IT is celebration time for Hawthorn this weekend as it becomes the latest club to play its 50th rebel VFLW game when it takes on North Melbourne at Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Road Oval on Saturday morning.
The Hawks took over the licence from Box Hill in 2018, winning the premiership in their first year, and have built an impressive 29-19-1 win-loss-draw record in their three-and-a-half seasons in the competition.
They have flown out of the blocks this season to sit third on the ladder at 4-1 with a league-best percentage of 366.67 and will start short-priced favourites against the Kangaroos (1-4) as the competition enters its second phase and AFLW players return to the fray.
CLICK ON THIS LINK TO VIEW A PDF OF ALL THE TEAMS FOR THIS WEEKEND’S ROUND 6 MATCHES
The match is part of a double-header treat for women’s footy fans, with Williamstown and Port Melbourne’s Battle of the Bay showdown to follow at Trevor Barker Oval.
And Hawthorn won’t be holding the only celebrations, with gutsy Essendon defender-wing Kendra Heil to line up for her 50th VFLW match (for seven goals) when the Bombers aim to keep their undefeated record intact and gain some revenge for their loss to Geelong in last year’s preliminary final.
The round features some terrific fixtures, with undefeated ladder leader Casey Demons welcoming the giantkiller Southern Saints to Casey Fields on Sunday morning in the www.afl.com.au/fixture?Competition=11 match of the round, while another unbeaten team in Essendon travels down the highway for a 2021 preliminary final rematch against a Geelong team smarting from consecutive home defeats.
Darebin will chase a fourth win of the season when it takes on the Western Bulldogs at Whitten Oval, and there's not many bigger clashes than Carlton v Collingwood, which is set down for Ikon Park on Saturday morning - with both of these matches on WARF Radio.
Twitter: @BRhodesVFL
In a first for VFLW, all matches in 2022 will be live streamed free. One VFLW feature match per week can be watched live via afl.com.au and the AFL Live Official App. All remaining games will be streamed live and available on demand via the VFL/W YouTube channel (youtube.com/AFLVictoria).
To access live scores, results, ladder, stats and to link to live streams/replays, download the VFL/W Official App from the Apple or Google app stores.
Keep track of your VFLW team via our VFLW Match Centre, which features live scores, team and player stats, match timeline, events summary and Fantasy points. Check it out here (https://www.afl.com.au/vfl/fixture)
HAWTHORN v NORTH MELBOURNE
Saturday, March 26, 10am @ Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval
(www.youtube.com/user/AFLVictoria 9.45am)
Prediction: Hawthorn by 34
CARLTON v COLLINGWOOD
Saturday, March 26, 12pm @ Ikon Park
(www.warfradio.com 11am; www.youtube.com/user/AFLVictoria 11.45am)
Prediction: Collingwood by 21
WILLIAMSTOWN v PORT MELBOURNE
Saturday, March 26, 2pm @ Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval
(www.youtube.com.au/user/AFLVictoria 11.45am)
Prediction: Port Melbourne by 19
CASEY DEMONS v SOUTHERN SAINTS
Sunday, March 27, 10.05am @ Casey Fields
(www.afl.com.au/fixture?Competition=11 10am)
Prediction: Casey Demons by 2
WESTERN BULLDOGS v DAREBIN
Sunday, March 27, 11am @ Victoria University Whitten Oval
(www.warfradio.com 10am; www.youtube.com.au/user/AFLVictoria 10.45am)
Prediction: Darebin by 23
GEELONG v ESSENDON
Sunday, March 27, 1pm @ Deakin University
(www.youtube.com.au/user/AFLVictoria 12.45pm)
Prediction: Essendon by 10
Brendan Rhodes’ winners: Last Round: 4. Season: 22