THE AFL Sydney Women’s Premier Division finals series begins this weekend, with North Shore and UNSW-ES meeting on Saturday to decide who will face off against Manly Warringah next week for a direct path to the Grand Final before Sydney University and UTS Bats face off in Sunday’s elimination final.

AFL Sydney Women’s Premier Division

FINALS WEEK 1 FIXTURE:

North Shore Bombers vs. UNSW-ES Bulldogs | Qualifying Final | Saturday August 29, 1:20pm @ Blacktown International Sportspark – Oval 1

Sydney University vs. UTS Bats | Elimination Final | Sunday August 30, 1:20pm @ Blacktown International Sportspark – Oval 1

The qualifying final between North Shore and UNSW-ES is arguably the most fascinating contest of the season. The Bombers deserve favouritism after their tremendous regular season, but this is far from a one-sided contest. The Bulldogs showed last season that they do not shy away from the big stage, and they have a clear tactical blueprint for troubling North Shore if they can execute it again.

The key lies in how UNSW approaches the central contest. North Shore’s greatest weapon is its ability to release runners out the front of stoppages before the opposition can react, so the Bulldogs cannot afford to be reactive. If UNSW allows that first release, the Bombers’ running game and overlap will take hold. However, a committed hunt defence and proactive counterattack – away, around or over the central defenders – would keep the Bulldogs firmly in the contest.

The wider spaces at Blacktown mean UNSW cannot rely solely on a full-field shutdown. It will need to attack boldly and create scoring opportunities of its own, particularly given converting effort into scoreboard pressure has been the Bulldogs’ principal challenge against fellow finalists. The defensive matchups will be just as important, with Adrienne Keeffe and Rebecca Privitelli creating major problems as focal points at either end. Both teams have also developed secondary inside 50 options around their key targets, meaning the defenders must be ready to adjust once the ball hits the deck.

North Shore has match-winners across the field, led by Heidi de Saxe, Lucy Yates and Lily Sullivan, while Keeffe’s 15-goal haul in the final home-and-away round underlined the Bombers’ forward threat. The Bulldogs will counter with the class of Maddy Collier, Francesca Ryan and Sera Kaukiono. Both sides are missing important personnel, with North Shore without Kiera Yerbury and UNSW without Amaia Wain in the centre, but an entertaining tactical battle awaits. North Shore has the edge if the Bulldogs are reactive; if UNSW commits to its hunt defence and counterattack, the result could come down to effort and tactics on the day.

Sunday’s elimination final is do-or-die, with fourth-placed Sydney University facing fifth-placed UTS Bats. The Students start as deserved favourites on the back of increasingly positive form, particularly with Frances Walsh coming into her own as a footballer. Sydney University has a multi-pronged forward line and its players have become more proactive at the contest, with link-up play increasingly producing full-ground transitions.

That difference between multiple-possession chains and one-off possessions shapes as the defining factor. UTS has thoroughly beaten the teams below it all year, but has struggled to generate scores against the top four when the immediate ball carrier comes under pressure. The Bats must find a way to move the ball beyond individual possession football if they are to create enough attacking opportunities against Sydney University’s organised defensive structure.

Lucy Gilfedder comes in after a barnstorming four-goal game against UNSW-ES, and alongside Amanda Farrugia and Evie Bowie gives the Students plenty of class. For the Bats, younger stars Olivia Morris and Ella Parker must be prepared to take the game by the scruff of the neck. The ruck duel also presents an intriguing contrast in styles, with important secondary options for both teams once the ball exits stoppage.

For the qualifying final winner, a date with Manly Warringah awaits for a spot in the grand final. The loser will return the following week against the Sydney University-UTS winner. For the Bats and Students, though, the equation is simple: win and stay alive, lose and the 2026 campaign is over.