LAST week in the AFL Sydney Women’s Premier Division, it was suggested that there might be a three-goal margin as the form line, with further margin extensions depending on how each team dealt with the centrally contested issues.

In Round 11, it is a five-goal form line across all games, and the challenge is set for the underdogs not just to keep the game close, but to learn how to create and deliberately advance the football, and actually take it up to the opposition. The offensive football form gulf that has opened up across the league needs to be closed by the lower ranked sides.

UTS BATS vs EAST COAST EAGLES
Saturday, June 29 @ 12:30pm
Gore Hill Oval

The first match looms as exciting game between these two teams in dry weather for a chance. Both sides have been plagued recently with having to adapt to slippery surfaces, and it will be nice to see them both in full flight.

The effort in recent weeks has been there from the Bats, but in the year to-date they have shown limitations in the ball extraction fluency and the running linkage play that saw them rise to the top in 2023.

Right now the Eagles play a style of football that is the Bats’ greatest Achilles heal, and it might be time for the Eagles to really fly away with this one, especially if they are at full strength. Watch out for play straight of the centre stoppage, and for the forwards of the Eagles to be more efficient at capitalising from their overwhelming inside 50s. Eagles by about eight goals.

ST GEORGE DRAGONS vs SYDNEY UNIVERSITY
Saturday, June 29 @ 12:50pm
Olds Park

The last time these two met the Dragons were kept almost effective possessionless in the very early stages of their introduction to Premier Division football. No doubt they will want to show the leagues their improved performance on their much more expansive home ground at Olds Park.

But they will face a Sydney Uni team who is strengthening across every position, and becoming much better at in tight contested work and deliberate spillages being to their advantage. Their performance in the wet last week against Manly was quite impressive despite the loss.

The Dragons learnt last week that guarding the runner on the outside is a major weakness for them and they will look to sure up their inside work and not let runners burst out of the front side of the contest. Offensively they also need to make sure that players are in an advantageous position when they do manage to get the ball downfield and start building linkages that will eventually lead to points on the board.

Jasmine Smith was tipped to be best on ground last time and duly put on a great performance, and there is every reason to believe she will feature in the best again. However the young Dragons rucks are doing quite a good job an evening out ball up contests, so look out for her have to continue to add around the ground work to keep the advantage. Sydney Uni by 56.

PENNANT HILLS DEMONS vs NORTH SHORE BOMBERS
Saturday, June 29 @ 1:10pm
Mike Kenny Oval

Earlier in the season, Pennant Hills applied impressive pressure to North Shore, only to go down in a valiant effort after a quick burst of two or three goals from the Bombers. Since then, Pennant Hills has lost an extraordinary amount of senior players, and they have been replaced with a younger, enthusiastic group.

Whilst it is expected that both teams will pressure each other to a standstill, it is hard to see the Pennant Hills team keeping this one close. The key to this game and margin will be for Pennant Hills to stop the extraction handpasses. The Demons cannot let North Shore get to the outside.

For North Shore, the Bombers’ only goal is currently to start building towards finals competitive football after a string of losses and “almost” games against the top end of the league. Look out for them to improve their clean hands in contested situations, and their ability to hits advantageous targets if they do create the runner with the football.

Over recent weeks both teams have sent their most influential and experienced players to the half-back line to protect scores and blowouts, and it would be nice to see what respective captains Matilda Eder (North Shore) and Kaitlin Noble (Pennant Hills) could do against each other in dry weather. North Shore by around five goals.

UNSW-ES BULLDOGS vs MANLY WARRINGAH WOLVES
Saturday, June 29 @ 3:50pm
Henson Park

The Bulldogs should be very proud of their efforts last round, almost taking victory, and each of their players learning quite a bit. They allowed the UTS team very little scoring opportunities. They would be looking to improve a lot of the “almost” possessions that plagued them last week, where they either hestitated or turned back into traffic and could not get a clear disposal away.

It would be good to see them get a chance at dry weather footy and really play proactively. However Manly come in to this game in super form and the Wolves’ athletic space creation around the contest has proven very hard to deal with across the competition.

They are universally strong across the field and are staking their claim as a serious contender. Hannah Woolfe is playing the type of football through the centre that could be seen at a higher level, and everywhere you look with flow of the play is being created in positive ways.

That is also not forgetting Zara Hamilton‘s influence, who is clearly among the best players in the league at this point and might be racking up a few Mostyn Medal votes. With the end of year approaching, it would be nice to see Manly continue to build on offence and continue to refine and find sharper avenues to goal for the big games to come. The Wolves to produce a big win.