THE CREAM is rising to the top at the tail end of the season, with six Brisbane and Melbourne players named in womens.afl's Team of the Week for round eight.

The two sides have set the standard throughout the season and both had commanding performances at Metricon Stadium – Brisbane demolishing Adelaide and Melbourne proving far too good for Gold Coast.

The team is selected to mirror the All-Australian side: five defenders, six midfielders (including a ruck), five forwards and five interchange players.  

Like the All-Australian team, it has players selected in general categories, rather than in traditional positions. The 16-a-side set-up often means teams play with varying configurations, making set selections (e.g wings and flanks) difficult. 

DEFENDERS

Tarni Evans (GWS), Shelley Heath (Melbourne), Emma Kearney (North Melbourne), Breanna Koenen (Brisbane), Stacey Livingstone (Collingwood)

Brisbane skipper Koenen (15 disposals, nine intercepts) led from the front in the Lions' big win over Adelaide, as did North Melbourne counterpart Kearney (20 and seven) against Port Adelaide.

Evans (12, four intercepts and a goal) set the tone for GWS, Heath (20 and 10) rose to the occasion against Gold Coast while Livingstone (12, five marks and 10 intercepts) shone for the Pies.

ICYMI Lions the team to beat, big-name Tiger's underrated role

00:42

Evans' insane running bomb shocks all

Tarni Evans launches a magnificent missile to earn her first ever AFLW major in stunning fashion

MIDFIELDERS

Alice Edmonds (Western Bulldogs, ruck), Monique Conti (Richmond), Sophie Conway (Brisbane), Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne), Alyce Parker (GWS), Liv Purcell (Melbourne)

Edmonds (39 hitouts, nine tackles) was dominant from the first to last siren against an under-strength St Kilda ruck outfit.

Garner strengthened her claim for the AFLW best and fairest with 27 disposals, nine marks and two goals, Purcell (32, seven inside 50s, six clearances) starred for Melbourne and Parker (30, 11 clearance) controlled play against Hawthorn.

Conway (15, two goals) dominated the wing, commanding the lion's share of coaches votes in an even team performance and Conti (30, five clearances) kept doing Conti things against the Blues.

COACHES' VOTES Star Roo locks in another 10, Prespakis sisters tied

02:15

AFLW top five: Round eight's best moments

The standout highlights from the round eight of the 2022 season

FORWARDS

Sophie Alexander (Essendon), Greta Bodey (Brisbane), Georgia Garnett (GWS), Sofia Hurley (Sydney), Courtney Wakefield (Richmond)

Alexander (16, two goals) was Essendon's match-winner, Garnett (20, eight marks and a goal) was the crucial link for the Giants and Hurley (12, three clearances, two goals) produced a career-best performance.

Bodey (15, one goal, 300m gained) continued her fine form and Wakefield (four goals) broke the game open in Richmond's come-from-behind win.

00:37

Alexander gets Bombers off to a flyer

Sophie Alexander slots through this beautiful running goal to give her side the perfect start to the third term

INTERCHANGE

Ellie Blackburn (Western Bulldogs), Kiara Bowers (Fremantle), Tayla Harris (Melbourne), Annabel Johnson (Geelong), Georgie Prespakis (Geelong)

Blackburn (23, four clearances) kicked the Bulldogs into gear when the match was on the line, Bowers (28, 11 tackles, seven clearances) stood tall in an undermanned Dockers line-up and Prespakis (21, 12 tackles, eight clearances) was best on for the Cats.

Teammate Johnson (12, seven intercepts, five marks) was a steady influence in defence and Harris (14, three goals) was too much for Gold Coast to handle up forward.

00:42

Harris threads the eye off a step for early ripper

Tayla Harris slots a fantastic long goal in traffic