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.

THE WESTERN Bulldogs' exciting youth caught plenty of traction ahead of this year's AFLW season, but it was two emerging young Saints who helped steer St Kilda to a thrilling nine-point win in Friday night's round one clash.

The talented Georgia Patrikios and first-gamer Tyanna Smith starred as the Saints opened their second AFLW season with a 8.3 (51) to 6.6 (42) victory at RSEA Stadium.

SAINTS v BULLDOGS Full match coverage and stats

Midfielder Patrikios was everywhere, with the 19-year-old following on her exciting debut season when she was named the AFLPA best first-year player. Patrikios gathered a game-high 23 disposals and created plenty of opportunities, particularly in the first half.

Smith also took the eye with 15 disposals and a goal in a memorable first outing in Saints colours for the top-10 NAB AFL Draft pick, while Tarni White (18 disposals), in her return from a knee reconstruction, was excellent. 

Isabel Huntington was a presence for the Bulldogs, with the former No.1 pick shifting back to the forward line after last season in defence and booting two goals, while captain Ellie Blackburn was also terrific. 

It was frenetic from start to finish, with six goals shared in a brilliant and high-scoring opening term. 

St Kilda had the early upper hand, with a speedy run from veteran Kate McCarthy setting up a goal for Kate Shierlaw and Patrikios showing her class drifting forward to hit the scoreboard. 

But the Bulldogs struck back as Huntington capitalised on her opportunity to kick a long goal and steer her side to a three-point lead at the first change. 

The more mature Saints took control of the contest in the second quarter, booting three goals to none to set up a crucial 13-point advantage at half-time, with Smith's clever snap a highlight. 

A goal on the three-quarter time siren to Huntington – the only one of the term – gave the Dogs some hope and placed them within eight points at the last change. 

The Dogs continued to fight hard, with Blackburn's brilliance seeing them push to within two points to set up a tight last quarter, before Guttridge's late sealer in the final 90 seconds saw the Saints take the points. 

Alice gets bragging rights 
It was father vs daughter as Saints legend – and now Western Bulldogs AFLW coach – Nathan Burke faced daughter Alice Burke, who made her debut for the Saints on Friday night. The small 18-year-old didn't have a big impact on the contest, registering two disposals, but she threw herself into everything when she got her opportunity on the field and belted out the Saints' theme song after the win. 

Blackburn underlines star quality
Another season of AFLW, and another reminder of Ellie Blackburn's standing among the elite of the competition. The Bulldogs skipper was terrific throughout the clash, gathering a team-high 21 disposals in a willing midfield performance while also proving a threat in attack with two goals.  

Blink and you'll miss it
Caitlin Greiser took off exactly where she left last year, with the St Kilda power forward booting the first goal of the game in the first 20 seconds of the clash. After a quick clearance, Greiser was awarded a free kick – and then a 50-metre penalty – to make her first major of 2021 a formality after being the competition's leading goalkicker last season. She went on to nearly boot the goal of the year in the third term, and then kick another from close range in the fourth quarter to finish with two goals. 

They said what?
"It could have gone either way, it was a great game of footy. I was pretty proud of the brand that our girls played and pretty proud of the way the Bulldog played their game. If you were an outsider watching women's footy I think you'd walk away pretty excited about where the game's going." – St Kilda coach Peta Searle

"Everyone has bagged me over summer saying 'You've got to play Issy back, she was All-Australian last year' but my theory is if you've got a player like that you'd rather have her kick goals than stop goals. Once she actually gets herself into a bit of match practice as well – because to her own admission she's probably not sure when to lead and when to go – so when she figures it out, look out." – Western Bulldogs coach Nathan Burke on moving Isabel Huntington forward

What's next?
The Bulldogs will open round two with a home clash against Carlton next Friday night at Victoria University Whitten Oval as both clubs search for their maiden win of 2021 after round one defeats. St Kilda heads to Arden Street Oval on Sunday to face North Melbourne. 

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ST KILDA                                  3.0     6.0     6.2     8.3     (51)
WESTERN BULLDOGS            3.3     3.5     4.6     6.6     (42)

GOALS
St Kilda: Greiser 2, Guttridge 2, Patrikios, Shierlaw, Smith, Vogt
Western Bulldogs: Blackburn 2, Huntington 2, Toogood 2

BEST 
St Kilda: Patrikios, White, Smith, Phillips, Greiser
Western Bulldogs: Blackburn, Toogood, Huntington, Hunt, Lamb

INJURIES 
St Kilda: Nil 
Western Bulldogs: Nil

Reports: Nil

Crowd: 2523 at RSEA Park