WELCOME to the first AFLW power rankings for the 2020 season.
With the competition split into two conferences, it's interesting to bring the two pools together to get a gauge on how the teams stack up against each other.
However, this isn't a simple combining of the ladders. It's an attempt to place a subjective value on the wins and losses to ascertain just who is the strongest team at this point in time.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Sarah Black's wrap of round two
1. Fremantle (first in Conference B, 2-0, 241.9%)
Simply put, Fremantle is the pace-setter of the competition. The Dockers have had a relatively smooth ride so far, taking on a Geelong side missing its best player, Meg McDonald, at home and an inexperienced West Coast. However, the power of Fremantle's forward line can't be ignored.
2. Brisbane (first in Conference A, 2-0, 178.0%)
A win against a reigning premier is a huge tick, regardless if it was against a weakened side, and the Lions then backed it up with some grit against Geelong on the road.
3. Melbourne (third in Conference B, 2-0, 168.8%)
Scrapes into third over Collingwood on the back of knocking off a strong cross-conference rival in North Melbourne. The Demons have hopefully got through their worst weather conditions for the season with a howling wind at Casey and very heavy rain at VU Whitten Oval.
TEAM OF THE WEEK Dockers, Lions, Crows dominate R2 team
4. Collingwood (second in Conference B, 2-0, 220.0%)
Recorded a very powerful win over Carlton in round two, controlling play from start to finish, but sits just below Melbourne after its first win came over expansion side West Coast. Nevertheless, it's a vastly improved Pies team in 2020.
5. North Melbourne (second in Conference A, 1-1, 139.0%)
Struggled in a vicious breeze down at Casey in round one, dropping a match it had every chance of winning against Melbourne. But a midfield containing Emma Kearney, Jasmine Garner and Jenna Bruton can't be held for long, and the Roos were a class above GWS in round two.
6. Carlton (fourth in Conference B, 1-1, 135.8%)
One comprehensive win over expansion side Richmond and one poor loss to Collingwood for Carlton to open the season. The Blues still have ample firepower on the field, it's just a matter of getting all players firing at once.
7. Adelaide (fourth in Conference A, 1-1, 100.0%)
There's no secret Adelaide has a long injury list, but there were still 14 premiership players who took to the field against St Kilda. It was a confidence-boosting win, the Crows holding their nerve to overhaul the young Saints, and don't be surprised to see the premiers climbing up the ladder.
8. Western Bulldogs (fifth in Conference B, 1-1, 110.9%)
We've seen the best and the worst of the Western Bulldogs in the opening portion of the season, piling on the goals against St Kilda but struggling to have any impact against Melbourne in the wet.
9. Greater Western Sydney (fifth in Conference A, 1-1, 62.2%)
Just scraped over the line against Gold Coast in torrential rain in round one but didn't look far off the pace against a powerful North Melbourne side. Sharpening up in front of goal will go a long way to boosting the Giants this season.
FULL FIXTURE Every round, every game
10. Gold Coast (third in Conference A, 1-1, 132.3%)
The Suns have a healthy percentage courtesy of a one-point loss and an 11-point win over fellow expansion side Richmond. The first of the new sides to record a win, if the Suns can arrest their fade-outs, watch them climb up the rankings.
11. St Kilda (sixth in Conference B, 0-2, 51.9%)
Their percentage belies their performances, but as it stands, the Saints are yet to get a win on the board. Were blown out of the water against the Western Bulldogs, but showed good fight taking it up to an experienced Adelaide until the dying minutes.
12. Geelong (sixth in Conference A, 0-2, 57.8%)
A disappointing start to the season is tempered by the fact the two losses have come against ladder leaders Fremantle and Brisbane. However, to be 0-2 in an eight-week season is a perilous place to be, and the second-half fade-outs are a big concern.
13. Richmond (seventh in Conference A, 0-2, 44.4%)
Richmond take 13th spot over West Coast on the back of managing 12 scoring shots in its loss to Gold Coast. With a game against North Melbourne looming this weekend, round four's match against Geelong looks the more likely for a first win.
14. West Coast (seventh in Conference B, 0-2, 26.5%)
It's been a torrid start for West Coast in the AFLW competition, getting blown out of the water against both Collingwood and Fremantle. Lower scores means percentage can bounce up and down rapidly in the AFLW compared to the AFL, which West Coast will be banking on.
Did you head to the footy over the weekend? Tell us what you thought! #AFLW
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) February 12, 2020
Take survey: https://t.co/Ft5gCwz98K pic.twitter.com/o9t4bCYBku