A SPOT in the AFL Sydney Women’s Premier Division Grand Final is on the line for one of East Coast Eagles and Manly Warringah Wolves, while there are no second chances remaining for Parramatta Goannas and Sydney University with the loser’s season coming to a close.

EAST COAST EAGLES vs. MANLY WARRIGAH WOLVES
Saturday, September 7 @ 11:10am
Blacktown International Sportspark

The aspiring three-peat flag hopefuls take on their main challenger from 2024 and a fantastic contest awaits. However due to the second chance on offer, the theme for the game should not be seen as the end, but more a learning opportunity.

With the Eagles currently being so experienced across the ground, having had finals experience aplenty and able to consistently play running linkage football, while evasively getting around the opposition and then finishing well inside 50, it is hard to see the Wolves beating the Eagles tomorrow. However it is not hard to see them learning enough to come back in a fortnight’s time and give the flag a real shake against the Eagles.

The reason behind that is with the Wolves’ display last week and their direct adaptations and acclimatisation to the standards required to win a final on a large ground in front of a big crowd. Hannah Woolf‘s game last round was the a perfect example of that adaptation.

A fantastic player all year, Woolf looked out of sorts early in the match as the Goannas’ midfield took control. However after a rest, Woolf returned and won a huge clearance and followed up with multiple repeat efforts which would be symbolic of what was to come from her for the rest of the game. She built on that and was just excellent with the game on the line in the final term.

The other aspect was as the game went on, other teammates started to feel the necessary level required as well and attacked the ball with greater gusto. Young Zali Currie added efforts around the coalface and Zara Hamilton got better as the game went on, breaking lines. Kenya Fahey was important and Lauren Bull provided the match-winning finish.

Up the other end, Ashleigh Carter and Holly Wickham added offensive run to their defensive abilities, while Isabella Rudolph further enhanced her reputation as a clinical finisher in the second half of the season. There was plenty of improvement across the board for the Wolves, but the biggest question mark was could they learn and adapt fast enough.

For East Coast, it is the Eagles’ time. They will look to win the first ruck tap from Caitlin Reid down to Amelie Prosser-Shaw, Brooke Bailey or Summer Hall and put pressure on the opposition from the opening bounce. They will known Manly’s ability to shut down the defence of the immediate ball carrier, and the Eagles had some excellent strategies in place last time the two teams met to combat it.

Also last time they met, the Eagles forced pressure upon Manly who could simply not link anything together and had minimal reward for effort. However after months of change, both sides will head in ready for a massive clash.

A grand final spot is on the line and East Coast’s ability to use the football under opposition pressure will determine the result of the game. If the game gets scrappy, then expect the result to be tight, but if the Eagles can get their running game going, then they should get home. Fascinating viewing awaits with the Eagles to win by 15 points.

PARRAMATTA GOANNNAS vs. SYDNEY UNIVERSITY
Saturday, September 7 @ 11:10am
Blacktown International Sportspark

What an elimination game there is in store for fans who head down to Blackdown on Sunday morning. These two sides met late in the season and Sydney Uni cemented its finals spot with a much improved performance. However the biggest difference will be the form of Sera Kaukiono.

She was just coming back from injury and had little influence on that game, but pulled off an excellent chase down tackle in the dying stages of last week’s tight final, showing her form and fitness are building, and if she can take the game by the scruff of the neck, her play will cause headaches for the Students.

If Kaukiono moves around the ground with everything she has, expect to see a lot of centre clearance wins. Caitlin Fletcher and Amanda Farrugia are in top flight form, but will need others to stand up. It has been so impressive to see the rise of Megan Mifsud and others around them this year, and the midfield is where the game is going to be won or lost.

Parramatta is currently playing one linkage football, so the Goannas rely very heavily on winning the first possession around the contest and driving it downfield to the next set of contests. The addition that would most help them in the game to win is to try and break some lines with run and carry.

That is where their next interesting area comes into play. The Goannas have become reliant on playing young Lauren O’Sullivan as a one-out deep forward, and over the last five weeks she increased her attack on the ball confidence, provided strong leads and finished off well. They became so reliant on the youngster, they dropped one of the league’s most experienced finishers in Brianna Wade to the reserves.

Only hindsight will reveal whether that was the right thing to do, but Wade is listed to return on Sunday. The other key battle for the game is through the ruck with Paige Pirotta having to contend with young Kendra Blattman leaping at her all day, and any others set to rotate through the middle. The Students cannot afford to let Pirotta get the ball to the likes of Fletcher or Farrugia, and give the opposition forward momentum.

For the Students, Blattman needs to get her hands on the ball directly on the ruck as many times as possible and provide the Goannas with first use out of the middle. They also need to follow the exact gameplan they brought late in the season, and hope Maryanne Harley continues her rise and recovery from long-term injury and can organise the midfield to win the battle.

The clash will be a very different proposition than last week’s match for them, and if Fletcher can burst through the middle and lose track of her opponents, then the Students will be in trouble. Also getting the ball rolling forward with momentum will not be enough this week. They will have to find the evasion and composure with ball in hand to link up and hit targets downfield in order to create scoring opportunities.

It is expected Jasmine Smith will also need to do a lot more work around the contest to cover for the opponent’s experienced athletes. But the single biggest key to the game is the start and finish for Parramatta. In recent weeks they have fallen away towards the end of the games after starting with a bang, so the Students must make sure that Parramatta cannot put the game to bed in the first 20 minutes.

Likewise, the Goannas have to go into the game with an understanding of what is causing their late fadeaways in matches. In what is anticipated to be a tight, low-scoring contest, expect an early Parramatta lead, and it will just be whether or not the Goannas can run them down in order to decide the victor.