ROUND six has left us doing the maths for many teams who have the possibility to make finals. Adelaide continued its late resurgence, as did the Dees, while the Lions lost control of their own destiny when they went down to the Pies. The Western Bulldogs also stumbled against the Giants, thanks to another wonderful performance from Courtney Gum, who is a sneaky chance to win the AFLW MVP award this year. This round proved how even the competition is and entertained fans with its unpredictability. There is no definitive flag favourite coming into the last round of the AFLW season, making for compelling contests across the weekend. 

Adelaide vs. Fremantle

By James Halley

#1: Dana Hooker- Fremantle

Needs to work on discipline as within seconds before the quarter time siren she gave away a 50m penalty, which resulted in a goal that put the Dockers behind. But she quickly learnt her lesson, as she was able to kick a goal from a 50m penalty in the third term, which put Fremantle ahead on the scoreboard. Once again, she hit the scoreboard late in the last quarter with a beautiful goal on the run. She ended up being Fremantle’s best player of the game with 20 disposals and two goals.

#2: Angela Foley- Adelaide

Foley is a very enthusiastic tackler. Also, her pressure on the ball-carrier was intense. She is a great on-field leader for the Crows. 

#3: Chelsea Randall- Adelaide

She played in the middle of the ground for most of the game and was instrumental. She was at her usual best in the air, taking numerous intercept marks. Once again her courage was on show, showcasing that she has no fear in the contest. 

#4: Ebony Marinoff- Adelaide

She needs to work on her game-sense, as she gave away a 50 metre penalty by simply running through the mark, which could be easily avoided. Apart from that, she played a courageous game and is an on-field warrior. She still soldiered on after needing stitches on her face, laying 16 tackles for the match.

#5: Kara Donnellan- Fremantle

She was instrumental for the Dockers all day in the midfield with 16 disposals. Lead from the front as usual. 

#6: Lisa Webb- Fremantle

She was amongst the best with 16 disposals, and tried hard all day in the four-point defeat.

#7: Erin Phillips- Adelaide

Luck fell her way to start the game when a kind bounce gifted her the first goal of the game. Phillips kicked her second goal in the first quarter when she displayed her class one-on-one against Alex Williams. She had the opportunity to kick for her third goal early in the second quarter but she did the team thing and tried to help get Sarah Perkins into the game, setting her up for her first goal for the season. 

#8: Ebony Antonio- Fremantle

Her rebounding skills were once again on show against the Crows, and her damaging kick hurt them on numerous occasions. She started the third term perfectly, kicking a goal in the first 20 seconds. In this instance, she used her defensive smarts to beat her opponent and gift herself a set-shot on goal. 

#9: Evangeline Gooch- Fremantle

She has great courage, and is not afraid to go back with the flight of the ball. She seems to be improving in defence each game. Has been a really consistent contributor all season for the Dockers. 

#10: Lara Filocamo- Fremantle

Gained a free kick and a 50-metre penalty from a high hit which put her in range of goal. She acted swiftly to even up the scores, and played a huge part in Fremantle’s fight-back.

#11: Hayley Miller- Fremantle

Had a great burst out of the middle to start the second half and set up Antonio’s first goal of the game. She was really busy in the third term, it felt like she was everywhere.

#12: Rhiannon Metcalfe- Adelaide

Her tap power was instrumental in giving the Crows first touch off the contest, and this gave them the upper hand in the midfield.

#13: Courtney Cramey- Adelaide

Thirteen disposals with 12 of them being kicks. Knows she has a good kick and used it to advantage on Friday night. 

#14: Ashlee Atkins- Fremantle

Converted a set-shot after being awarded a free kick inside her scoring range in the second term. Also contributed eight disposals in another solid game for her. 

#15: Sarah Allan- Adelaide

Allan is a very good one-on-one player deep in defence, and is hardly beaten. She was able to take the match-saving mark in the dying seconds, showing her composure and safe hands.

#16: Cassie Davidson- Fremantle

She didn’t really have any big moments within in the game but still contributed well with 12 disposals.

#17: Eloise Jones- Adelaide

She had the game-sense to play on when there was nobody on the mark in the last quarter, which gifted Erin Phillips yet another goal, as she kicked to her perfectly on a platter to her advantage.

#18: Jess Sedunary- Adelaide

She has some impressive pace and fancy footwork to get away from opponents. She showed this in the second term when she got around two Fremantle opponents.  

#19: Alicia Janz- Fremantle

Probably played her best game in the ruck for Fremantle this year. Contested well with Metcalfe and was able to contribute eight disposals herself. Has quick hands for a tall player. 

#20: Gabby O’Sullivan- Fremantle

Her intent was great all night. Did not get a lot of the footy but was particularly active inside 50. 

Brisbane vs. Collingwood

By Taylah Melki 

#1: Christina Bernardi- Collingwood

Stellar performance. She was in everything, and contested hard for the footy. Accurate in front of goal, slotting three majors. Applied heaps of physical pressure and had clean hands when dishing the footy off. Displayed excellent awareness throughout the whole game.

#2: Chloe Molloy- Collingwood

Another dominant display showing her clean hands and footy smarts. Used her speed to propel the Pies forward in a huge win for the black and white. Excellent composure. 

#3: Jasmine Garner- Collingwood

Was important for the Pies, she contested hard for the footy and provided a target up forward. Bagged a good goal and lead up at the footy.

#4: Jamie Stanton- Brisbane

Ran hard to get herself into good positions. Opened up space for her teammates and got plenty of touches.

#5: Emily Bates- Brisbane

She was a ball-magnet and used the footy cleanly. Had good speed and a penetrating kick. Stood up in the contest and fought hard to win the footy for her team.

#6: Jess Duffin- Collingwood

Good intercept mark, helped to control the backline. Showed good on-field leadership

#7: Caitlyn Edwards- Collingwood

Clean hands and great awareness to help set up scoring opportunities for her team mates. Was a tackling machine, laying 10 tackles and imposing herself on the contest.

#8: Kate Lutkins- Brisbane

She was in everything and contested hard for the footy. She dominated across the ground and made sure her presence was felt. Had clean hands and used the footy well

#9: Amelia Barden- Collingwood

Racked up the touches and used the footy well. Showed her class and footy smarts with ball in hand.

#10: Brittany Gibson- Brisbane

Booming kick and helped to propel the Lions forward. She got plenty of touches and showed good decision-making with ball in hand. Used the footy cleanly. 

#11: Moana Hope- Collingwood

Impressive in front of goal, provided a spark up forward for the pies. Contested for the footy well at ground level and used her body well to get into a good position.

#12: Ally Anderson- Brisbane

Good speed and helped to propel the Lions forward. Had plenty of the footy and scrapped hard to win the contested ball.

#13: Kaitlyn Ashmore- Brisbane

Had strong hands and took good contested marks. Competed hard for the footy both in the air and on the ground. Showed her skill and class with an impressive last-quarter goal.

#14: Breanna Koenen- Brisbane

Hands were clean and she was able to find targets. Racked up the possessions and used the footy well. Had strong hands, taking big grabs for the Lions.

#15: Jaimee Lambert- Collingwood

Clean hands and an accurate kick. Used her pinpoint precision to hit targets. Threw herself in the contest and took plenty of contested grabs.

#16: Lauren Tesoriero- Collingwood

Applied heaps of pressure and imposed herself on the contest laying six tackles. Used the footy really well and hit her targets.

#17: Sophie Conway- Brisbane

Had a slow start to the game but worked her way into the contest. Applied good forward-pressure and competed hard for the footy.  

#18: Tahlia Randall- Brisbane

Good leap in the ruck. Went down with an injury but came back out. Height difference didn’t seem to bother her, as she competed well in the ruck and won a few hit-outs.  

#19: Cecilia Mcintosh- Collingwood

Laid a few tackles and used the footy well. Got plenty of disposals and applied heaps of pressure for the Pies.

#20: Nat Exon- Brisbane

Took good contested marks and scrummed well for the footy. Slotted a stellar goal and fought hard throughout the match. 

GWS vs. Western Bulldogs

By Connor Ferris 

#1: Courtney Gum- GWS

Fantastic performance once again, battled well in the contest all night with 23 touches and a much-deserved goal.

#2: Emma Kearney- Western Bulldogs

Among the best for the Bulldogs as she continued to rack up the possessions. Got off to a flyer with nine touches in the first quarter, and ended up with 22 overall. Added eight tackles in a great all-round performance. 

#3: Alicia Eva- GWS

Terrific game. Able to create separation from her opponent and kick-start a number of passages of play for the Giants. Racked up 19 possessions and a goal.

#4: Jessica Dal Pos- GWS

After struggling to get into the game early, she played extremely well from midway through the second quarter, and kicked the goal to put the Giants in front. Ended up with 15 possessions and was a constant presence for the Giants going forward.

#5: Amanda Farrugia- GWS

Once again amongst the Giants’ best, and was great in all aspects of the game, 13 possessions, two marks, four tackles and a goal to polish off her work and secure victory for the Giants.

#6: Ellie Blackburn- Western Bulldogs

Great game again in Bulldogs colours. She was able to complement her fellow midfielders, while racking up 18 possessions herself. Blackburn made it tough on the Giants midfielders all night, laying four tackles to go along with her high-possession game.

#7: Monique Conti- Western Bulldogs

Another breakout performance from the young star. Clean ball-use all game, showed off her elite speed moving around the forward-flank, and set up plenty of forward 50 entries. Kicked a goal (first of her career) from 14 possessions and was involved in several Bulldog scores.

#8: Rebecca Beeson- GWS

Had a good game in the forward line with 11 possessions. Was unable to convert a major herself but was instrumental in setting the Bulldogs up with scoring chances, including Jodie Hicks’ goal.

#9: Kirsty Lamb- Western Bulldogs

Played very well through the middle of the ground. Got plenty of the ball with 16 touches, and displayed high levels of pressure with five tackles.

#10: Jodie Hicks- GWS

Was able to convert a goal in the second quarter off a great passage of play from the Giants. Provided relentless pressure to the Bulldogs defence with six tackles.

#11: Brooke Lochland- Western Bulldogs

A strong target up forward all game, and found space extremely well, resulting in eight marks. Wasteful in front of goal with just two behinds, but she will undoubtedly bounce back next round in a big game against the Dees.

#12: Angelica Gogos- Western Bulldogs

Good all-round game. Got plenty of the footy, marked the ball well and was relentless with her pressure around the contest.

#13: Britt Tully- GWS

Got a lot of the ball through the middle of the ground. Racked up 10 possessions with nine of them being kicks, which were mostly effective.

#14: Jenna Bruton- Western Bulldogs

Kicked a crucial goal in the third quarter to bring the Bulldogs back to within a goal. Was a constant presence for them inside 50.

#15: Libby Birch- Western Bulldogs

Great game down in defence. Her pressure was unbelievable, laying a game-high nine tackles. Her overall effort was fantastic.

#16: Hannah Scott- Western Bulldogs

Another nice game off the half-back flank and up towards the wing. Had the 15 possessions and a number of intercept marks.

#17: Bonnie Toogood- Western Bulldogs

Played well up forward without troubling the scores. Led at the ball very well with four marks.

#18: Erin McKinnon- GWS

After a record-breaking performance last week, McKinnon was once again dominant in the ruck with an astounding 34 hit-outs. Also added a mark to her great performance.

#19: Nicola Barr- GWS

Solid game down back. Had the 10 possessions with eight of them being kicks. A number of these resulted in rebound 50s to shut down the Bulldogs’ attack.

#20: Jacinda Barclay- GWS

Looked dangerous inside 50, but unfortunately wasn’t able to convert a goal. Continued her consistency in Giants colours. 

Carlton vs. Melbourne 

#1: Elise O’Dea- Melbourne 

O’Dea moved up forward for this game but was all over the ground. She kicked two early goals and finished with three for the day. Really good goalkicking action. She was on the end of every centering kick, and found space inside 50 with ease. 

#2: Tegan Cunningham- Melbourne 

Her attack on the footy in the first five minutes was electric, you just knew she was in for a good day. Kicked three goals and presented a great target for the Demons midfielders. 

#3: Shelley Scott- Melbourne 

Another all-round performance from Scott. She is a fantastic on-field leader and should be a part of Melbourne’s leadership group next year. A solid 19 disposals from her, many of which helped the Demons penetrate the ball forward. 

#4: Richelle Cranston- Melbourne 

Was able to use her power in the middle of the ground, as she played in the ruck a lot. She displayed good energy all over the ground, and made good use of the footy every time she touched it. Her contested marking is almost a spitting image of Sabrina Frederick-Traub’s. 

#5: Kate Hore- Melbourne 

Hore was lively in the forward-line and got on the end of a couple of kicks inside 50. Was able to convert two goals. Her goalkicking action is relaxed and she always stops and looks for an option with the ball in hand. Never in a rush. 

#6: Daisy Pearce- Melbourne 

Got a lot of the ball but turned it over a bit, which is unusual for her. Still, she was able to break her way into the game by laying some great tackles in the second half. Played one of her most aggressive games yet. 

#7: Katie Loynes- Carlton

Stood up for her side once again. Knows how to handle a pressure situation. She took everything the Melbourne players gave her, and excelled. Really smart kicking and clean hands. She was calm and composed with the ball in one instance then in the next she would be laying a fierce tackle. 

#8: Lily Mithen- Melbourne

Mithen played her best game for Melbourne on Sunday. She played that in-and-under style game that made her burst onto the scene last year. She was always at the bottom of the contest, showing how hard she went in for the ball. Was involved in some fierce tackles, and was able to challenge the Carlton midfielders. 

#9: Lauren Pearce- Melbourne 

Displayed incredible ball use for a ruckman. Made an impact in other areas of the ground, not just in the middle. A whopping 17 disposals for her in her second outstanding game in a matter of weeks. 

#10: Katherine Smith- Melbourne 

Continued her good run of form late in the season. Seems to be improving week-by-week. Laid six tackles in defence to ensure that the Blues forwards did not have any of the ball. 

#11: Kate Gillespie-Jones- Carlton 

Probably played her best game in the navy blue. A very underrated defender. One of the best runners in the competition, and was able to use her endurance to run through the corridor multiple times. Also has immense strength, she’s an extremely hard worker behind the scenes, and you can tell on the field. Wants to go at the footy all the time. 

#12: Sarah Hosking- Carlton 

Another handy contribution from her in the midfield. One of Carlton’s best on the day. 

#13: Georgia Gee- Carlton 

I was so happy to see her do well. She plays with great spirit and is a hard worker. She is one of the players who has benefited from the TAC Cup pathway and it is evident in her style of footy. She is a very mature player and once she puts some size on, she will be unstoppable. I was sitting behind her family when she kicked her first goal, and that cheer was very special. 

#14: Aliesha Newman- Melbourne 

Her acceleration was so impressive. Was able to move the ball forward really effectively. Had some quiet patches but was electric when she got the footy. 

#15: Madeline Keryk- Carlton

I thought she put in a really good effort for the Blues. She dug in deep all day. Keryk covered ground in defence and stood tall when Melbourne was surging forward. She displayed great aggression and got a lot of the footy. A very mature player. 

#16: Nicola Stevens- Carlton 

Played on Daisy Pearce for most of the day and was able to minimise her impact. Could become a renowned tagger because she’s a great tackler and can stop players in their tracks.

#17: Claudia Whitfort- Melbourne 

I thought Whitfort showed she has what it takes to be a consistent player in Melbourne’s line-up. Gets the ball all over the ground and is able to control it. She is settling into AFLW really well.

#18: Jess Hosking- Carlton 

Carlton would’ve missed her aggression last week. Hosking laid six tackles and was a pest in the midfield. She came out raring to go after being rested last week. You can tell she’s a player that hates sitting on the sidelines. Passion for footy is evident in her game style.

#19: Darcy Vescio- Carlton 

Vescio got a lot of the ball on the wing and used it exceptionally well. Could be a potential position change for her since Carlton’s midfield is struggling against the elite midfield groups of the competition. Was able to showcase her good speed and ball-use, something that we haven’t seen as of late because of Carlton’s lack of scoring. 

#20: Breann Moody- Carlton

Won plenty of taps in the middle of the ground, but her midfielders couldn’t run onto them. Continues to be a valuable player for the Blues.