PLAYER availability has seen the 2022 NAB AFLW fixture change again ahead of round two. Geelong and Carlton will now face one another at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday evening, while a Brisbane v Western Bulldogs match will be scheduled for a later date.

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For the first time, four non-Victorian sides will play in a Sunday double header in the southern state, while the Kangaroos will head to South Australia for the first time in their AFLW history. 

Friday, January 14

Richmond v Melbourne at the Swinburne Centre, 7.10pm AEDT

• The Tigers unveiled improved skills across the ground as they moved the ball through the congestion with ease against St Kilda. Taking charge of the midfield battle after the first quarter, Richmond controlled possession and was able to regularly hit up key marking forwards. The Demons, however, are a different prospect. Dominating possession and using a clean kick-mark game around the ground, the Tigers need to be aware of players finding space on the open side of the ground. 
• Both sides showcased some really strong forward marking in their round one performances, with Courtney Wakefield, Katie Brennan and Tayla Harris all taking multiple marks inside 50. Separating defences is important for Melbourne, and preventing the defensive duo of Rebecca Miller and Harriet Cordner from coming in to support one another will be a priority for them.  
• Tip: While Richmond has grown yet again, and found tighter chemistry as a group, Melbourne's methodical game style should win out. Melbourne by 18 points. 

WATCH IT LIVE Tigers v Demons

Saturday, January 15

Collingwood v St Kilda at Victoria Park, 3.10pm AEDT

• Collingwood's ball use is among the best in the competition, and has been for the last few seasons. After going at 65 per cent disposal efficiency in round one, that clean disposal will be a safeguard against the pressure St Kilda will look to bring. While the Pies' dominance at stoppages might be slightly diminished without Brianna Davey or Tarni Brown in the side, the grit and intelligence of Jaimee Lambert and Brittany Bonnici will prop up their midfield to win first use of the ball. 
• The Saints' midfield looked different in round one, with both Tilly Lucas-Rodd and Tarni White playing on the ball, and while this caught the Tigers out early, the Saints couldn't sustain any real control for the full four quarters. Finding a way to limit the Pies' movement to the outside after winning first possession will be St Kilda's best chance of combating that, and that starts with some real discipline and awareness from players sitting outside the contest. 
• Tip: Collingwood's maturity and control will be too much for the Saints to handle. Collingwood by 25 points. 

WATCH IT LIVE Magpies v Saints

Geelong v Carlton at GMHBA Stadium, 7.10pm AEDT

• New and returning players added a real spark to the Cats last week, and while they didn't come away with the four points, improvement was evident across the ground. What they can't allow themselves to do against Carlton, however, is get trapped in defence and resort to desperate, long kicks out of the back half directly to a waiting opposition. Finding some composure and time will be crucial to the continued improvement at Geelong. 
• Carlton's lack of discipline marred what was otherwise an interesting first round performance. Late in the game, the Blues succumbed to pressure when sending the ball forward, and played right into Collingwood's hands. What the Blues need to do against Geelong is find more nuance in their delivery inside 50, and that includes a combination of running it forward and moving around the 50m arc before actually sending the ball closer to goal. 
• Tip: Geelong's work around the contest will take a bit of beating, but Carlton's firepower up forward will eventually win out. Carlton by 10 points. 

WATCH IT LIVE Cats v Blues

Sunday, January 16

West Coast v Gold Coast at Victoria University Whitten Oval, 12.40pm AEDT

• West Coast showed plenty of improvement last week but struggled to find a real connection between the midfield and forward line. Finding the balance between a spacious forward 50 where players can reliably run the ball in, and enough support that when the ball is won up the field, they have options when looking toward goal seems to be the Eagles' challenge right now. 
• Gold Coast had to battle it out in the heat and humidity of Mackay and struggled to maintain its intensity until the final siren. What the Suns did well, however, was taking chances at goal when getting the ball inside 50, taking a shot on goal 56 per cent of the time. The problem being, they only registered 16 inside 50s for the match. Finding more territory will be crucial to the Suns' chances against West Coast.  
• Tip: West Coast's young talent will get to work up against the Suns. Eagles by 6 points. 

WATCH IT LIVE Eagles v Suns

Adelaide v North Melbourne at Norwood Oval, 2.40pm ACDT

• Adelaide's wall-to-wall pressure in round one was ominous. The side's fitness level is elite, which means the Crows are not only suffocating opposition but also able to neatly use the ball themselves. The Roos look to win uncontested ball to get their game going, and if last week is anything to go by, the Crows won't be giving up any easy possessions. 
• For the first time in its four seasons, North Melbourne will travel to South Australia to play for premiership points. Coming off a win that required real grit and determination, the Roos will be looking to find their groove again when it comes to outside run and carry in an effort to keep Adelaide's defence under pressure and allow less chance to set up behind the ball. 
• Tip: North Melbourne looks likely to be bolstered by some inclusions, but Adelaide's fitness and depth across all lines is too big a barrier. Adelaide by 18 points. 

WATCH IT LIVE Crows v Kangaroos

Fremantle v Greater Western Sydney at Victoria University Whitten Oval, 5.10pm AEDT 

• Fremantle might have recorded a dominant win last week, but the side relied on Ebony Antonio, Hayley Miller and Gabby O'Sullivan to get its scoring going, with more than half of that score piled on in the final quarter. The Dockers will be looking for more support across the forward line, and to shake off the slow starts that plagued their 2021 season. 
• GWS found a more efficient transition between its strong midfield and outside runners. Up against Fremantle's hard hitting midfield, protection needs to be available for Alyce Parker and Alicia Eva around the ball so space can be found, and that transition can continue into round two. 
• Tip: Fremantle's ability to run out games will keep its winning momentum going. Fremantle by 15 points.

WATCH IT LIVE Dockers v Giants

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COLLINGWOOD delivered another statement of its premiership intent on Saturday afternoon, overcoming a week of adversity to routinely sweep aside a struggling St Kilda at Victoria Park. 

With a handful of key contributors sidelined – including both of its co-captains – to injury and the AFL's health and safety protocols, the Magpies called upon their strength in depth to overwhelm the Saints from the outset and cruise to a 27-point victory. 

Despite the absentees, reliable duo Britt Bonnici (26 disposals, 10 tackles) and Jaimee Lambert (25 touches) remained as busy as ever in Collingwood’s depleted midfield and set the tone for the comfortable 6.5 (41) to 2.2 (14) win. 

St Kilda, led bravely by Olivia Vesely (15 disposals, four marks) and Catherine Phillips (20 touches), withstood the onslaught for large periods. But the winless Saints ultimately left themselves with too much to do following a disappointing start. 

MAGPIES v SAINTS Full match coverage and stats

The immense size of the challenge facing St Kilda was quickly laid bare, as the Saints were held without a single inside 50 to quarter-time. Given its dominance, Collingwood barely needed assistance. But it got some anyway when a 50m penalty and a careless free kick put Ebony O’Dea and Eloise Chaston to the goal line within five minutes. 

It helped the Pies build a commanding 21-point lead at the first change, an advantage that continued to grow as the game wore on. Even when St Kilda managed to stem the bleeding in the second term, Collingwood capped a late counter through Aishling Sheridan to secure the quarter’s only major. 

Sheridan continued to prove a handful after half-time, adding her second to extend Collingwood’s buffer beyond five goals, but it came amid arguably St Kilda’s strongest patch of the afternoon. Unfortunately for the visitors, though, a reward on the scoreboard wasn’t forthcoming. 

It made for an anti-climactic conclusion, as the Magpies eased to a 2-0 record without being troubled. Molly McDonald and Kate Shierlaw converted late to ensure the Saints didn’t go goalless, but by that stage it mattered little to the outcome. 

Did you see that?
Eagle-eyed Pies supporters might have noticed a trend when a 50m penalty for encroachment put Ebony O’Dea to the goal line for the game’s first major on Saturday. Just a week after Collingwood was the beneficiary of three goals from 50m penalties against Carlton, O’Dea’s major made it four in seven from 50m penalties for the season at the time. But, as the saying goes, you make your own luck – and a dominant opening term certainly meant that was the case for Collingwood at Victoria Park.

Work in progress
That should be the title of St Kilda’s book, if one was being written on its 2022 season. Yes, the Saints made it hard for themselves on Saturday – falling 21 points down at quarter-time and trailing by 39 points midway through the final quarter. But the manner of their fightback would have pleased coach Nick Dal Santo, who missed the game due to the AFL’s health and safety protocols. A young St Kilda side only lost the final three quarters by six points and had just one fewer scoring shot after the first change. Despite what the scoreboard said, it wasn’t all one-way traffic.

The first blow
The blows all came before the game for Collingwood. Having already lost co-captain Bri Davey to a devastating ACL injury in its season-opener, fellow skipper Steph Chiocci was also ruled out 90 minutes before the bounce with an Achilles problem. Star forward Chloe Molloy missed, having entered the AFL’s health and safety protocols during the week, while Tarni Brown was sidelined through concussion. It would have made the manner of Saturday’s victory incredibly satisfying for Pies coach Steve Symonds.

Say what? 
"It was a good start. We spoke about it last week, because we thought our start was a little bit scratchy. We made that a bit of a focus during the week. It looked like we adjusted quite well to it." – Collingwood coach Steve Symonds

"The girls gave me everything I asked of them for the day. I’m just filling in the role for the day, so I’m rapt the girls had a decent outing. We didn’t help ourselves (early in the game) … but I thought they fought pretty hard." – St Kilda stand-in coach Paddy Hill

What’s next?
Collingwood is set to head down the highway, where it is due to face Geelong at GMHBA Stadium next Friday night. St Kilda will also be on the road, travelling to Casey Fields to face an in-form Melbourne next Saturday afternoon.

COLLINGWOOD     3.3     4.4     5.5     6.5 (41) 
ST KILDA               0.0     0.1     0.2     2.2 (14) 

GOALS
Collingwood: Sheridan 2, O’Dea, Chaston, Newman, Cann
St Kilda: McDonald, Shierlaw  

BEST
Collingwood: Bonnici, Lambert, Butler, Cann, Rowe, Allen, Sheridan 
St Kilda: Vesely, Phillips, Priest, Lucas-Rodd, Dillon 

INJURIES 
Collingwood: Chiocci (Achilles) replaced in selected side by Barnett, Fowler (concussion) 
St Kilda: Nil 

Crowd: 2,546 at Victoria Park

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