ALL EYES will be on North Melbourne and Collingwood clashing under Saturday night lights at Marvel Stadium, in a match which could have lasting effects on the make-up of the finals.

Brisbane versus Adelaide looks to be an intriguing affair on Sunday, while the Western Bulldogs will host Melbourne for the annual Hampson-Hardeman Cup.

Friday, February 19

St Kilda v Geelong at RSEA Park, 7.10pm AEDT

• It will be St Kilda's third game in four weeks at Moorabbin, a ground which can often throw up a tricky wind. The Saints recorded 14 fewer inside 50s and clearances against Carlton last week, but have regained defensive recruit Bianca Jakobsson from a corked back.
• The Cats have now lost three on the trot, and while two have come against top-tier sides North Melbourne and Collingwood, last week's loss to the Dogs would have hurt. There are no big concerns over the midfield core winning the ball or the backline as a whole, but there's a disconnect between the middle and the forward line.
• Tip: This could be quite the torrid affair, with both sides having had a few scoreless quarters this season. It's time for the Cats to break the duck, but it'll be close. Nine points.

WATCH IT LIVE Saints v Cats

Saturday, February 20

Carlton v Richmond at Ikon Park, 3.10pm AEDT

• The troops have returned, and Carlton is on the board in 2021. The Blues looked a different side with Mua Laloifi and Gab Pound in defence. Maddy Prespakis saw off Georgia Patrikios, but now another former Calder Cannons teammate in Mon Conti awaits.
• Things seemed to click for Richmond in the last quarter against Collingwood, running in waves and finally converting some chances in front of goal. This is another stern test, and the Blues won't be caught quite as off guard, having seen what the Tigers can do at their best
• Tip: While it won't be quite the comprehensive rout seen in the round one match last year – Richmond's first at AFLW level – Carlton is still a class above the expansion team. Blues by 23 points.

WATCH IT LIVE Blues v Tigers

Fremantle v Gold Coast at Fremantle Oval, 2.10pm AWST

• The Dockers reigned supreme last week, knocking off the might of Adelaide on its own home deck, and recording 10 straight wins in the process. The backline was only caught off guard when Erin Phillips was shifted forward late, and the pressure around the ground forced numerous turnovers from the Crows.
• Things just aren't going to plan for the Suns. They seriously struggled with the wet conditions against the Giants, and while key backs Lauren Ahrens and Jade Pregelj are coping remarkably well with adversity, they'd have less to deal with if the Suns won more ball around the ground.
• Tip: Like last year's semi-final between these two sides (albeit the Suns' fourth consecutive road trip), this could get ugly. The Dockers are at the top of their game, and the Suns are very inexperienced. Dockers by 39 points.

WATCH IT LIVE Dockers v Suns

North Melbourne v Collingwood at Marvel Stadium, 7.10pm AEDT

• The Roos don't lose often. In fact, last week marked just the fourth time North hadn't sung the song after a game, with two of those losses coming against Melbourne. We're unlikely to see the Roos concede six goals in a quarter again, but this will be far from a walk in the park.
• Collingwood and North are building a nice little rivalry – the Pies lost to the Roos by just two points in last year's semi-final, but got the win with some strong attacking play in January's practice match. New senior assistant coach Scott Gowans will also be carrying some important IP, having coached the Roos for two years before being forced out by a COVID-19-induced restructure.
• Tip: The last time North Melbourne lost two games in a row was in 2019, and the perfect weather conditions under the roof at Marvel should suit their ball movement. This is the match of the round. Roos by three points.

WATCH IT LIVE Kangaroos v Magpies

Sunday, February 21

Brisbane v Adelaide at Hickey Park, 12.10pm AEST

• Brisbane is loving life at the top of the ladder, piling on goals for fun when the need strikes. Sunday proves to be their first big test, the Lions having comfortably accounted for expansion sides Richmond, Gold Coast and West Coast. Veteran forward Lauren Arnell is in career-best form, and keys Dakota Davidson and Jesse Wardlaw are benefiting from her smarts.
• Inaccuracy struck the Crows once again while playing Fremantle, kicking 1.7 and slumping to a 30-point loss. Erin Phillips had an impact when moved forward, but the switch possibly came too late. Skipper Chelsea Randall (concussion) should be a big inclusion this week.
• Tip: These two sides have history, having participated in the first AFLW Grand Final and playing in some tight contests since then. A tough call given the Lions' strong form, but the Crows might just have the edge. Eight points.

WATCH IT LIVE Lions v Crows

Western Bulldogs v Melbourne at VU Whitten Oval, 3.10pm AEDT

• The Dogs will be aiming for three wins in a row for the first time since the end of 2018-start of 2019, but this looms as a big task. Opposition teams have yet to find an answer for Izzy Huntington's marking up forward, or Ellie Blackburn's stellar form around the ground.
• Melbourne should be riding high, having produced some of its best ever footy against North Melbourne, piling on six goals in a quarter. The tall, multi-pronged attack of Tegan Cunningham, Jackie Parry, Eden Zanker and Alyssa Bannan is hard to shut down, with smooth mover Kate Hore the icing on top.
• Tip: The Hampson-Hardeman Cup is hotly contested between two of the forerunners of AFLW football, who played exhibition matches dating back to 2013. Dees should have too many paths to goal though, 19 points.

WATCH IT LIVE Bulldogs v Demons

Greater Western Sydney v West Coast at Blacktown International Sportspark, 5.10pm AEDT

• GWS should have some confidence under its belt after a mature performance against Gold Coast in the wet. Bec Beeson's form in the midfield is building nicely alongside star Alyce Parker, while the backline looked steadier, given it was Lou Stephenson's second match, after missing much of January due to work commitments.
• West Coast produced one outstanding quarter of footy against Brisbane, catching their more experienced opponents on the hop, but inaccuracy killed them, kicking 1.5. If the Eagles can keep up that pressure for longer, they'll be much better placed.
• Tip: Who knows what weather conditions Sydney will throw up this week, but back-to-back trips across the country could affect West Coast. Giants by 14 points.

WATCH IT LIVE Giants v Eagles

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FREMANTLE extended its winning run to 11 games and further enhanced its premiership credentials on Saturday with a 49-point win against Gold Coast at Fremantle Oval.   

The Dockers weren't at their clinical best for periods and overcame a slow start before delivering the knockout blow in a physical third quarter to win 7.13 (55) to 1.0 (6).  

DOCKERS v SUNS Full match coverage and stats

Star midfielder Kiara Bowers was supreme again as she stakes her claim as the League's best player this season, working through a tight Lucy Single tag to win 17 possessions (eight contested) and laying a massive 15 tackles.

She inspired a run of seven unanswered goals after quarter-time after the Dockers went scoreless in the opening term and conceded the early lead to last year's semi-final opponents. 

Outstanding defender Janelle Cuthbertson led a rock-solid defence, intercepting and rebounding with 12 disposals, while Hayley Miller (five clearances and a goal) was excellent in the centre square. 

The backline didn't blink after the first break and held the Suns scoreless for three quarters, with the Dockers' team defence keeping the visitors to 13 inside 50s for the match.  

After one of the club's best wins in its history against 2019 premiers Adelaide last week, the Dockers appeared drained before finding their groove after quarter-time. 

They started getting to the ball first, after losing the contested ball (17-23) and clearance count (8-9) in the opening term, and dominated the forward entries in the second half (5-18).  

Their win came despite leading forwards Gemma Houghton and Sabreena Duffy going goalless, with important forward Gabby O'Sullivan booting two to continue an excellent season. 

Suns midfielder Jamie Stanton fought hard with 17 disposals and seven clearances, while Lauren Bella won the ruck battle with 25 hitouts, but the Suns were overwhelmed after their early resistance.  

Roux on the board 
Exciting forward/ruck Roxy Roux had gone four games without a goal this season, and she chose a brilliant way to end the drought on Saturday. In the right place when the Suns kicked the ball out on the full in the second quarter, Roux stepped up to take the free kick, hard up on the boundary in the pocket. She used a checkside kick to curl the footy through skillfully with a Goal of the Year contender. 

Missed chances
Conversion has traditionally been a strength for these Dockers, but on Saturday it deserted them early, kicking 1.5 in the second quarter alone and missing the target altogether with other shots. In one thrilling piece of play, Kiara Bowers, Stephanie Cain and Gabby O'Sullivan carved through Gold Coast with a series of piercing kicks before Gemma Houghton missed the set shot. The second half was hard to fault, but the game could have been put away much earlier with accurate kicking.      

Defence first 
The Suns were set up well behind the ball in the first half and were probably focused on saving goals rather than kicking them for a long time. Still, it takes a concerted effort to keep the attacking Dockers scoreless for a quarter, as Adelaide managed last week, and that was an early win for the Suns. But they didn't work hard enough once winning possession and had just six inside 50s for the next three quarters, which made competing impossible.  

Say what
"They made it very hard for us early. I felt our backs were great all day, our mids were really good for three-and-a-half quarters, and our forwards were disappointing for the first half. Once they came to the party things started to happen. " – Fremantle coach Trent Cooper 

"They were lazy … you get back and you work and then you work back the other way, and that's the way you're meant to prepare yourself. That's a mindset that's hard. It's not local footy, so if you're not prepared at that level you're going to find it difficult to play. There were some really crystal-clear lessons in that for the players who want to play at the level I felt." – Gold Coast coach David Lake  

FREMANTLE         0.0   1.5   4.7   7.13 (55)
GOLD COAST        1.0   1.0   1.0   1.0 (6)

GOALS
Fremantle: O'Sullivan 2, Roux, Miller, Sharp, E Antonio, Verrier
Gold Coast: Kaslar

BEST 
Fremantle: Bowers, Cuthbertson, O'Sullivan, Miller, Roux, Stewart
Gold Coast: Stanton, Bella, Single, Surman, Howarth  

INJURIES 
Fremantle: Nil
Gold Coast: Drennan (ankle) 

Reports: Nil

Crowd: 2,410 at Fremantle Oval

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