THERE'S been a few alterations since Monday, but it's still a blockbuster round of footy.

We'll have a much better picture of how sides are placed at the conclusion of round three of the NAB AFLW competition, with a series of games between relatively even sides.

GEELONG v WESTERN BULLDOGS

7.10pm AEDT, Friday, February 12
GMHBA Stadium, Geelong, Vic

• Of immediate concern to Geelong is scoring just three majors across two matches (admittedly against pace-setters North Melbourne and Collingwood), including six goalless quarters. Despite losing two matches, the Cats have laid the equal-second fewest tackles this season.
• A third Friday night match for the high-scoring, free-flowing Dogs, who are starting to hit their groove, and confidence will be up after a breakthrough win last week. The Bulldogs aren't getting too much of the footy (ranked second-last for disposal), but using it well when they have it.
• Tip: Two sides who have had contrasting fortunes so far this year, and who have historically struggled with consistent form. The Dogs' momentum might carry them over the line here, eight points.

WATCH IT LIVE Cats v Bulldogs

GWS v GOLD COAST

3.10pm AEDT, Saturday, February 13
Blacktown International Sportspark, NSW

• After weeks on the road in pre-season and round one, two consecutive home games are just what the doctor ordered for the Giants. Coach Alan McConnell has highlighted the team's disposal (41 per cent efficiency against Adelaide) as an area of concern.
• The Suns will be desperate to get at least one goal after the board after a dismal two-point effort last week against Brisbane. They took just one mark inside 50 for the game and allowed 22 up the other end.
• Tip: A difficult one to call, with both sides coming off a poor performance. The last time these played resulted in a one-point win to the Giants, but the Suns might just get over the line here. Four points.

WATCH IT LIVE Giants v Suns

ST KILDA v CARLTON

5.10pm AEDT, Saturday, February 13
RSEA Park, Moorabbin, Vic

• St Kilda have alternatively dominated and been dominated in its games this year. With Caitlin Greiser, Jacqui Vogt, Kate Shierlaw and Darcy Guttridge, the Saints have the potential to score quickly, but struggled to translate their possession into a meaningful tally against North Melbourne.
• It's starting to get a little serious for pre-season premiership fancy Carlton, sitting at 0-2 in a nine-round season. The inclusions of defenders Mua Laloifi (concussion) and Gab Pound (hand) and midfielder Lucy McEvoy (cheekbone) will help enormously.
• Tip: Patrikios v Prespakis, yes please. The two former Calder Cannons teammates will face off in the middle of the ground, but it's the latter looking likely to finish with the choccies. Blues by 17 points.

WATCH IT LIVE Saints v Blues

MELBOURNE v NORTH MELBOURNE

7.10pm AEDT, Saturday, February 13
Casey Fields, Vic

• Melbourne has done everything asked of it in the first two rounds of the season, seeing off second-year clubs Gold Coast and Richmond. Conceding early majors would be a bit of a concern, but the number of goals they've created at their end (16 in two weeks, equal-second highest) would please coach Mick Stinear.
• Similarly, North Melbourne has ticked every box in front of it thus far. The Roos are winning plenty of the footy (ranked second for disposal), controlling play (second for marks) and converting inside 50 (equal-second for goals).
• Tip: By the end of this match, one team will have lost their first game for the season. Despite the somewhat chaotic conditions the blustery Casey Fields can throw up, the powerful Kangaroos should hold firm. North by 22 points.

WATCH IT LIVE Demons v Kangaroos

ADELAIDE v FREMANTLE

12.40pm ACDT, Sunday, February 14
Norwood Oval, SA

• Is the rampaging Adelaide back as one of the premier sides of the competition? Early signs indicate yes, although their two wins have come against strugglers West Coast and GWS. Danielle Ponter's habit of converting one goal into three is proving to be a dangerous one for opposition sides.
• The all-conquering Dockers head to Adelaide, having just overtaken the Crows' own record for consecutive wins (now nine straight). There'll be a few battered bodies after playing in a torrential downpour, and accuracy will be front of mind after kicking 2.11.
• Tip: Will Chelsea Randall return to her defensive roots to take on the equally athletic Gemma Houghton? This match is very much a flip of a coin, but the Crows' midfield depth may be too much. Crows by five points.

WATCH IT LIVE Crows v Dockers

RICHMOND v COLLINGWOOD

3.10pm AEDT, Sunday, February 14
Swinburne Centre, Vic

• We're fast becoming accustomed to rescheduled games, and at the start of the week, Richmond was drawn to play West Coast and Collingwood to make the trip north to face Brisbane.
• Despite boasting some high-profile forwards in Katie Brennan and Sabrina Frederick, the Tigers have kicked just three goals across two games. Inaccuracy and supply have been issues, but they simply need to get on the board more to win games.
• Collingwood steadily dismantled Geelong, proving they have too many threats all over the park. Ruby Schleicher is becoming a genuine rebound defender, while the pacey Sarah Rowe slotted in perfectly across half-forward after missing round one with a shoulder injury.
• Tip: The Tigers were hoping to break their duck against West Coast, but a fixture reshuffle proved that was not to be. Unfortunately, that win is now unlikely to come this weekend. Pies by 28 points.

WATCH IT LIVE Tigers v Magpies

BRISBANE v WEST COAST

4.15pm AEST, Monday February 15
Hickey Park, Qld

• Brisbane nearly played a perfect match against Gold Coast, holding their intrastate rivals to just two points while kicking 10 goals. The Lions appear to have a good mix of experience and youth, with the latter – led by Nat Grider, Belle Dawes, Jesse Wardlaw and Dakota Davidson – beginning to dictate matches.
• West Coast lost no admirers for its tough performance in soggy conditions against Fremantle, with Mikayla Bowen and a much-improved Belinda Smith among those trying their hearts out. After needing to dip into top-up players to fill the emergency slots, Melissa Caulfield (hamstring) and Maddy Collier (concussion) are now available.
• Tip: Lions have too much momentum at the moment, and the Eagles are making one of the longest trips in footy from Perth to Brisbane. Lions by 32 points.

WATCH IT LIVE Lions v Eagles

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IT WAS Maddy Prespakis' game on Saturday. Everyone else was just playing in it.  

If Carlton was going to break its duck in the 2021 AFLW season, it was going to be up to Prespakis to get the Blues moving and that's what the superstar midfielder did against St Kilda at RSEA Park. 

SAINTS v BLUES Full match coverage and stats

Last year's competition best and fairest winner powered Carlton to a comprehensive 24-point win over the Saints, with Prespakis gathering 24 disposals and a goal in the 6.4 (40) to 2.4 (16) result.   

It was billed as a battle between Prespakis and exciting young Saint Georgia Patrikios, but the Carlton 20-year-old was best afield with a dominant first-half display before receiving a close tag after the main break.  

The win was crucial for the Blues, who entered the season viewed as a possible premiership threat after last year's barnstorming finish to the year but dropped their first two games.  

Things looked headed that way again with Carlton kept scoreless in the first term, as the Saints broke the deadlock late in the quarter when Caitlin Greiser's smarts deep in attack saw her muscle her way into position and kick the only major for the quarter. 

The Saints did most of the attacking with the early wind advantage, with nine inside 50s to four, but didn't break too far clear of the Blues, whose first-quarter scoring troubles continued.  

But the Blues put the foot on the throttle in the second term, making best use of the breeze with three goals to take a 10-point lead into the second half. 

Elise O'Dea started the run with the Blues' first goal, before Prespakis calmly slotted one out of a stoppage and Lauren Brazzale chipped in as well.

St Kilda target Kate Shierlaw enjoyed a purple patch in the third term as the Saints pressed, but Carlton's ability to kick two goals to one against the wind – including one set up by Prespakis – gave them a comfortable 15-point buffer heading into the last quarter.  

A clever soccer off the ground late in the fourth term from Nicola Stevens, for her second goal of the game, sealed the Blues' win. 

O'Dea's big day
The Blues would have liked to have two of Elise O'Dea, but the versatile 29-year-old did the jobs of a few on Saturday. The former Demon started in defence, helping mop up when the Saints dominated the game, and then shifted forward in the second term when Carlton had the wind and kicked the Blues' first goal. O'Dea finished with 21 disposals and was one of Carlton's leading performers in clearly her best outing for the club since last year's trade.  

Carlton's first-quarter blues
Coach Daniel Harford had prepped the Blues for a big start after a shaky beginning to this season, and the Blues were solid against a strong wind at Moorabbin by keeping the Saints to just one first-term goal. But the Blues' own concerns with first-quarter scoring was again on show, with Carlton going scoreless in the opening term for the second time in three games, with their other first quarter only producing one goal. Look out if the Blues start to click early.

Rosie shines bright for Saints
Rosie Dillon was one of St Kilda's best across the clash, with the versatile midfielder collecting 14 disposals in a polished display. Dillon carried on from some impressive performances last year for the Saints and showed her tenacity at the stoppages as well as her poise by hand and foot on the outside.

Say what?
"I had a chat to the girls at the end of last week and it was almost unrecognisable some of the stuff that we were putting out there from a team perspective so the focus was about trying to get that real chemistry through the week. We trained it enormously through the week so it would have been disappointing had we not come out and put on a good show today. Our shift in focus towards movement, defence and the team as well has paid dividends for us." – Carlton coach Daniel Harford

"We had the wind and kicked one goal so no [we didn't capitalise on it in the first quarter]. We had a couple of opportunities and scored points instead of goals and if you change them around it looks a lot different, doesn't it? Our ball movement in the first quarter wasn't where it needed to be. We needed to attack the goal line more and we didn't. That's something to learn from hopefully." – St Kilda coach Peta Searle

ST KILDA      1.1     1.2     2.4     2.4     (16)
CARLTON     0.0     3.1     5.1     6.4     (40)

GOALS
St Kilda: Greiser, Shierlaw
Carlton: Stevens 2, Brazzale, Downie, O'Dea, Prespakis 

BEST 
St Kilda: Patrikios, Dillon, Priest, Lucas-Rodd, Shierlaw
Carlton: Prespakis, O'Dea, McKay, Hosking, Egan 

INJURIES 
St Kilda: Nil 
Carlton: Nil 

Reports: Nil

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