Reigning rebel VFLW premier Essendon has made eight changes as it tries to break its 2023 duck against Casey Demons at the NEC Hangar on Sunday.

Flag star Amelia Radford and top AFLW draft pick Amber Clarke return for the Bombers, while Collingwood AFLW recruit Eloise Chaston and draftee Ash Van Loon will don the sash for the first time.

For their part, the Demons have made seven changes and there will be plenty of quality sitting on the sidelines, with vice-captain Mel Hogg, Eloise O’Connor, Caitlin Conroy, Georgia Campbell, Kara Henderson and Brooke Borchard all going out.

East Fremantle recruit Amber Kinnane makes her debut alongside Teagan Williams, who played twice for the Bombers last year and VAFA player Siobhan Sheerin.

Undefeated Box Hill Hawks have suffered a double blow ahead of their game against Collingwood on Sunday, with star forwards Maddie Boyd and Sarah Perkins to both miss with injury.

Peel Thunder recruit Cassie Davidson is also injured and Sophie Locke has been rested, but the news isn’t all bad, with Catherine Brown, Amanda Tessari, Akayla Peterson and Chantella Perera to return.

The Magpies have swapped two AFLW players for the game, with Alana Porter and Eliza James coming in for Imogen Evans and Erica Fowler.

Port Melbourne tackling machine Courteney Bromage will play her first match of the season as the Borough attempts to bring the Bulldogs back to earth from their drought-breaking win last week.

West Perth recruit and former Dandenong Stingray Keely Byrne will make her VFLW debut and Molly Denahy-Maloney returns to the league against her old team after playing 10 times for them in 2021.

The Bulldogs have lost last week’s three-goal hero Bri McFarlane to injury, with first-year player Isabella Robson to return in the only change from the team that thrashed North Melbourne.

North Melbourne has two new faces as it tries to bounce back against Carlton, but they are familiar to VFLW followers, with Madisen Maguire to play her first game for the Kangaroos after 33 for Geelong and Maggie Purcell crossing after 13 games for Western Bulldogs.

The Blues will be without injured skipper Christina Bernardi, with former Calder Cannons forward Tahlia Read to make her VFLW debut having been traded to the Blues from Fremantle, where she spent AFLW Season 7 without making a debut.

Geelong has youth and experience coming in for its trip to Southern Saints, with GWV Rebels product Molly Walton to play her first game after three for the Bulldogs last year, although the Cats will be without Mia Skinner and Breanna Beckley for the early morning game.

The Saints reacted swiftly to their disappointing loss to Box Hill Hawks, with AFLW-listed star Deanna Jolliffe brought in alongside the experienced Nicki Cormack, Ali Hynes and Tayla Kearns among five changes, but Georgia McLean is injured.

Williamstown has received a boost for its bottom of the table meeting with Darebin, with star midfielder and AFLW Swan Aliesha Newman making her return to DSV Stadium and North Melbourne recruit Perri King to line up for the first time, but ex-Tiger Sophie Damon will miss.

The Falcons have lost defender Victoria Blackwood to injury, with Trinity Mills and Piper Louey to return.

All matches in the 2023 Smithy’s VFL and rebel VFLW seasons will be live streamed free via the AFL website and AFL Live Official App.

Casey Radio will also broadcast Essendon vs Casey Demons.

WILLIAMSTOWN vs DAREBIN FALCONS

Saturday April 15, 10:00am, DSV Stadium
Head-to-head: Darebin 5-1-1. At DSV Stadium: Darebin 2-1-1. Streak: Williamstown 1

WILLIAMSTOWN
B: T. Wright (7), Z. Day (34)
HB: D. Pederson (15), S. Whiting (25), M. Edwards (17)
C: B. Gray (44), N. Julian (35), P. King (38)
HF: E. Straford (18), B. Kennedy (2), E.Eaves (6)
F: A. Newman (37), S. Cameron (43)
R: N. Phipps (31), E. Cleland (5), J. Kawa (23)
INT: S. Bridgewater (12), D. Di Santo (8), C. Tyrell (39), T. Brett (20), L. Stepnell (4)
EMG: E. Mangan (29), S. Thomas (28), M. Williamson (24)

IN: P. King, A. Newman
OUT: S. Damon (managed), S. Thomas (omit)
NEW: Perri King, 19, North Melbourne VFLW; Aleisha Newman, 27, Sydney AFLW/Collingwood VFLW

DAREBIN FALCONS
B: A. Gunn (11), P. Kearney (28)
HB: S. Ruedin (32), K. McNiece (5), T. Mills (43)
C: S. Simpson (17), A. Gogos (1), V. Smiljanic (58)
HF: A. White (46), S. Du Parquet (50), E. Mackay (39)
F: A. Misfud (9), P. Louey (3)
R: Z. Larkins (21), S. Egan (34), R. Goring (12)
INT: S. Lynch (24), M. Shone (60), S. Dickens (29), S. Kenna (15), M. Plunkett (18)
EMG: J. Phung (4), S. Padovano (14), M. Giannopoulus (54), C.Weston-Sirett (52)

IN: P. Louey, T. Mills
OUT: V. Blackwood (injured), J. Phung

PORT MELBOURNE vs WESTERN BULLDOGS

Saturday April 15, 10:30am, ETU Stadium
Head-to-head: Port Melbourne 2-0. At ETU Stadium: Port Melbourne 2-0. Streak: Port Melbourne 2

PORT MELBOURNE
B: O. Barton (1), L. Davie (6)
HB: K. Byrne (25), M. Shaw (11), E. Morrison (10)
C: C. Dyett (15), C. Bromage (4), J. Livingstone (3)
HF: J. Woods (52), C. Slater (13), S. Reid (48)
F: S. Williams (44), J. Williams (26)
R: K. Dudley (2), L. Caruso (5), K. O'Keefe (18)
INT: M. McKellar (14), L. Wright (19), M. Denahy Maloney (35), I. Hartog (42), I. Stutt (29)
EMG: B. Mueck (31), J. Farrugia (22), M. Mottram (24), T. Farrell (37), T. Watson (23)

IN: C. Bromage, K. Byrne, M. Denahy Maloney, M. McKellar, I. Stutt
OUT: A. Campbell, R. Dale, A. Peck, S. Taylor (injured), B. Wilson
NEW: Keely Byrne, 20, West Perth WAFLW; Molly Denahy-Maloney, 22, Aberfeldie/Western Bulldogs VFLW

WESTERN BULLDOGS
B: J. Paten (43), T. Delgado (69)
HB: F. Taylor (48), C. Pickett (59), A. Ling (29)
C: S. Asciak (26), T. Meier (42), T. Skenderis (34)
HF: J. Tabb (63), K. McCarthy (49), M. McLeod (31)
F: I. Robson (60), M. Sandral (39)
R: J. Borg (64), D. Carbone (54), S. Skinner (62)
INT: D. Carruthers (47), K. Tracey (44), I. Cameron (32), R. Beuzeville (50), E. Greet (52)
EMG: E Nekrep (41), K Henry (46), I Barker (56)

IN: I. Robson
OUT: B. McFarlane (injured)

NORTH MELBOURNE vs CARLTON

Saturday April 15, 1:00pm, Arden Street Oval
Head-to-head: North Melbourne 2-1. At Arden Street Oval: North Melbourne 1-0. Streak: North Melbourne 2

NORTH MELBOURNE
B: A. Melnikas (18), R. Hicks (12)
HB: M. McDonald (5), K. Delia (20), M. Purcell (28)
C: T. Gatt (8), R. Tripodi (34), J. Mourney (2)
HF: A. Rhodes (4), J. Jones (17), G. Nicholas (9)
F: E. Paterno (21), C. Fitzgerald (10)
R: Z. Flanigan (16), A. Scott (23), F. Theodore (1)
INT: M. McSweeney (22), G. Walsh (15), T. Bradley (33), M. Maguire (11), M. Klaumanns-Moller (14)
EMG: J. Hillas (30), J. Nursey (26), D. Edward (3)

IN: M. Maguire, M. McDonald, M. McSweeney, M. Purcell
OUT: E. Macdonald (injured), C. Mailer (managed), K. Peake, A. Xanthos
NEW: Madisen Maguire, 27, Geelong VFLW; Marguerite Purcell, 21, Western Bulldogs VFLW

CARLTON
B: A. Bild (7), K. Lennox (13)
HB: G. Lawson-Tavan (10), P. Trudgeon (14), B. Gurr (9)
C: L. Beatty (33), T. Ortlepp (2), B. Vickers (36)
HF: E. Wood (10), A. Klingbeil (1), A. Thorneycroft (27)
F: M. Cowan (26), C. Bain (4)
R: E. Hurley (18), T. Read (37), M. Di Cosmo (20)
INT: E. Hosking (3), R. Watts (35), G. Tait (29), L. Robertson (16), I. Khoury (5)
EMG: T. Nicolaou (22), K. Day (17), T. Kolevski (28), V. Murphy (21), J. Dunne (39), O. Di Donato (31)

IN: L. Beatty, T. Read
OUT: C. Bernardi (injured), O. Di Donato
NEW: Tahlia Read, 19, Fremantle AFLW

SOUTHERN SAINTS vs GEELONG CATS

Sunday April 16, 9:45am, Trevor Barker Beach Oval
Head-to-head: Geelong 5-2. At TBBO: Geelong 1-0. Streak: Southern Saints 2

SOUTHERN SAINTS
B: I. Gentile (35), D. Jolliffe (4)
HB: J. Moore (15), A. Hynes (16), T. Boyd (21)
C: W. Laing (9), N. Cormack (12), C. Ryan (11)
HF: S. Phillips (48), T. Kearns (23), K. Ripari (24)
F: G. De Angelis (39), L. Burke (28)
R: S. Black (22), M. Podnecky (10), J. Wrigley (18)
INT: J. Webster (32), M. Kershaw (3), K. Ebb (53), G. Hodder (31), S. Kaukiono (27)
EMG: K. Prendergast (56), E. Stuber (7), O. Robinson (33)

IN: N. Cormack, A. Hynes, D. Jolliffe, T. Kearns, M. Kershaw
OUT: M. Bertuna, B. Enno, G. McLean (injured), K. Prendergast, O. Robinson

GEELONG CATS
B: M. Bragg (44), S. Perrott (59)
HB: A. McDonald (39), C. Leonard (37), E. Worpel (49)
C: A. Favell (42), S. O'Dea (47), E. Ramsay (33)
HF: C. Simpson (51), O. Cicolini (53), A. McKee (43)

F: C. de Groot (40), C. Scheer (14)
R: K. Scoullar (29), S. Degiacomi (30), R. Garing (12)
INT: E. Wilson-Macdonald (57), E. Firth (48), M. Walton (64), D. Stewart (27), B. Pratt (36)
EMG: L. Stewart (34), A. McKeegan (60), A. Haigh (55), E. Vella (56), E. Gilligan (58)

IN: A. McDonald, B. Pratt, M. Walton
OUT: B. Beckley (unavailable), J. McMeel, M. Skinner (unavailable)
NEW: Molly Walton, 18, North Ballarat/GWV Rebels/Western Bulldogs VFLW

ESSENDON vs CASEY DEMONS

Sunday April 16, 11:00am, NEC Hangar
Head-to-head: Essendon 4-2. At NEC Hangar: Never Met. Streak: Essendon 4

ESSENDON
B: T. Crook (49), A. Van Loon (26)
HB: M. Bateman (62), S. Molan (73), A. Barba (11)
C: K. Heil (78), J. Doonan (12), C. Ugle (41)
HF: A. Clarke (33), P. Scott (32), R. Sutton (72)
F: E. Chaston (61), T. Hart-Aluni (59)
R: M. Ryan (76), A. Radford (22), K. Jacques (16)
INT: M. Gray (48), K. Russell (50), C. Prpic (58), G. Dicker (44), T. Davidge (77)
EMG: E. Cornish (55), M. Pearson (64), C. Sargent (80)

IN: M. Bateman, E. Chaston, A. Clarke, M. Gray, A. Radford, K. Russell, R. Sutton, A. Van Loon
OUT: M. Busch (injured), B. Clarke, E. Cornish, M. Huta (injured), O. Manfre, C.Sargent, L. Spargo, A. Strahan
NEW: Eloise Chaston, 21, Collingwood AFLW; Ash Van Loon, 18, St Mary’s/Geelong Falcons

CASEY DEMONS
B: B. Woolcock (16), E. Horne (26)
HB: K. Carew (17), C. Wilson (46), G. Gall (29)
C: D. Smith (3), M. Neal (7), A. Kirkwood (6)
HF: N. O'Neill (19), A. Bannan (30), C. Burke (12)
F: M. Fitzsimon (20), T. Williams (36)
R: L. Swain (50), S. Goldrick (43), C. Keohane (40)
INT: T. Burn (4), S. Fairchild (8), A. Kinnane (49), I. Lehman (11), S. Sheerin (5)
EMG: B. Borchard (37), S. Rummel (28), I. Makai (1)

IN: S. Fairchild, G. Gall, S. Goldrick, A. Kinnane, S. Sheerin, D. Smith, T. Williams
OUT: B. Borchard, G. Campbell, C. Conroy, K. Henderson, M. Hogg, E. O'Connor, C. Sexton
NEW: Amber Kinnane, 21, East Fremantle; Siobhan Sheerin, 27, Caulfield Grammarians; Teagan Williams, 19, Golden Square/Bendigo Pioneers/Essendon VFLW

BOX HILL HAWKS vs COLLINGWOOD

Sunday April 16, 3:30pm, Box Hill City Oval
Head-to-head: Collingwood 4-2. At Box Hill City Oval: Collingwood 2-0. Streak: Box Hill Hawks/Hawthorn 1

BOX HILL HAWKS
B: N. von Bertouch (58), J. Baird (2)
HB: E. Everist (25), E. Mclinden (57), C. Brown (42)
C: M. Van Berkel (86), G. McRae (88), A. Peterson (91)
HF: B. Hipwell (19), E. Woods (52), T. Smith (24)
F: M. Kendall (66), A. Tessari (80)
R: G. Matser (60), J. Mifsud (54), C. Baskaran (4)
INT: D. Ryan (93), C. Perera (55), C. Hammans (75), C. Thorne (78), M. Trusler (81)
EMG: C. Bailey (72), J. Trend (63), S. Humm (87), A. Molesworth (51)

IN: C. Brown, C. Perera, A. Peterson, A. Tessari
OUT: M. Boyd (injured), C. Davidson (injured), S. Locke, S. Perkins (injured)

COLLINGWOOD
B: A. Whiley (43), S. Karlson (20)
HB: R. Christgoergl (56), R. Busch (67), E. Jackson (65)
C: E. James (2), J. Bates (50), M. Jarvis (48)
HF: E. Shepherd (49), E. Morris (21), A. Porter (9)
F: M. DeMatteo (44), J. Tweddle O'Donnell (60)
R: S. King (46), C. Bunker (55), M. Zander (51)
INT: N. Dojiok (61), R. Caris (68), C. Van der Vlies (69), S. Hosking (47), A. Weston (58)
EMG: T. Cowan (54), A. Twomey (59), O. Storer (73)

IN: E. James, A. Porter
OUT: I. Evans, E. Fowler

UMPIRES

Williamstown vs Darebin Falcons
FIELD: Genevieve Devenish, Cooper Marriott. BOUNDARY: Luke Gonis, Tom Kreun. GOAL: Bryce Barker, Jackson Mansell.

Port Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs
FIELD: Ian Herman, Oliver Pearce. BOUNDARY: Ashlee Ball, Angus Cameron. GOAL: Laura Brogan, Nathan Dugdale.

North Melbourne vs Carlton
FIELD: Lachlan Flinn, Kelzia Laker. BOUNDARY: Madeleine Lum, Lachlan Smith. GOAL: Jenna Green, Dylan Wood.

Southern Saints vs Geelong
FIELD: Sam Ritchie, Jack Seymour. BOUNDARY: Ryan Brown, Olivia Grcic. GOAL: Harley Trickey, Dylan Wood.

Essendon vs Casey Demons
FIELD: Liam Dye, Declan Synan. BOUNDARY: Ethan Byrne, Christian Knox. GOAL: James Kandler, Connor Petrie.

Box Hill Hawks vs Collingwood
FIELD: Lucinda Lopes, Lucas Taylor. BOUNDARY: Monique Galea, Reuben Dyer. GOAL: James Rodwell, Courtney Stelling.