Round 4 of VFL Women’s is up this week, and with it a big round of matches and results that could mix up the competition. Meanwhile, the struggling Darebin Falcons have a bye, meaning the side has an opportunity to refresh and start over before they come into Round 5 looking for a win.

HAWTHORN v. WILLIAMSTOWN
Round 4 – 1/6/2019
11:30
Box Hill City Oval

Williamstown have had a not-so ideal start to the season, sitting on the bottom of the ladder from two losses, only scrounging a measly 22 points for the season so far. Hawthorn are in a similar position with one win from three matches, but sit on a better ratio having scored almost as many points as they have conceded. That being said, given the Seagulls’ struggle to start the season on a high, it’s likely Hawthorn will break into the top six with a win on the board this week. Sharnie Whiting and Aliesha Newman are two Seagulls who have put in the hard yards so far across their two matches, while the side showed a better team approach last round with the likes of Mo Hope getting among the action, hoping to spark her side into challenging Casey. Eleven Hawks put a score on the board in a shared effort last week, while Meg Hutchins has been a consistent hard worker in the side throughout the first few rounds, averaging 19.3 disposals.

MELBOURNE UNI v. RICHMOND
Round 4 – 1/6/2019
11:50
Arden St, North Melbourne

The second match of the round will see two top four sides fight for a respective third win, with Richmond only a match ahead having had a bye in Round 1. Melbourne Uni may have had a blip in their dominance last round against the Bulldogs, but rest assured the side will do what they can to bounce back against the Tigers, who have had two convincing wins to start the season on a strong note. The Tigers will need to turn on their pressure to maintain possession against some star ball-getters in Kate Gillespie-Jones (75 disposals from three games), while Ashleigh Riddell has had a solid two weeks collecting 64 for an average of 32 per game. Uni will have to watch out for the Tigers’ ability to pepper the goals with options after Katie Brennan and Laura Bailey kicked two apiece last week, while the Tigers will know from last round that they can’t only rely on big targets inside 50 after Tayla Stahl-Smith came away with only one goal and four behinds.

ESSENDON v. CARLTON
Round 4 – 1/6/2019
12:00
Windy Hill

With both sides sitting low on the ladder unable to get a win on the board at this early stage of the season, Essendon will want to rustle up the offensive and defensive pressure they put on the like of Casey in Round 1 to get the chocolates this week. Carlton have only put through a combined 29 points for the season so far, so will need to put the foot down as they look to their stars to rally them into action. So far Carlton have struggled to use the ball effectively, gaining possession across the field courtesy of Jess Hosking and Natalie Plane but doing away with it under pressure, unable to capitalise. The Bombers will want to take advantage of Carlton’s ineffectiveness, while also getting goals on the board – something they’ve also struggled with, despite the clean kick of Monique De Matteo and Arthurina Moreen. Both sides will look to build some consistency in this match, while it is likely the two teams will be inseparable during the match.

COLLINGWOOD v. NT THUNDER
Round 4 – 1/6/2019
2:00
Victoria Park

NT Thunder will come in on fresh legs this week after a bye, so Collingwood will need to hit the ground running early to get a win over the dominant side. Thunder currently sit in sixth given the ladder changes last week, however are yet to lose a game and won by an average of 18 points across both matches. The Pies only just got over the line against Geelong last week credit to their dominance through the midfield, but got slammed by Southern Saints in Round 1, while Thunder managed a strong win over the Saints in Round 2. Jaimee Lambert kicked two of Collingwood’s three goals last week so will hope to add more to her tally this week, though she may have put a target on her head after a dominant performance deemed her best afield, meaning Thunder could come down with a hard tag on her to stop Collingwood’s ball movement in its tracks. Thunder will look to the dominant combined efforts of dual AFLW premiership players, Ebony Marinoff and Chelsea Randall to win the ball and grant opportunities to their exciting forward line. The massive inclusions of Chloe Molloy and Bri Davey will no doubt be a boost to the Magpies’ chances in this one.

WESTERN BULLDOGS v. GEELONG
Round 4 – 2/6/2019
11:30
VU Whitten Oval

In the game with one of the biggest differentials between ladder positions, the top-two Bulldogs host ninth placed Geelong as they look to overtake Casey Demons to gain top spot. Though the Bulldogs have only played two games, they have secured themselves as a side that can not only kick goals with ease but also prevent sides from doing so. Meanwhile, Geelong have one win on the board after hanging on to victory in Round 2 against Essendon, so will hope to get the job done again and keep it a low scoring affair. That being said, Bulldogs managed a 10 point win over Melbourne Uni last week while Geelong lost by 44 points to the same side, so there is a big chance this will be the blowout of the round. Bulldogs’ Bonnie Toogood has impressed in her two matches, averaging 15.5 kicks from 21 touches, while Geelong’s Madisen Maguire has been a tackling machine racking up eight in both of her past two games and five in the opening round loss.

CASEY DEMONS v. SOUTHERN SAINTS
Round 4 – 2/6/2019
12:00
Casey Fields

The final match of the round will see Casey host Southern Saints in another potentially ladder-changing battle, with the Demons sitting in top spot while the Saints are in fourth with two wins from three. Casey’s dominance so far has been credit to their ability to coast around the field with ease, however it is worth noting that the side is yet to play a team that has won a match in 2019 – meaning this game could be a big one to determine whether Casey’s form is as strong as it looks or purely based on the form of their opposition. That being said, the Demons’ ability to share the ball around is a massive plus, given they have no one player that a side can target and take out of the match to deny ball movement across the field. For the Saints accuracy has been an issue thus far, kicking only 13 goals from 44 scores, meaning 31 behinds for the season from only three games. The players to watch out for will be the likes of Saints’ Cat Phillips, Tilly Lucas-Rodd and Alison Drennan, who picked up a combined 48 touches and 20 tackles in Round 3, while though a quiet game in Round 3, Bianca Jakobsson will be one to watch out for for the Demons.