BRISBANE made a big statement, while Richmond, Geelong and North Melbourne each landed important wins in Pride Round with finals just around the corner. And for last-placed Sydney, there was a glimmer of excitement and hope for the future.
Each week, Gemma Bastiani will look at a key talking point in each game in this handy wrap up, just in case you missed it.
Brennan allows Wakefield to get off the chain
Katie Brennan might be the biggest name at the Tigers, and captain of the club, but the role she is playing when able to hit the field this season is an underrated one. Although she has only played three games this season as she manages a foot issue, Brennan forces defenders to spread their focus between both her and Courtney Wakefield and the latter took advantage of that on Friday night. Wakefield took two contested marks and kicked four goals, playing a significant role in Richmond's sixth win on the trot.
Brisbane is a force to be reckoned with
In the much-anticipated top-two clash between Brisbane and Adelaide, most expected a close battle, but it wasn't to be as the home side put the foot down in the second quarter to prove its credentials as the best side in the competition. The Lions ran in waves, found space, and neatly moved inside 50, delivering the ball forward 40 times – the most inside 50s Adelaide has conceded since round seven, 2021. Brisbane has now toppled both Melbourne and the Crows and is surging towards its second flag in as many years.
Jasmine Garner can do it all
Praise for Kangaroos midfielder Jasmine Garner may seem like a broken record, but her strength not only around the ball but also her ability to gain ground is almost unmatched in the competition. Sitting alongside the likes of Kiara Bowers and Ebony Marinoff, Garner should be considered in every best player conversation being had. Finding 717 metres gained – the second most in AFLW history – from her 27 disposals on Saturday afternoon, Garner also used the ball at 77.8 per cent efficiency, kicked two important goals and took nine marks.
Sydney might have turned a corner
It's been a tough entry into the AFLW for Sydney, still winless after eight games with a percentage of just 35.1, but on Saturday afternoon against exciting expansion side Essendon there was plenty to like about the young Swans. Sofia Hurley showed off her willingness to work both defensively and into attack, kicking two goals. Zoe Hurrell nailed a goal on her birthday debut. Cynthia Hamilton kicked two, including a ripper from outside 50. But even more importantly, the side's ability to maintain structure while also heaping on the pressure is the biggest indicator of improvement.
The Cats have stars on all lines
After West Coast got the fast start on Saturday afternoon, with a quick goal through Ella Roberts, Geelong's composure and experience came to the fore. In the middle, it welcomed back Georgie Prespakis alongside Amy McDonald, up forward Chloe Scheer and Shelley Scott were almost impossible to contain, and down back Annabel Johnson and Meg McDonald reliably held down the fort. This has been a considered list build from the Cats over several seasons to fill gaps, and now it is paying dividends.
Melbourne's quiet contributors are having a big impact
Everyone is well aware of the impact Daisy Pearce, Tayla Harris, Kate Hore and Olivia Purcell are having on Melbourne's push to consecutive Grand Final appearances, but a series of lesser-known players have been equally vital to the surge. On Saturday evening against the Suns, small defender Shelley Heath won a career-high 20 disposals and 10 intercepts rebounding out of the back 50, Tahlia Gillard stood strong in the defensive goalsquare, winning 10 disposals, and Sarah Lampard laid seven tackles and registered 275 metres gained. The Demons run deeper than most realise, and that is what makes them such a dangerous prospect come finals.
Alice Edmonds has officially broken through
Widely acknowledged as the biggest improver at the Bulldogs, Alice Edmonds' tap work has been outstanding this season. Against St Kilda on Sunday, however, she combined that elite tap work with significant impact around the ground in one of the best ruck performances of the season. Finishing the game with a career-high 39 hitouts, eight disposals at 100 per cent efficiency and an impressive nine tackles, Edmonds was hugely important in her side's win, keeping them in touch for finals with only two rounds remaining.
Akec is thriving on the wing
Across her AFLW career, which has spanned five seasons and three clubs, Akec Makur Chuot has largely played as a rebounding defender, but since joining the Hawks this year she has been used more regularly on the wing and is thriving in the new role. Using her athleticism and speed, Makur Chuot has that ability to cover the ground the way a winger needs to, getting back to support the backline but also pushing forward. On Sunday against the Giants, Makur Chuot didn't just kick an excellent goal from the pocket, she won six intercepts, sent the ball inside 50 three times, and registered 252 metres gained with her 10 disposals.
Fremantle needs some key defensive security
Janelle Cuthbertson has had a tough run with injury in recent seasons, dealing with concussion, a fractured cheekbone and a broken nose this year alone, and now concurrent ankle/knee issues have her watching from the sidelines. Although Emma O'Driscoll has done a power of work to hold up that tall defensive position without Cuthbertson in the side, some more key back support wouldn't go astray at the Dockers, as they gave up 11 marks inside 50 to Collingwood on Sunday and looked vulnerable in the air. Fremantle has battled hard in the face of some really tough player availability issues, but just struggled to compete against the Pies' tall contingent of Sabrina Frederick, Imogen Barnett and Ash Brazill.
