THE northern states’ competitions push deeper into 2026, with the AFL Sydney Women’s Premier Division heading into Round 5 and the QAFL Women’s into Round 4 on Saturday. Academy prospects remain absent through Talent League commitments, continuing to create opportunities for club-level talents to stake their claim.

AFL Sydney Women’s Premier Division:

ROUND 5 FIXTURE:

UTS Bats vs. St George Dragons | Saturday May 2, 10:30am @ Trumper Oval
Pennant Hills Demons vs. UNSW-ES Bulldogs | Saturday May 2, 12:50pm @ Mike Kenny Oval
Parramatta Goannas vs. Sydney University | Saturday May 2, 3:00pm @ Gipps Road Ovals
Manly Warringah Wolves vs. North Shore Bombers | Saturday May 2, 3:10pm @ Weldon Oval

Bye: East Coast Eagles

The round opens at Trumper Oval with a mismatch on paper between the UTS Bats and the St George Dragons. The Bats carry the experience and ball movement quality to dominate across all corridors of the ground, and their forwards will be licking their lips at the prospect of space if they can secure clean entries. The central ruck battle will be the key dynamic to watch — if the Bats win it consistently, their ability to run and gun the ball forward will be near impossible to contain. For the Dragons, expect admirable defensive intent and patches of genuine resistance, but the challenge of limiting the Bats to a low-scoring margin will be significant. A big Bats win.

Mike Kenny Oval hosts another match where the scoreboard is unlikely to be kind to the home side. The Pennant Hills Demons, yet to find their first win of the season, welcome a Bulldogs outfit that continues to be one of the competition’s most organised and disciplined teams. The young Demons will face an afternoon of heavy traffic, and the learnings from a game like this – contested ball, system pressure, forward entries at pace – are exactly what a developing program needs. What the Demons can take from it will be what matters most.

The Students head to Gipps Road as heavy favourites against Parramatta and should prove too strong through the central corridors. Sydney University’s linkage play makes them difficult to stop for sustained periods, and their ability to work the ball through the middle and hit targets leading out of stoppage regularly results in multiple goals a quarter against sides at Parramatta’s current level. The Goannas will make them earn it early but expect the gap to extend as the game progresses.

Without question, Weldon Oval hosts the match of the round. Manly Warringah Wolves and North Shore Bombers bring two of the competition’s most distinctive playing styles into direct collision — the Wolves’ run and athleticism against the Bombers’ sharp inside-outside ball movement and transition game Whether the Wolves can cover North Shore’s ball releases and make them play the contested version of the game will define the contest. If they can, we may see an arm-wrestle where neither side gets anything for free. If North Shore can find their running chains in space, they’ll create real damage quickly. Either way, expect every possession to be hard-won and a result that could go down to the last quarter. A blockbuster.

QAFL Women’s:

ROUND 4 FIXTURE:

Aspley vs. Moreton Bay | Saturday May 2, 1:00pm @ South Pine Sporting Complex
Southport vs. Wilston Grange | Saturday May 2, 1:30pm @ Fankhauser Reserve Coorparoo vs. Maroochydore | Saturday May 2, 4:45pm @ Giffin Park
Morningside vs. Bond University | Saturday May 2, 4:45pm @ Jack Esplen Oval
Broadbeach vs. University of Queensland | Saturday May 2, 4:45pm @ Kombumerri Park

South Pine Sporting Complex hosts Aspley’s Round 4 clash with Moreton Bay in what shapes as an opportunity for both sides. The Hornets went down to Coorparoo in Round 2 but showed enough in the second half to suggest their best is not far away, while the Lions have found consistent scoring difficult through the opening rounds. This is a game with a win on offer for either side – the team that moves the ball forward more cleanly and converts their opportunities will likely take the four points.

Fankhauser Reserve sets the scene for what could be one of the competition’s most significant contests of the round, as Southport – who bounced back strongly after their surprise one-point defeat to Morningside – collide with the rampaging Wilston Grange. The Gorillas have been a force of nature through three rounds, and Zimmorlei Farquharson‘s goal-kicking has made them one of the most feared forward lines in the competition. Whether Southport’s structure can contain the Gorillas’ attacking bursts will be the defining question. A genuine contest.

The evening triple-treat brings three fascinating fixtures to the fore. Coorparoo hosts Maroochydore at Giffin Park as both sides enter a pivotal stretch of the season – the Blues will be looking to build on their form and continue applying pressure near the top of the table, while the Roos will be determined to push their way back into the top four race. A competitive game between two well-credentialed clubs, though on form, you have to side with Coorparoo.

At Jack Esplen Oval, Morningside hosts Bond University in what shapes as the standout contest of the evening. The Panthers have been one of the competition’s genuine surprise packages coming off a grand final last season and continuing that form in 2026, having already scalped Southport by a point, and midfielder Laura Roy has been central to their momentum-building run. Bond University, however, have been devastating across the first two rounds before a surprise loss last week and arrive hungry to bounce back. The Bull Sharks’ line-breaking ability and willingness to move the ball at pace will test Morningside’s defensive structure thoroughly. This could be a defining match in the early-season narrative.

Kombumerri Park closes the round as Broadbeach host University of Queensland. The Red Lionesses found genuine form in Round 2 and have been building nicely, while the Cats continue to search for their first win of the season. A game with momentum stakes on both sides — UQ will be keen to consolidate inside the top four, while Broadbeach will see this as their best opportunity to break through in the win column.