AFLW Finals, Week 1 - 2024 AFLW season

[Teen Wolf]

Friday, 8 November

1st Qualifying Final
North Melb. (1st, 10-0-1) v Adelaide (4th, 8-3)
7.15pm AEDT, Ikon Park
7mate - VIC, SA, WA, NSW, QLD


Saturday, 9 November

1st Elimination Final
Fremantle (5th, 8-3) v Essendon (8th, 6-4-1)
7pm AEDT, Fremantle Oval
Seven - WA; 7mate - VIC, SA, NSW, QLD


Sunday, 10 November

2nd Qualifying Final
Hawthorn (2nd, 10-1) v Brisbane (3rd, 9-2)
1.05pm AEDT, Ikon Park
Seven - VIC, SA, WA; 7mate - QLD, NSW

2nd Elimination Final
Port Adelaide (6th, 7-4) v Richmond (7th, 6-4-1)
3.05pm AEDT, Alberton Oval
Seven - VIC, SA, WA; 7mate - NSW, QLD


18 has become 8, and though the 18 teams didn't all play each other, three of these first week matchups are repeats from earlier in the season. Not that much earlier in the case of North and Adelaide, who faced off just two weeks ago (close NM win). Port and Richmond played a mid-week game back in Round 5 (comfortable Tigers win). Freo and Essendon met in Round 1 (convincing Dockers win).

By coincidence, the home and away teams in those three matchups have swapped around for their finals appointment. The Kangaroos and Crows are the only ones with a head-to-head finals history, with the former winning last year's prelim (also at Ikon Park) by 1 point.

As mentioned in a previous thread, Fremantle are set to play their first home final in front of a crowd. Meanwhile Hawthorn and Port Adelaide are set to play their first finals full stop, meaning all four of the 2022 entrants have qualified for finals before two of the 2020 entrants (St Kilda and West Coast).

Somewhat mimicking a thread of commentary during the men's finals, it is noticeable that each of the first four finals this year pit a Victorian team up against a non-Victorian team, which hasn't happened in AFLW before.

Weather is forecast to be mild and clear for the relevant cities on the relevant days. Recent crowd figures suggest Port Adelaide will get the biggest turn out (potentially a sell out), but whether Fremantle and Hawthorn get a significant bump in interest from supporters is a bit of an unknown.

 

[Air_Chester]

Round 1 loss to Fremantle still burns. Essendon were well on top and kept them scoreless into the second quarter - then Bonnie Toogood and Amber Clarke collided. Everything about the team structure went out the window and they played the last 2.5 quarters with two of their most important players down while Freo piled on 10 goals.

Firmly believe without the collision that Essendon could’ve won, but everything forward of centre just fell apart.

I’d have been confident of a win in this final if you’d asked me 10 days ago, but not so much now. Bonnie out again is a blow, but even more of an issue is Steph Wales out of the ruck with her ACL. Not a situation you want to be in coming up against Mim Strom who had 30 disposals, 30 hit outs and 400 metres gained on the weekend.

Head says Freo by 10 points, but from an Essendon point of view I’ll still go in very hopeful they can pull it off.

 

[Munga]

How many weeks for Davidson's sling tackle? A few there.
How many weeks for Davidson's swinging elbow to the head? Even more weeks there.

 

[TheWalyalupFan]

Who comes here looking forward to a North Melbourne vs Fremantle GF?

 

[X_box_X]

Predictions.

NM by 19
Fremantle by 13
Hawthorn by 6
Richmond by 5

 

[TheWalyalupFan]

This years GF matchup will be what was meant to be the 2020 GF Matchup.

 

[Teen Wolf]

FINALS WK1 TEAMS: Roos' Kearney call, Crow named, boost for Freo

The teams are in for Friday and Saturday's AFLW finals, plus squads for Sunday's matches

www.afl.com.au

Bruton back for NM, but no Kearney yet as pretty much expected. Ponter's fitness questionable, but she remains in, at least for now.

NORTH MELBOURNE
In: J.Bruton
Out: N.Martin (omitted)

ADELAIDE
In: L.Tarlinton
Out: N.Allen (omitted)

Difference in changes here make it a no-excuse game for Freo:

FREMANTLE
In: A.Brazill
Out: J.Cregg (omitted)

ESSENDON
In: E.Gough
Out: B.Toogood (ankle)

Might see both Hawks and Lions go in unchanged:

HAWTHORN
In: H.McLaughlin, T.Fellows, S.Butterworth
Out: Nil

BRISBANE
In: E.Hampson, D.Heslop, K.Lutkins
Out: Nil

3 important inclusions to the Port lineup for their finals free hit:

PORT ADELAIDE
In: J.Teakle, M.Scholz, A.Dowrick, A.Brook
Out: J.Miller (omitted)

RICHMOND
In: C.Wicksteed, L.McClelland, M.Eastman, J.Woods
Out: C.Ryan (omitted)

 

[Teen Wolf]

Difference in changes here make it a no-excuse game for Freo

The Dockers have made a compelling case for plaudits with the way they've surged back up the ladder without Bowers, Stannett and Tighe.

But list management chose to go heavy on older and/or known injury-prone players, so if the team can't put together two solid performances over the next fortnight, it'll just look like a risky recruiting strategy reaping what it has sowed.

 

[HongKongRoo]

Predictions.

NM by 19
Fremantle by 13
Hawthorn by 6
Richmond by 5

This is a danger game for North. If Adelaide kicked straight they would have rolled us 2 weeks ago. They were easily the best team we played all year.

 

[cmndstab]

This is a danger game for North. If Adelaide kicked straight they would have rolled us 2 weeks ago. They were easily the best team we played all year.

Unfortunately, Adelaide haven't kicked straight for a long time. Our last six matches have seen us score 34.49. And if you exclude the 14.8 performance against GWS (who didn't put up much of a fight), it's 20.41.

I'd dearly love for them to get their goalkicking right when it really counts, but it would require a massive turnaround in form.

 

[Teen Wolf]

So the Lions do make one change, but it won't involve Sophie Conway who had a bit of a shoulder issue late in last week's game.

HAWTHORN
In: Nil
Out: Nil

BRISBANE
In: E.Hampson
Out: S.Davison (omitted)

Molly Eastman makes her return to the Tigers lineup, having last played in R1 for reasons seemingly not related to injury.

PORT ADELAIDE
In: M.Scholz, A.Dowrick, J.Teakle
Out: J.Miller (omitted), M.Keryk (omitted), J.Stewart (omitted)

RICHMOND
In: M.Eastman
Out: C.Ryan (omitted)

 

[Teen Wolf]

Wow looks like men's cricket has some competitive balance issues. Fortunately for people wanting to see a contest tonight, they can just tune into the footy instead!

 

[Teen Wolf]

Saturday, 9 November

1st Elimination Final
Fremantle (5th, 8-3) v Essendon (8th, 6-4-1)
7pm AEDT, Fremantle Oval
Seven - WA; 7mate - VIC, SA, NSW, QLD

Confirmed this will be on the main channel in WA.

Btw all finals are free to stream live on 7plus.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Early days, but north looking a bit fumbly, and Adelaide up to the occasion

 

[Crankyhawk]

That was dumb by crow player there, totally deliberate rushed and paid

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Lol, yes, it's probably the correct call, but there's 2 players there ready to tackle (direct pressure). initial posession is inside the square (the direction given to umpires is the goal square as being 'within distance')

 

[Crankyhawk]

Lol, yes, it's probably the correct call, but there's 2 players there ready to tackle (direct pressure). initial posession is inside the square (the direction given to umpires is the goal square as being 'within distance')

I’d call it in the spirit of the rule. She picked up the ball when no north player was within 9 m, then just stood there before walking it back over the line. I’m happy for that to be paid every day

 

[radiojake]

I’d call it in the spirit of the rule. She picked up the ball when no north player was within 9 m, then just stood there before walking it back over the line. I’m happy for that to be paid every day

9m?
Have a look at it again

 

[Mitchell Madness]

I’d call it in the spirit of the rule. She picked up the ball when no north player was within 9 m, then just stood there before walking it back over the line. I’m happy for that to be paid every day

I'm definitely happy for it to be paid, but I'd be pissed if I was a crows fan.

Spirit of the rule obviously, but the actual directive (which the players are instructed) is within 9m of goal

 

[Crankyhawk]

9m?
Have a look at it again

When she picks up the ball there’s no other north player in the goal square. Yes at the time she walks backward over the line there is a north player a lot closer but that player is not applying pressure

 

[Crankyhawk]

Great work by Randall is rewarded with a goal

 

[NetworkNerd]

Gee the crows have come to play!

Winner of this game to take the flag?

 

[Teen Wolf]

NM super soft first half in just about every way imaginable.

Adelaide obviously came with the right mentality, but still lacking a lot tactically.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Gee the crows have come to play!

Winner of this game to take the flag?

Actually think it will be the winner of the other qf that wins the flag

 

[Teen Wolf]

Not surprising stuff from "the buckets" (North tall defenders... been carried all year), but it seems quite a few others are playing with wrist injuries, hence the number of lazy/failed one-handed gather attempts.

If each team had Kearney and Jones out there respectively in the first half, Adelaide would be further ahead.