IF FREMANTLE is any chance of over-running Adelaide in Saturday's semi-final, one match-up in the middle of the ground will be key.
The ruck battle between two of the most talented tap rucks going around – Docker Mim Strom and Crow Jess Allan – is likely to set the tone for the day.
Strom, 23, broke her own hitout co-record last weekend against Essendon, setting a new mark of 55 in a game with roughly 20 or 21-minute quarters.
Most hitouts in an AFLW match
55 – Mim Strom (elimination final 2024 v Essendon)
48 – Mim Strom (week eight, 2024 v West Coast)
48 – Mim Strom (week one, 2024 v Essendon)
48 – Jess Allan (week seven, 2024 v Greater Western Sydney)
47 – Mim Strom (week seven, 2024 v Carlton)
47 – Jess Allan (week four, 2024 v Essendon)
47 – Erin McKinnon (round 10, 2022, S6 v Geelong)
"The player I think who's going to be super important in this one is Jess Allan. If you listen to our review episode on Monday from week one of finals, Mim Strom had a monster game and she took advantage of the match-up she had," Gemma Bastiani said on Credit to the Girls.
"This one is a different story. Jess Allan is up there with her for hitouts this year. Jess Allan is arguably a better hitout-to-advantage player than what Mim is.
"Jess' ability to connect with her midfield is unmatched. Mim is incredible at choosing good spots and things like that, but because she maybe has a slightly different midfield in the way they work, it doesn't always land on their chest the way it does for particularly Jess and Danielle Ponter. I think that connection can be really important.
"This task is going to be really massive, but if anyone can take it to Strom, it's going to be her."
Not only is Allan a strong chance at matching Strom in the hitout count, but she's unlikely to let the star Docker get her own way around the ground, too.
"Both Allan sisters are great contested marks, and we saw with Essendon, they didn't have a ruck who was tall and could have an impact like Mim. But we saw they tried to move Mim away from dangerous areas," Lucy Watkin said.
"But we know Adelaide will run with Mim and hopefully make it more of a 50-50 contest, and bring the ball to ground, bring the midfielders into it on the wings and in the corridor where the ball is going to be sent. It's definitely going to be a much bigger task for Mim, and it's what makes this game so interesting in that battle, Freo can't rely on Mim, it's not their get-out-of-jail card."
Last time they met: Week two, 2024
Jess Allan – 27 hitouts, nine disposals, one clearance, three marks, one tackle, 96m gained
Mim Strom – 20 hitouts, 10 disposals, one clearance, one mark, five tackles, 2m gained
