IT'S BEEN a long 10 months, but the NAB AFLW competition is back and firing on Thursday night.

Take a look at all the round one action to come.

WATCH IT LIVE How to catch every AFLW match in 2021

CARLTON v COLLINGWOOD

7.15pm AEDT, Thursday, January 28
Ikon Park, Carlton North, Vic

• All pre-season, Carlton has been talked up as one of the premiership favourites for 2021, but flags aren't won in January. The Blues will unveil star new recruit Elise O'Dea to partner AFLW best and fairest Maddy Prespakis in the middle.
• Collingwood caught the eye with an impressive pre-season win over top side North Melbourne, and the Magpies seriously look like they could contend this year. Watch for Bri Davey playing against her old side for the first time.
• Tip: The Magpies are yet to beat Carlton in a season-opener, but this is the best shot they've had thus far. Saying that, the Pies may struggle against the Blues' backline. Carlton by five points.

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ST KILDA v WESTERN BULLDOGS

7.10pm AEDT, Friday, January 29
RSEA Park, Moorabbin, Vic

• St Kilda will be without star recruit Bianca Jakobsson (collarbone), but Jayde Van Dyk is a handy inclusion to the backline. Check the team sheet to see if father-daughter selection Alice Burke will be playing against the side her dad Nathan coaches.
• It'll be a battle of new faces in the midfield, but keep your eyes peeled for Jess Fitzgerald taking on Tyanna Smith. The pair have had teammates at their respective clubs raving about their work and form over summer.
• Tip: The Dogs shot out of the blocks in this match last year and held the Saints at bay, but will be faced with a much sterner and more experienced side this year. Saints by 10 points.

GOLD COAST v MELBOURNE

2.10pm AEST, Saturday, January 30
Metricon Stadium, Carrara, Qld

• The Suns will debut their new-look forward line for the first time, adding experienced premiership Crow Sarah Perkins to work alongside All Australian Kalinda Howarth. They've also added plenty of run in the middle through Lucy Single and ex-Saint Ali Drennan.
• The Dees have already confirmed they will have three debutants on Saturday, with 18-year-olds Alyssa Bannan (key forward) and midfielders Eliza McNamara and Megan Fitzsimon set to play.
• Tip: Gold Coast weren't an easy-beat side by any means last year, and the club is pleased at the progression made by players over winter. Despite their personnel losses, Melbourne just still have too many experienced players. Dees by 16 points.

CRYSTAL BALL Check out Sarah Black's 2021 AFLW predictions

WEST COAST v ADELAIDE

2.10pm AWST, Saturday, March 7
Mineral Resources Park, Lathlain, WA

• It will be new coach Daniel Pratt's first match in charge after Luke Dwyer parted ways with the club. Recruit Aisling McCarthy and draftee Bella Lewis should add some much-needed depth to the midfield after a tough first season.
• Adelaide will be welcoming back newly standalone captain Chelsea Randall with open arms, as well as a fully fit Erin Phillips and Rhi Metcalfe. The Crows will be desperate to improve on just two wins last year.
• Tip: A very tough ask first up for West Coast, even at home, with Adelaide piling on 2.21 against GWS in its practice match. Crows by 27 points

GEELONG v NORTH MELBOURNE

12.10pm AEDT, Sunday, January 31
GMHBA Stadium, Geelong, Vic

• Geelong let another strong start slip in its practice match against Melbourne, something which happened a few times last year. Two of the side's best players – Liv Purcell and captain Meg McDonald – have full pre-seasons under their belt after carrying shoulder and finger injuries respectively last summer.
• It was an uncharacteristically undisciplined North Melbourne who faced Collingwood in the practice match, but the Roos should be better for the run. All Australian defender Jess Duffin is set to make her return after a year on the sidelines due to pregnancy.
• Tip: Geelong's last official game happened to be against North Melbourne, and it conceded eight straight goals. While that's unlikely to happen again, the Roos bat too deep. Kangas by 22 points.

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RICHMOND v BRISBANE

2.10pm AEDT, Sunday, January 31
Swinburne Centre, Richmond, Vic

• Still winless, the Tigers will be desperate to break that duck in their seventh overall AFLW match, their first under new coach Ryan Ferguson. They'll be boosted by recruits Harriet Cordner, Sarah Hosking, D'Arcy and Dargan, and No.1 draftee Ellie McKenzie.
• After a tumultuous few off-seasons, the Lions have been quietly going about their business this pre-season, with a stable list for the first time in a while. They hit the ground running last year, undefeated until round five, and will be hoping for the same strong start in 2021.
• Tip: The Tigers will be hungry, but the Lions have plenty of experience and have had fewer personnel changes, important in a short pre-season. Lions by eight points.

FREMANTLE v GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

1.10pm AWST, Sunday, January 31
Fremantle Oval, Fremantle, WA

• If the Tigers are hungry for their first win, the Dockers are even more desperate to keep their undefeated streak alive. Fremantle last lost a game in 2019, and haven't dropped one at home since 2018.
• There's no disputing GWS has had the toughest pre-season of anyone, having left home due to COVID-19 restrictions at the start of January. The Giants didn't make too many changes to their squad – it remains to be seen if ex-Dee Katherine Smith (ACL) is fit for round one, while athletic draftee Tarni Evans is one to look out for.
• Tip: The Giants leaked scoring shots all over the place in their practice match against Adelaide, conceding 23 of them. It doesn't bode well for a game against the highest-scoring team of 2020 in Fremantle. Dockers by 29 points.

FREMANTLE has launched the new season as it finished a dominant 2020, kicking away from a brave Greater Western Sydney to win by 30 points on an afternoon of mixed emotions at Fremantle Oval. 

The final game of the opening round started with a tribute to inaugural AFLW Giant Jacinda Barclay, who passed last year. It was also played in the final hours before a five-day lockdown starts in Western Australia because of COVID-19 precautions.   

DOCKERS v GIANTS Full match coverage and stats

The Giants were competitive in a hard-fought opening half, but they couldn't go with Fremantle after the main break, with star forward Gemma Houghton kicking three goals to spearhead the 8.10 (58) to 4.4 (28) win. 

The Dockers booted three unanswered goals in the third quarter in a ruthless burst of high-speed football, continuing their winning run after an undefeated 2020 season and showing they will be a force again.    

Star midfielders Kiara Bowers (21 disposals and nine tackles) and Jasmine Stewart (15 and four clearances) gave the Dockers a midfield edge, while the backline was near impenetrable in restricting the Giants to two goals in the first three quarters. 

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Captain Kara Antonio played a link role between the forward line and midfield and was critical in the early stages of the third quarter as the Dockers got rolling, twice setting up Houghton for scoring opportunities. 

Crafty forward Sabreena Duffy made the most of half chances and was a menace inside 50 with her speed, kicking three goals as the premiership contenders put their array of scoring options on show. 

Midfield ace Alyce Parker was immense for GWS, finishing with 29 disposals and seven clearances in a brilliant performance under significant opposition heat. 

But the Giants lacked the depth of their opponents and couldn't handle the Dockers' sustained assault, with the home team laying 62 tackles to 39.  

The difference
Fremantle's array of scoring options and the skill spread across the forward six makes the Dockers near-impossible to defend. Houghton is an improved player with a bigger tank, Duffy's speed is a weapon, and Gabby O'Sullivan's clean hands create opportunities. Add Kara Antonio's leadership into the mix now and you have a perfectly balanced attack that proved the difference on Sunday.

Midfield muscle
Parker's game in the midfield was sensational, finishing with a game-high 18 contested possessions from her 29 touches as well as seven clearances, also a game-high. She was a thorn in the Dockers' side in the first half but was forced into the defensive half in the third quarter as the Dockers made their move. One of the stars of the competition and a club champion at just 19, she should be even better in her third AFLW season. 

Magic moment
Mikayla Hyde was a top up player for Fremantle's scratch match against West Coast two weeks ago, but things move quickly. On debut against GWS, she kicked her first AFLW goal after the Dockers linked up through the midfield and found her free inside 50. That scratch match a fortnight ago turned out to be an audition for a spot on the Dockers' list and Hyde grabbed her opportunity.

Say what?
"No one picked us to win the premiership this year and we started 0-0 like everyone else. We knew we had to go out and re-prove ourselves and that helped today. But it's going to be doing it week-in, week-out against quality opposition." - Fremantle coach Trent Cooper

"I was pretty proud of our girls. It's been a rollercoaster number of months (with the passing of Jacinda Barclay) and an interesting day. In the end I don't think it had an influence on the result of the game and I was pretty proud of the way we managed that." - GWS coach Alan McConnell  

FREMANTLE                                               1.2   2.3   5.8   8.10 (58)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY                0.3   1.4   2.4   4.4 (28) 

GOALS 
Fremantle: Houghton 3, Duffy 3, K.Antonio, Hyde  
GWS: Schmidt, Beeson, Davies, Bennetts

BEST 
Fremantle: Houghton, Bowers, Cuthbertson, Duffy, Stewart, K Antonio, O'Sullivan, 
GWS: Parker, Beeson, Schmidt, Eva, McKinnon

INJURIES
Fremantle: TBC
GWS: Steane (TBC), Lister (concussion)

Reports: Nil 

Crowd: 3,195 at Fremantle Oval

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