THIS is where the real stuff begins.
Eight teams have won their right to play finals, and contest for the 2024 premiership, while the first batch of finals have thrown up some intriguing match ups.
It's master v apprentice when Brisbane and Hawthorn meet on Sunday, and Adelaide will be out to become the first team to defeat North Melbourne this year.
Who will progress through?
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8
Qualifying final one: North Melbourne v Adelaide at Ikon Park, 7.15pm AEDT
Last time they met: North Melbourne 6.5 (41) defeated Adelaide 4.9 (33), week nine, 2024
North Melbourne and Adelaide will meet for the second time in three matches, giving both sides a close look at how the opposition wants to play. In their week nine game, the Roos went to work on how the Crows opt to defend, while the latter were largely their own worst enemy when it came to taking advantage of their movement inside 50. Typically, Adelaide works to defend high up the ground, creating a defensive wall that is particularly difficult to break through, but it is a highly risky style of play against a side such as North Melbourne. The Roos have a proven ability to break jump that wall, and enjoy the massive amount of space in their front half, and it is the likes of Bella Eddey, Alice O'Loughlin, and Kate Shierlaw who can do plenty of damage in this space given their speed and quick decision making.
Meanwhile, Adelaide is actually a competition leader when it comes to getting the ball inside its attacking 50, but its ability to turn those entries into damaging scores has fallen away significantly this year. The club is averaging four goalkickers per game – compared to the Roos' 5.6 – and relies heavily on Caitlin Gould and Danielle Ponter to do the scoring. What looms as a huge upside, however, is if the Crows can neaten up those opportunities in front of goal, they will return to the force that they once were. The side relies heavily on generating score from stoppage, with nearly half of its score each week coming from there, but North Melbourne is the best in the AFLW at scoring from the reset. As a result, this will essentially be won or lost at the contest.
Key matchup: Jasmine Ferguson v Caitlin Gould
Gould is in rare form for the Crows, averaging 3.2 marks inside 50, 2.3 contested marks, and six score involvements per game, while also recently breaking the record for most marks inside 50 in a home and away season with 32. Because of this form, Adelaide has become fairly reliant on Gould to anchor the forward line, so it makes sense that staunch key back Jasmine Ferguson will likely spend some time going head-to-head with her. Ferguson is the Roos' tallest defender at 175cm, and although gives up 7cm to Gould, boasts the strength and intelligence to quell her, while also supported well by the club's team defence.
Tip: It's hard to look past the Roos. North Melbourne by three points.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9
Fremantle v Essendon at Fremantle Oval, 4.00pm AWST
Last time they met: Fremantle 10.4 (64) defeated Essendon 3.3 (21), week one, 2024
Essendon has been handed two big blows in its last two games – season ending injuries to ruck Steph Wales and forward Bonnie Toogood. While covering Toogood is something the Bombers have learned to do this season, after the star forward missed five weeks of the home and away season with an MCL injury suffered in their week one loss to the Dockers, filling the Wales gap when coming up against the League's best ruck Mim Strom is a trickier prospect. Since that week one game, there have been significant changes to each team. The Dockers have also lost Aine Tighe to an ACL injury, and Tunisha Kikoak has established herself in the attacking arc, and coach Lisa Webb has shifted the magnets in the ensuing games. Essendon has also developed proven coverage for Toogood up forward, shifting Ellyse Gamble, but it is young ruck Matilda Dyke who must now take on Strom, an immediate advantage to the Dockers.
A strong opening quarter will be vital for the Bombers. They need to hit Fremantle hard when it is typically at its weakest – first quarters – in order to create some scoreboard pressure to then gather momentum. The sides boast opposing strategies, as the Dockers generally surge forward from contest to contest, rarely generating end-to-end transition to score. Meanwhile Essendon will more regularly enact such transition, typically launched by star half-back Maddi Gay. As such, it is going to be a game of momentum shifts, as each team gets the game looking how they want. An aerial contest largely suits the Bombers, while the ground-level battle plays into the Dockers' hands.
Key matchup: Aisling McCarthy v Steph Cain
While this midfield matchup is unlikely to be a tight tag, or even a run-with role, as a head-to-head it could have a significant impact on the final result. McCarthy is Fremantle's leading goalkicker with eight this season, and is essentially the player around whom the midfield operates. Her spread forward is so dangerous because of a neat ability to create space away from her opposition, so it is here that co-captain Cain must get to work. Her running capacity and physical strength has the potential to impede McCarthy's spread, while she is also dangerous in her own attacking transition, so can occupy McCarthy defensively for periods.
Tip: The Bombers' outs will just be too much. Fremantle by 10 points.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10
Hawthorn v Brisbane at Ikon Park, 1.05pm AEDT
Last time they met: Brisbane 8.11 (59) defeated Hawthorn 5.2 (32), round five, 2023
The first meeting of Hawthorn and Brisbane under coaches Daniel Webster and Craig Starcevich has been much anticipated, and in an enthralling turn of events, it comes in a qualifying final clash with plenty on the line. Unsurprisingly, the Hawks have adopted a hard-running, disciplined style of footy, somewhat akin to the Lions' brand, which makes for an enthralling battle on Sunday. Both sides want to change lanes, and use run and carry to move the ball forward, while they're unlikely to choose to kick long down the line to a contest, and can post devastating scores.
Given Hawthorn's speed in attack, Brisbane has the potential to be exposed in defence, as its backline is strong and reliable, but not especially quick. Aine McDonagh, Greta Bodey, Aileen Gilroy, and even Jasmine Fleming have caught out slower defences on multiple occasions this year already. In addition, the Hawks are also the best team in the League at generating repeat forward 50 entries via a neat intercepting game, and can really pile pressure on the opposition this way, but Brisbane has proven itself marginally better at turning its own front half intercepts into scores. Meanwhile Richmond showed last week that by taking away the Hawks' uncontested marking game, their ball movement can be stunted.
Key matchup: Eliza West v Belle Dawes
Two hard nuts who have the potential to unlock their respective midfields, West and Dawes attack the contest in varying, but equally important ways. Hawks coach Daniel Webster was instrumental in developing Dawes' game, which saw her breakout in 2023 and continue that form into this season, but now she may just become his biggest problem. Her movement through stoppage and ability to remain involved in passages of play as they move down the field can prove devastating. Meanwhile West is the tough in-and-under option who has the capacity to release players like Fleming or Emily Bates into the outside space. It's going to be a battle of power v contested strength, and could be the source of control for either side.
Tip: In a heated battle, the Lions' big game experience will narrowly win out. Brisbane by seven points.
Port Adelaide v Richmond at Alberton Oval, 2:35pm ACDT
Last time they met: Richmond 6.5 (41) defeated Port Adelaide 4.6 (30), week five, 2024
Richmond has returned to finals, after its straight sets exit of 2022 (S7), while Port Adelaide has not only reached its first finals series, but earned the home ground advantage in the process. Alberton will undoubtedly be rocking on Sunday afternoon, and will be treated to a tight, tense battle. Port Adelaide's style is about contested footy and surging forward quickly to gain territory. This quick movement from stoppage has the potential to unsettle the Tigers' strong, organised defensive line, by limiting the time they have to generate the spare in the hole behind the play they rely on. This will create the opportunity for the Power's forwards – particularly the unpredictable Gemma Houghton, and dangerous small Caitlin Wendland – to fight it out in one-on-ones.
The Tigers, meanwhile, work hard to keep the ball in their front half by intercepting the footy and generating repeat inside 50s. This gives them the chance to get the ball in the hands of Katie Brennan, Caitlin Greiser, and Emelia Yassir in front of goal, who work well off one another. It is Richmond's contested marking that has really shone this year, and allowed it to maintain chains of possession, but Port Adelaide will be determined to force the contest to ground level, where it competes at its best.
Key matchup: Shineah Goody v Kate Dempsey
A likely byplay on the wing for the match, the slight but damaging Goody and Dempsey contest will certainly have a big say in the match. Both have proven their importance to their respective sides in terms of ball movement and transition, but even more crucial has been their intercepting and defensive ability. Both sit in the top five for average intercepts for their team, with their positioning a kick behind the play regularly seeing them interrupt opposition rebounding attempts, while they are also neat in gathering loose balls. In each playing their own game, they have the potential to swing momentum their side's way.
Tip: In undoubtedly the hardest game to tip, the Tigers will nab their first finals win. Richmond by five points.
