THE excitement of the first round of AFLW action continues today with a jam packed schedule of five matches.

1:05pm local time
Manuka Oval

SIDES

GWS

FB: Randall, Smith

HB: Evans, McCormick, Pease

C: Eva, Barr, Brazendale

HF: Garnett, Zreika, Huntington

FF: Doyle, Goldsworthy

FOL: O’Dowd, Beeson, Parker

IC: Grierson, Gaffney, Ransom, Srhoj, Pauga

EMG: Murphy, Miller, Newman

Western Bulldogs

FB: Ahrens, Grant

HB: Fitzgerald, Buttifant, Georgostathis

C: Gorham, Carruthers, Wilcox

HF: Weston-Turner, Smith, Berry

FF: Hartwig, McKee

FOL: Edmonds, Blackburn, Pritchard

IC: Borg, Barwick, Grigg, Gutknecht, Gavalas

EMG: Woodley, McFarlane, Farquharson

NEW FACES

The Giants are blooding four new faces today. Draftee Kaitlyn Srhoj will line up alongside Irish recruit Eilish O’Dowd, former Sun Claire Ransom and former Lion Mikayla Pauga.

Meanwhile the Bulldogs have eight new faces. Lauren Ahrens, Jasmyn Smith, Analea McKee and Ellie Gavalas will all make their club debuts alongside draftees Cleo Buttifant, Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner, Brooke Barwick and Elaine Grigg who will make their league debuts.

LAST TIME THESE SIDES MET

These two sides have not actually met since opening round of Season 7, and that day it was the Bulldogs who emerged with a seven point win.

The Giants briefly led early, but once the Bulldogs got going the Giants just could not quite keep up.

KEY MATCH UP

Any success starts in the midfield, and Alyce Parker and Ellie Blackburn are two players that their respective clubs just could not function without. They are so pivotal to getting the first clearance for their respective sides, so if one has a quiet day the other side will get a huge boost.

3:05pm local time
Windy Hill

SIDES

Essendon

FB: Gamble, Clarke

HB: Morcom, Gay, Gough

C: Keaney, Prespakis, Alexander

HF: Clarke, Gee, Gaylor

FF: Toogood, Radford

FOL: Wales, Cain, Bannister

IC: Nanscawen, Van de Heuvel, Dyke, Walker, Jacques

EMG: Vogt, Williamson, Van Loon

Fremantle

FB: Flynn, O’Driscoll

HB: Brazill, O’Sullivan, Scanlon

C: Low, Miller, Antonio

HF: Newton, Seth, Pugh

FF: Tighe, Runnalls

FOL: Strom, McCarthy, East

IC: Mullholand, Kaufffman, Lally, Cregg, Kikoak

EMG: Hetherington, Tuhakaraina, Mulder

NEW FACES

Both sides have four new faces today.

For Essendon club debutants Maddison Gay and Bess Keaney will be joined by league debutants Emily Gough and Amy Gaylor.

Meanwhile for Fremantle Ash Brazill, Gabrielle Newton and Aisling McCarthy will all make their club debuts, while Tunisha Kikoak will cap off a crazy few months by making her league debut.

LAST TIME THESE SIDES MET

The last time these two sides met was back in Round 4 last season, and that day it was the Bombers who came away with a 20-point win.

Essendon really kicked away as the matched progressed and the Dockers simply just could not keep up.

KEY MATCH UP

It is going to be a big day for Aisling McCarthy. On club debut today for the Dockers, she is likely to be the one that has to fill the hole left by Kiara Bowers in Fremantle’s midfield so a lot of pressure will be on her shoulders today. What will make things harder for her too is that she will likely have Madison Prespakis for company, who will be working just as hard to get that clearance out for her team.

5:05pm local time
People First Stadium

SIDES

Gold Coast

FB: Randell, Wilson

HB: Bischa, Lynch, Fitzpatrick

C: Smith, Whitfort, Barwick

HF: Kievit, Stanton, Davies

FF: Bohanna, Dupuy

FOL: Bella, Rowbottom, D’Arcy

IC: Maurer, McLaughlin, Single, Clayden, Membrey

EMG: McConville, Fullerton, Oliver

St Kilda

FB: Stevens, Watson    

HB: Priest, Trudgeon, Jakobsson           

C: McDonald, Lambert, Guttridge         

HF: Anderson, Wardlaw, Xenos             

FF: Caris, Richards       

FOL: Nalder, Vesely, Stuart       

IC: Friend, Kelly, Burke, Simpson, Smith            

EMG: Boyd, Plane, Matthews

NEW FACES

Gold Coast has a mix of club and league debutants tonight. Draftees Kiara Bischa and Annabel Kievit will be debuting alongside Katie Lynch, Charlotte Wilson and Ella Smith.

On the other side of the equation St Kilda have only three new faces. Charlotte Simpson is the only league debutant of the trio though, and she will be joined by Rene Caris and Paige Trudgeon in running out in Saints colours for the first time today.

LAST TIME THESE SIDES MET

These two last met back in Round 4 last year, and that day it was the Suns who emerged victorious to the tune of 14 points. St Kilda did hold the lead briefly early, but then stopped scoring in the middle two quarters as the Suns kicked away.

KEY MATCH UP

Although the Suns have a lot of good forward targets, arguably their most dangerous is Jamie Stanton, who is a strong marker but also sneaky. Hannah Priest may just be the one that cops that big job and is assigned to shut Stanton down.

7:15pm local time
GMHBA Stadium

SIDES

Geelong

FB: Emonson, Gunjaca              

HB: Webster, M McDonald, Kearns      

C: Friswell, Prespakis, Bowen 

HF: Crocket-Grills, Parry, Surman         

FF: Moloney, Kenny      

FOL: Darby, Amy McDonald, Morrison

IC: Rankin, Featherston, Scott, Kennedy, Moloney       

EMG: Abbey McDonald, Plummer, Mason

Melbourne

FB: Colvin, Gillard                                                     

HB: Chaplin, Heath, Paxman

C: McNamara, Lampard, Mackin          

HF: Zanker, Mithen, Harris

FF: Bannan, Fitzsimon

FOL: Pearce, Hanks, Hore         

IC: Hill, Watt, Goldrick, Wotherspoon, Beasley             

EMG: Taylor, Campbell, Gall

NEW FACES

The Cats only have one debutant, with Irishwoman Kate Kenny lining up in the forward line.

Melbourne has named three new faces, with former Giant Grace Hill, rookie signing Grace Beasley and draftee Ryleigh Wotherspoon all making their Demon debuts tonight.

LAST TIME THESE SIDES MET

You do not need to go back far to the last time these two sides met, with it being semi-final day last year. That day Geelong dominated just about all match, and survived a late Melbourne fightback to end the Demons’ premiership defence.

KEY MATCH UP

There has been a lot of talk over the preseason about Tayla Harris, but tonight she is going to have a big job providing that marking target in the forwardline Melbourne need. She will not have an easy night though, likely having Meghan McDonald for company.

7:15pm local time (7:45pm AEST)
Alberton Oval

SIDES

Port Adelaide

FB: Brooksby, Borg                                                                   

HB: Germech, O’Dea, Cuthbertson                     

C: Hammond, Moloney, Goody

HF: Lamb, Mules-Robinson, Houghton

FF: Saint, Teakle

FOL: Scholz, Dowrick, Syme

IC: Window, Foley, Levicki, Boag, Wendland

EMG: Keryk, Pope, Stewart

Adelaide

FB: Biddell, Prowse                                                   

HB: Goodwin, S Allan, Kustermann      

C: Kelly, Hatchard, Thompson

HF: Martin, Randall, Boileau

FF: Ponter, Jones

FOL: J Allan, Marinoff, Levy       

IC: Tonon, Mueller, Waterhouse, Newman, Varnhagen

EMG: Tarlinton, Henry, Smith

NEW FACES

There will be six faces in teal tonight, with Teagan Germech, Caitlin Wendland and Kirsty Lamb making their club debuts alongside draftees Piper Window, Molly Brooksby and Shineah Goody.

Adelaide by stark contrast only have one debutant, with the club’s first 2023 draftee Brooke Boileau making her debut tonight.

LAST TIME THESE SIDES MET

These two sides opened last year with a Showdown too, and in last year’s fixture the Crows proved too strong and won by 30 points.

Port Adelaide did give an improved performance compared to the inaugural Showdown, but it still was not enough as the Crows flexed their muscles.

KEY MATCH UP

Ashleigh Saint is always a lingering threat in attack for Port, and cannot be given even an inch of space. It will be interesting to see who ends up on her, whether it is the height of a Zoe Prowse or the strength of perhaps a Chelsea Biddell.