THERE is another quartet of matches to enjoy today in the AFL Women’s, as the race for finals heats up.

1:05pm
Kinetic Stadium

Recent form

Hawthorn continues to be one of the teams to beat this season, and is currently on a four match winning streak.

West Coast meanwhile has had an up and down couple of week, and will be looking to get more consistency into their season again.

Last time they met

These two have only met once prior, back in Round 6 of Season 7. That particular afternoon, the Hawks came from behind to take the lead in the second term and never looked back.

Key stat areas

Both of these teams prefer to kick the ball more than handball it, so it will be interesting to see how this clashes. There are a few key areas for West Coast in particular to keep an eye on today.

Firstly, the Eagles need to lift their inside 50 efficiency because not only is it poor but it is significantly lower than Hawthorn’s. Secondly, they have recorded significantly less disposals than Hawthorn and their tackle count is significantly lower than Hawthorn’s.

Key match up/s

Jess Hosking is a big in for the Eagles today, and will provide a great link between the midfield and forward line for the Eagles.

However, the Eagles will need to keep an eye on Jasmine Fleming and make sure she cannot do the same thing to them up the other end.

3:05pm
Swinburne Centre

Recent form

Richmond quickly bounced back onto the winners list last week with an impressive win over Collingwood in atrocious conditions. Geelong meanwhile has had an up and down past month or so, but jumped back onto the winners list last week with a narrow win over Sydney.

Last time they met

These two have played several times since Richmond entered the competition in 2020, but many of the matches have not been high scoring. When these two met last year though, Geelong kicked away in the last term to record a big win after restricting Richmond’s scoring really well.

Key stat areas

Richmond has been doing a lot better than Geelong in a lot of key categories this season, so the Cats will have plenty to keep in mind today. Some of those categories include disposals, inside 50s and inside 50 efficiency and clearances. However, Geelong has been doing slightly better than Richmond when it comes to tackles.

Key match up/s

One thing Richmond has proven this season is that when their forward line is working well together, it usually spells trouble for the opposition. So Meghan McDonald, Claudia Gunjaca and the rest of Geelong’s defence is going to have a big day curtailing the likes of Katie Brennan and Sarah Hosking.

4:05pm local time (5:05pm AEDT)
Brighton Homes Arena

Recent form

These two could not be going more differently so far this season. Brisbane is on a six-match winning streak and is currently in second place, while Gold Coast is still searching for its first win.

Last time they met

As the two Queensland teams in the competition, these two can always expect to play each other every year. In last season’s clash. Brisbane progressively kicked away as the match progressed as the Suns just could not keep up.

Key stat areas

Both of these teams prefer to handball the ball more than kick it, so it will be interesting to see how this clashes.

Gold Coast has been doing significantly better than Brisbane in the hit outs, but when it comes to clearances it is the other way around.

One of the biggest differences between the sides is in the uncontested possession game, so Gold Coast will really need to watch Brisbane’s outside runners.

Key match up/s

Brisbane’s tall forward targets are synonymous for a reason and are crucial to match up correctly, so Charlotte Wilson and Clara Fitzpatrick are both going to have big jobs again today trying to contain Taylor Smith and Dakota Davidson.

4:15pm local time (7:15pm AEDT)
Whitten Oval

Recent form

Fremantle will be looking to jump back onto the winners list quickly after ending a strong run of form with a loss last week. Carlton meanwhile will be even more desperate to get back on the winners list as they are currently on a four match losing streak.

Last time they met

It has been a few years since these two have met on the footy field, with the last head to head clash happening back in Season 7. That particular afternoon, Fremantle led for much of the afternoon before Carlton fought back hard in the last quarter to claw back a draw.

Key stat areas

Carlton really needs to improve its inside 50 efficiency today, because it is very low and not competitive with Fremantle’s, especially considering there is also a large gap between the inside 50s numbers of the two sides.

Carlton has been doing significantly better than Fremantle in the hit outs, but when it comes to clearances it is the other way around.

Neither of these sides have been big tacklers so far this season, so hopefully this means the game will be very open today.

Key match up/s

Some of the weapons Fremantle has in its midfield is enviable of any team in the competition, so Carlton must keep close watch on the likes of Aisling McCarthy and Hayley Miller. This means the likes of Maddy Guerin and Abbie McKay are going to have a big job tonight.