ROUND 9 officially tips the Victorian Football League Women’s (VFLW) competition into the second half of the season, with a number of big matches this season that could have a big impact on the ladder. Collingwood will look to continue their undefeated streak as they take on Essendon, while a massive match between Western Bulldogs and Richmond could have massive implications in the top half of the ladder. Meanwhile, cellar dwellers, Darebin Falcons get a much-needed break this week with their second bye for the season.

Southern Saints v. Williamstown

Round 9 – 6/7/19
11.00
Trevor Barker Beach Oval

The opening match of the round will surely be an interesting one, with Williamstown looking to prove themselves as they come into the second half of the season. The Seagulls managed a shock win last round after coming in off the break, so will surely take it to the Saints this week – whether they can bring the consistency to get a second win on the trot is the real question, to which the answer is unlikely given the Saints’ performance over the equally struggling Darebin Falcons last week. Though unlikely, if the Seagulls manage to shut down the Saints’ ability to enter inside 50 they could come away with another impressive performance, even if just from a defensive aspect. It will be the Saints’ volume of entries that will be the question for the Seagulls however, with the home side able to find the goals with ease and put points on the board with relative ease. The likes of Caitlin Greiser will be key for the Saints as a player who can kick a bag of goals, however will need a number of forward options to make life difficult for the Seagulls.

Hawthorn v. Geelong

Round 9 – 6/7/19
11.30
Box Hill City Oval

Another interesting match, this game will see the Hawks take on the Cats in a bid to cement their season after a slow start. The Hawks have gradually worked their way up the ladder in recent weeks, but are still only sitting in fourth on percentage so need a win this week and a solid margin to prove they have the talent to take on the top sides and come out strong. The Hawks will look to recent ruck, Lou Wotton who last week only had the four touches but had a strong performance with 34 hitouts and 13 tackles, all but proving a player doesn’t need to rack up the touches to have a massive impact. Geelong’s mission in this game will not just be to stop Wotton, but also to find space around the ground to use the ball effectively and drill it forward given the Hawks’ defensive prowess. Danielle Orr proved to be a big impact player last week, so the Cats will look to a similar type to provide a great option inside 50 and create scoring opportunities.

Casey Demons v. Melbourne Uni

Round 9 – 6/7/19
11.30
Casey Fields

This match will see eighth on the ladder take on seventh in what is likely the closest match of the round, pushing both sides to bring the heat with consistency a big issue across the board. The battle to stay in touch with the top four will come down to which side can keep up the consistency after a rough few rounds in the VFLW, with both sides recently struggling to find their form after a respective stellar start to the season. The Demons have had issues finding the goals in recent weeks, with pressure on the ball forcing too many turnovers before entry inside 50. Meanwhile, Uni had issues with accuracy last week, all but kicking themselves out of contention with five behinds in the final term cementing a loss. The Demons have appeared to be a confidence team this season, so if they can grab an early lead they should be able to ge the job done. Bianca Jakobsson has been one of the more consistent performers for the Dees, while Uni’s Kate Gillespie-Jones has been a force to be reckoned with this season so will be hard to stop.

Essendon v. Collingwood

Round 9 – 6/7/19
12.00
Windy Hill

Though traditional rivals who go hard into every contest, given Collingwood’s form so far this season it’s hard to see a surprise win from Essendon this week. That being said, the Bombers put on a promising performance against Melbourne Uni last round for their second win of the season so will stand tall coming into this round, despite still sitting in tenth on the ladder. Collingwood’s consistency this season has been impressive, especially given the load management of stars. The real question will be the turnaround from last week’s bye, with the break going one of two ways for the Magpies – settling ahead of the second half of the season and readying for continued dominance, or drawing a big line after the first half of the season and unable to capitalise. For the Bombers, the question will be whether they can stop the Magpies’ multitude options inside 50, while also denying any access around the ground given their speed and precision with the ball in hand.

NT Thunder v. Carlton

Round 9 – 6/7/19
3.30
TIO Stadium

After both teams suffered disappointing defeats last round, this will be a real battle to see which side has what it takes to contend. While Thunder sit in fifth on the ladder, their form in recent weeks has been shaky meaning Carlton have a real opportunity in this match to take it to the Thunder and perform well away from home. Thunder missed some real grit and determination over the weekend and struggled to pull out a team effort, meaning they will need to start strong and finish well to deny Carlton an opportunity to get in front. For the Blues, Maddy Prespakis and Courtneney Bromage were among the best in defeat last round, so will hope for another solid performance this week to steal a win in the Northern Territory. Thunder’s Deni Varnhagen was a strong performer last round despite the loss, so will hope to pull together a better effort to put goals on the board.

Western Bulldogs v. Richmond

Round 9 – 6/7/19
4.00
VU Whitten Oval

This matchup will be an interesting one for the books, finishing the round with a contest that could bring the Dogs back to top four contention if they get a win. However, the Tigers have been unstoppable this season, sitting undefeated but third on the ladder having played one less game than Collingwood in first and Southern Saints in second. The Bulldogs had a solid start to the season, having a bye in Round 1 before winning four on the trot. However, the Dogs have struggled since then, losing three in a row – including a 74 point loss to Collingwood – and losing some of their credibility and consistency along the way. The key for the Dogs in this matchup will be to deny access inside 50 for the Tigers, and deny the likes of ex-Bulldogs AFLW captain, Katie Brennan and leading goalkicker, Tayla Stahl from kicking their regular bags of goals.

Darebin Falcons – BYE