capable of, North Shore’s greatest weakness will be exposed.

The Bombers’ inside to outside transition footy is really good when they are allowed space, but when their players are under pressure, they do not have the consistency yet to find full field linkages to put enough of a score on the board against the top opposition in the league.

It will be a good game, but it might be a weekend for East Coast to assert its dominance and join North Shore at the top of the table. The Eagles by 21 points.

UNSW-ES BULLDOGS vs PARRAMATTA GOANNAS
Saturday, May 11 @ 3:40pm
Henson Park

Parramatta is the favourite in this game, going up against the winless Bulldogs as the Goannas look to continue their season of win-loss-win-loss. The Goannas move the ball well from the stoppage and drive it forward which will provide them instant shots or avenues to goal at Henson Park. That is where the game will be won and lost.

Defensively, UNSW cannot allow Parramatta to get a couple of goals jump start and need to get around the inside contest and disrupt any linkage chains the Goannas midfielders attempt from inside to outside. If they can even up the territory battle, then both sets of forwards are potent if supplied with opportunities.

The natural tendency is to get stuck on the deep wings, and play can fall into a battle between the arcs. The team that straightens up more will effectively create the most chances and win. Parramatta by a couple of goals.

Sydney Uni have the bye.